The People We Keep follows the style and structure of the coming-of-age genre known as the bildungsroman. The term “bildungsroman” originates from the German words bildung and roman, meaning “education” and “novel,” respectively. Bildungsromans depict a character’s growth to morally become an adult, with the protagonist learning many lessons on the journey. In The People We Keep, April undergoes a literal journey with occasional stops in one place. These stops function as episodes in her journey, and each results in April learning a lesson. Following the structure of a bildungsroman, the novel ends with April’s experiences culminating in a final lesson that changes her life and fully transforms her into an adult.

Another important aspect of the bildungsroman is the return home or reconciliation at the end of the journey. The protagonist will often begin the journey to find the answer to life-altering questions, possibly hurting others in the process. However, at the end of the journey, the protagonist may return home or reunite with familiar people. During this return, lessons are shared and a reconciliation for any pain caused is forgiven.

A variation of the bildungsroman relevant to The People We Keep is the Künstlerroman.