Coming of Age by Lucy Foulkes: 'wise and revelatory' guide to the teenage mind
The psychologist shows how our 'enduringly vivid' formative years shape the adults we become
 
What does your "reminiscence bump" look like, asked David Shariatmadari in The Guardian. If that sounds "like a blow to the head with a touch of amnesia", it is not – but it can still be painful. As the psychologist Lucy Foulkes explains in her new book, the term refers to the period during which adults report the "greatest number of important autobiographical memories". It tends to start when we're about ten and "peaks at 20, taking in a plethora of firsts": first kiss, first love, first dabblings with drink or drugs, as well as bullying, break-ups and bereavements.
And as Foulkes shows, these "enduringly vivid" years "define the adults we become". Our identities, she argues in "Coming of Age", are shaped by the stories we tell about ourselves – and adolescence is when "this narration begins in earnest". By turns funny, hair-raising and moving, the book is a "wise and revelatory" guide to the complexities of the teenage mind.
Any "parent of a newly minted teenager" is likely to feel especially grateful for this book, said Lucy Denyer in The Daily Telegraph. For it suggests that all the "tricky", anxiety-inducing behaviours that teenagers engage in are necessary stages on the road to adulthood. It is by experimenting with risk that teenagers learn to become independent. Their obsession with fitting in, infuriating as it may be, helps them to figure out how to find their tribe.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
 
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Foulkes "expertly marshals clinical research", and interlaces it with accounts from people who've spoken to her "about their formative years", said Kate Womersley in The Observer. Her study will speak to adults still coming to terms with their adolescence, while perhaps also trying to guide their children through these "murky waters". If it has a flaw, it is that it does not give enough consideration to the way the digital revolution has transformed the experience of being a teenager.
Foulkes is especially interesting on school cliques, which she sees as "complex systems worth studying on their own terms", said Sophie McBain in The New Statesman. She draws a distinction between the supposedly "popular kids", who are actually often "envied and disliked", and those with "high sociometric popularity" – the often "decent" ones who are "liked by almost everyone". The latter, she says, typically go on to succeed in life; the "cool kids", not so much. This is a book that should have a wide readership. After all, we were all teenagers once, and as Foulkes argues, a better understanding of our own "awkward, in-between years" will help us become better adults.
Available on The Week Bookshop
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
- 
 How the clock change could impact your finances How the clock change could impact your financesThe winter months can be more expensive but there are ways to keep your costs down 
- 
 ‘This estrangement from death has beget euphemisms’ ‘This estrangement from death has beget euphemisms’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day 
- 
 Political cartoons for October 30 Political cartoons for October 30Cartoons Thursday's political cartoons include missing SNAP benefits, working without pay, and Graham Platner's terrible tattoo 
- 
 Nigerian Modernism: an ‘entrancing, enlightening exhibition’ Nigerian Modernism: an ‘entrancing, enlightening exhibition’The Week Recommends Tate Modern’s ‘revelatory’ show includes 250 works examining Nigerian art pre- and post independence 
- 
 The Mastermind: Josh O’Connor stars in unconventional art heist movie The Mastermind: Josh O’Connor stars in unconventional art heist movieThe Week Recommends Kelly Reichardt cements her status as the ‘queen of slow cinema’ with her latest film 
- 
 The 8 best dark comedies of the 21st century The 8 best dark comedies of the 21st centuryFrom Santa Claus to suicide terrorism, these movies skewered big, taboo subjects 
- 
 Critics’ choice: Watering holes for gourmands Critics’ choice: Watering holes for gourmandsFeature An endless selection of Mexican spirits, a Dublin-inspired bar, and an upscale Baltimore pub 
- 
 Film reviews: Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Frankenstein, and Blue Moon Film reviews: Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Frankenstein, and Blue MoonFeature A rock star on the rise turns inward, a stressed mother begins to unravel, and more 
- 
 Beth Macy’s 6 favorite books about living in a divided nation Beth Macy’s 6 favorite books about living in a divided nationFeature The journalist recommends works by Nicholas Buccola, Matthew Desmond, and more 
- 
 Everything you need to know about last-minute travel Everything you need to know about last-minute travelThe Week Recommends You can book an awesome trip with a moment’s notice 
- 
 Book review: ‘Joyride: A Memoir’ Book review: ‘Joyride: A Memoir’Feature A journalist’s story of how she chased and accomplished her dreams