Lets talk bookish: What makes a good coming of age stories?

 I am often of opinion that "coming of age" is a term that is thrown a lot when it comes to books. I often identify coming of age as change and maturity, of someone growing up and experiencing a life changing event. 

As sad as it sounds, I can't recall any coming of age stories that had a profound change on me. I am still in the same place as I was when I was a teenager, and if anything, I have been taught by society and family that unless you work or make money I am not supposed to have a voice. Therefore it's hard for me to gauge how much books have changed me. Few decades back, I want to say, Marguerite Duras North China Lover and Susan Chois novels have had an effect on my writing, but then I gave up writing fiction over seven years ago. 

I think good ingredients for coming of age tales are characters and their personalities as well as their resistance to it. It's A compelling read when a character has to change or is forced to change, but they resist that change. And coming of age tales can be at any age. 

Is it important to include diversity? Yes, it is. Different situations give voices to those who feel abnormal or whose coming of age are not typical sweet sixteen losing virginity prom variety. As a teenager, I literally would have died to have a coming of age stories that featured Russian-Jewish immigration in 21st century; I would have loved to see diverse characters, but I was denied that chance. Small wonder I don't feel part of American society.