TWENTYSOMETHING Why Do Young Adults Seem Stuck?

Mature-sounding Pam Ward and 20-something Emily Durante were astute choices to read this thoughtful study by an excellent science writer and her daughter. Ward’s precise enunciation and assertive phrasing are a good fit for the research findings, which show that young people today live in a vastly different world from the one their parents lived in. Ward handles the storytelling and dramatic bits with a bit of awkwardness, but the foil provided by the lithe- and innocent-sounding Durante balances the production and makes it satisfying to hear. Though the authors don’t provide parenting or policy suggestions, their intelligent overview tells us a lot about the slow-to-launch millennials we all know. Their compassionate writing takes the judgment out of watching these young people slowly find their places in life. T.W. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2013]