Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses death by suicide, pedophilia, incest, sexual exploitation and assault, emotional and physical abuse, and violence.

Although billed as a dark, spicy romance, Credence is also a coming-of-age novel that explores self-discovery. Given the novel’s genre, the journey of self-growth and discovery is presented through the lens of romantic and sexual dynamics, but it essentially involves a protagonist facing her fears, going through varied experiences, and conquering obstacles. Tiernan finds comfort precisely by pushing herself out into an unfamiliar situation, but this arc also holds true for Noah, Jake, and Kaleb. By the end of the novel, each of the characters finds themselves having undertaken radical journeys and decisions, and they are changed from who they were at the onset.

At the beginning of the novel, Tiernan often describes herself as isolated and numb to her own feelings. Other characters, too, view her in a similar light. Jake notes that Tiernan is “quiet, rigid, afraid” (64), while Mirai tells Jake on the phone Tiernan “doesn’t talk about things […] [but] everything building inside of her will eventually spill over” (70). Tiernan’s childhood has been marked by extreme neglect, since her parents acted as if she did not exist.