Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest LinkedIn YouTube TikTok
    • Home
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Advertise
    • Mentorship
    • Editing Services
    • About
    • Contact
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest TikTok
    The Children's Book Review
    Subscribe
    • Books by Subject
    • Books by Age
      • Ages 0-3, Infant and Toddler
      • Ages 4-8, Preschool to Elementary
      • Ages 9-12, Preteen and Tween
      • Ages 12+, Teen and Young Adult
      • Books for First Grade Readers
      • Books for Second Grade Readers
      • Books for Third Grade Readers
    • Favorites
      • Diverse and Inclusive Books
      • Books About Activism
      • Best Books for Kids
      • Star Wars Books
      • Board Books
      • Books About Mindfulness
      • Dr. Seuss Books
    • Showcase
    • Interviews
      • Growing Readers Podcast
      • Author Interviews and Q&A
      • Illustrator Interviews
    • Kids’ Book Giveaways
    • Directory
    • Podcast
    The Children's Book Review

    Who Am I? The Power of Self-Invention During the Teen Years

    Bianca SchulzeBy Bianca Schulze3 Mins Read Books with Girl Characters Chapter Books Teens: Young Adults
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    By Lauren McLaughlin, for The Children’s Book Review
    Published: November 17, 2009

    The Children’s Book Review presents a guest post by Lauren McLaughlin, who is currently on “blog-tour”. She spent 10 years in the film industry as a writer and producer before following her dream to write fiction full time. You can learn more about Lauren by visiting her website and following her on Twitter: www.laurenmclaughlin.net, https://twitter.com/LaurenMcWoof.

    The thing I remember most clearly about my own teen years (other than some cringingly awful eighties hair styles) is the way that identity was an active pursuit. Nowadays, as an adult, I don’t think about my identity. I take it for granted. When I meet someone my own age who’s still struggling with the question: “who am I?” I tend to find them annoying and immature. But teenagers genuinely don’t know who they are yet, because they’re still in the process of inventing themselves. This is a thrilling time, a period when a young person is free to delete unappealing character traits,  eliminate tired habits, and invent a sparkling new persona. But it’s also a period fraught with hazards and heartbreaks. What if people don’t like the new me? What if I can’t pull it off? Which me should I try to be today?

    In my novels, Cycler and (Re)Cycler, I explore both the creative and destructive power of self-invention. Seventeen-year-old Jill McTeague has a strange medical condition. Four days out of every month, she turns into a boy―complete with all the parts. In an attempt to fit in among her more conventionally gendered peers, Jill decides to repress her male persona, literally locking him in the bedroom during his four-day phase. In this way, she re-invents herself as a “normal” teenage girl.

    But what happens to those sides of ourselves that get locked away? What becomes of the old character traits, the old habits? Do they ever truly disappear? For Jill, the answer is a resounding no. Locked away and deprived of a life, Jill’s male side grows stronger, developing his own autonomous personality, even taking on his own name―Jack.

    As Jack and Jill struggle for control of the same body, it becomes clear that self-invention has its limits. Jack won’t go away. Nor will Jill. If they’re going to have any kind of a life, they’ll have to learn to accept each other somehow.

    But isn’t this something we all have to learn? We may want to be like the perfect and beautiful people we admire. We may aspire to become elegant, flawless creatures. But we can never fully repress those quirks and details that make us unique. And sometimes those inconvenient quirks and details represent our best selves. That doesn’t mean we should give up on self-invention―especially as teenagers. But it does mean we should approach the task with a degree of humility and an understanding that we are not fully in control of the proceedings. Sometimes the inconvenient Jack within will have the final say.

    Add these books to your collection: Cycler and (Re)Cycler

    Follow Lauren on her blog tour as she answers more questions and guest blogs at http://bookchicclub.blogspot.com/.

    To ask Lauren questions or chat with other fans please visit her on RandomBuzzer.com. The direct link to the forum is: http://www.randombuzzers.com/forums/topic/102895/#post_102895

    The complete tour schedule:

    11/9-11/13: RandomBuzzers.com: www.RandomBuzzers.com

    11/16 Cheryl Rainfield Reviews—http://www.cherylrainfield.com

    11/17 The Children’s Book Review—https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/

    11/18 Book Chic—http://bookchicclub.blogspot.com/

    11/19 Write for A Reader—http://writeforareader.blogspot.com/

    11/20 Y Pulse—http://www.ypulse.com/wordpress/wordpress/category/book-publishing

    11/21-11/22- RandomBuzzers.com    http://www.randombuzzers.com/forums/topic/102895/#post_102895

    11/23 Beatrice.com— http://www.beatrice.com/wordpress/

    11/24 MTV.com “Hollywood Crush” blog– http://hollywoodcrush.mtv.com/

    What to Read Next:

    1. Holiday Gift Guide: Best Children’s Books & Toys
    2. Best Children’s Books of 2009 … Beyond the Half-Way Mark
    3. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, by Avi | Book Review
    4. The Prometheus Project: Douglas E. Richards

    *Disclosure: Please note that this post may contain affiliate links that share some commission. Rest assured that these will not affect the cost of any products and services promoted here. Our team always provides their authentic opinion in all content published on this site.

    Lauren McLaughlin
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous Article7 Books to Celebrate Baby’s First Christmas
    Next Article 9 of the Best Kids’ Books About Hanukkah
    Bianca Schulze
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • X (Twitter)
    • LinkedIn

    Bianca Schulze is the founder of The Children’s Book Review. She is a reader, reviewer, mother and children’s book lover. She also has a decade’s worth of experience working with children in the great outdoors. Combined with her love of books and experience as a children’s specialist bookseller, the goal is to share her passion for children’s literature to grow readers. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, she now lives with her husband and three children near Boulder, Colorado.

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    TCBR Supporter
    Recent Articles
    • The Shrewd Granny, by Janell L. Jordan | Dedicated Review
    • The Lie Berry, by Dean Bonner | Dedicated Review
    • Wishes & Whinnies: Tyler’s Dream | Dedicated Review
    • Charli’s Turtle Triumph: A Marine Biology Adventure | Dedicated Review
    • An Interview with Jill Rosen and Stephanie Rohr, Creators of the ‘Ode to a Pug’ Series
    TCBR Supporters
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today

    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    Discover Kids Books by Age
    Best Books For Kids
    Media Kit: The Children's Book Review
    Author and Illustrator Showcase
    SEARCH
    BOOKS BY SUBJECT
    Archives
    Professional Resources

    Book Marketing Campaigns

    Writing Coaches and Editing Services

    Mentorship

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube LinkedIn TikTok
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Policies
    • Advertise
    • TCBR Buzzworthy Mentions
    • About TCBR
    © 2025 The Children’s Book Review. All rights reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.