From Sixteen to Sixty

The Beartooth Chronicles was published by Fire & Ice Young Adult Books, which is in an imprint of Melange Books, LLC, that focuses on young adult/new adult books. The series was primarily marketed under young adult since there don’t seem to be many new adult (between 18 and 25-30 years old) specific marketing option, though I sometimes wonder if that was the correct approach.

Similar to The Hunger Games which garnered the interest of teens and adults alike, the primary characters, Ashley (Ash) and Caleb are eighteen and twenty respectively in book one. The supporting cast fall in a wide range of ages. The series takes place in a small isolated community, so the founders of Beartooth are adults who established the community only decades ago to give their families a better life. Ash and Caleb’s age group came to Beartooth at a young age so have varying recollections of life before Beartooth. Those born in Beartooth know no other way of life. My original vision for the series was for the reader to become invested in the success of Beartooth and the lives of its residents, especially Ash and Caleb.

Aside from the age of the characters falling in the range of teens to older adults, the themes are also relevant to a wide range of readers. While the younger generation struggles with love, grief, tragedy, and transitioning to adulthood, the older generation is more focused on protecting what they have built for future generations.  

Regardless of where the series is placed, I hope everyone from sixteen to sixty will check it out.