Hamilton's first novel, Zeely, features a girl who, like M.C., must cope with the transition to adulthood. In The Planet of Junior Brown, Junior and his friend Buddy confront an urban world that drifts toward madness; they face their own limitations and, like M.C., must develop for themselves sound, honest values. Unlike M.C. and Junior Brown, the heroine of A Little Love has no extraordinary intellectual gifts. Family is an important issue in this novel. While M.C. learns about independence from the prejudices of his family, Sheema learns the value of love in general and of the special love of her guardians. Although the style of Zeely is somewhat awkward, Hamilton's novels of the 1970s and 1980s all feature a complex and vivid style. These books have strikingly memorable images and symbolism that give their plots satisfying depth.