Coming of Age by Dana Gricken

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Coming of Age

by Dana Gricken

Series: Astrid Legacy #1
Series Rating:
on July 28, 2025
Genres: YA Sc-Fi Romance
Pages: 302
Format: Kindle, Paperback
Source: the Author
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Kendra Blake doesn’t much feel like celebrating these days. Her eighteenth birthday should be a happy time, but all she can think about is her brother, Harris, and how he disappeared five years ago. And he wasn’t the only one—across the world, there’s been an alarming rise in disappearances of eighteen-year-olds. When Kendra goes back to school, approached by Richmond Gideon, billionaire owner of the space company Minerva, she figures out why.

To combat climate change and overpopulation, all eighteen-year-olds must pass a series of coming-of-age tests on a desert planet called Astrid to prove they’re worthy to live on Earth. Those who fail the ritual are abandoned on the planet while those who pass return home to have their memories erased. And Kendra’s brother, Harris, was one of them—and now, she will be, too.

With no other choice, Kendra goes with Gideon to Astrid where she encounters human-like aliens, some with a grudge for invading their planet. With the help of local native, Kai, who she eventually develops feelings for, she just might have a chance of surviving and getting home—but the test isn’t as easy as she thinks. With a brother to find, tests to pass, and a rebellion to lead, Kendra must fight for a better future for Earth and Astrid—before it’s taken forever.

Coming of Age by Dana Gricken is about Kendra Blake finding out what happens when teenagers on Earth turn eighteen.

Will Kendra survive her Coming of Age ceremony and come home to Earth?

Kendra Blake

Kendra Blake is the youngest child of her parents and is still grieving the loss of not knowing what happened to her brother five years ago. On her eighteenth birthday, she learns about the coming of age ceremony all adults on Earth undergo. Kendra dislikes this whole idea, and I have to agree with her. She is strong, though, and smart enough to try to outwit the guy in charge of the ceremony.

I like Kendra a lot, and I was rooting for her until the very end of the book. As I am writing this review, I am still thinking about her story, and I can’t wait to see what Ms. Gricken does with the second one.

The Ceremony

Kendra learns about the ceremony and where the ceremony takes place. It’s all hush-hush since the survivors come back and don’t remember a single thing that happened. Minerva has designed this test for climate control on Earth, and I think that it’s wrong, especially since Kendra didn’t get a choice. The planet that they go to for this test is called Astrid, and the inhabitants aren’t too fond of the humans going there. Well, some aren’t, and some are. The ones that are, though, only want to get to know the humans that show compassion for everything on the planet. Kendra is one of those.

I have to say, Astrid is a complex planet that had me loving every time we got to know more about it. Ms. Gricken has created a lovely place to explore while they do the test.

Five Stars

My rating for Coming of Age by Dana Gricken is five stars, and I recommend it. Ms. Gricken is a fantastic author, and I can’t wait to learn more about this future world that she has created. The world building is awesome, and I can’t wait for the second book so I can read more about Kendra’s fate and how she is doing.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Coming of Age by Dana Gricken.

Until the next time,

Happy Reading!

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 2026 Goodreads RC
• 2026 Romance Book Reading Challenge
• 2026 Young Adult Book RC

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