Girls on the Verge (lovable and painfully relevant) — Sharon Biggs Waller

TITLE: Girls on the Verge
AUTHOR: Sharon Biggs Waller
GENRE: Contemporary
AGE RANGE: YA

SYNOPSIS:
Camille couldn’t be having a better summer. But on the very night she learns she got into a prestigious theater program, she also finds out she’s pregnant. She definitely can’t tell her parents. And her best friend, Bea, doesn’t agree with the decision Camille has made. Camille is forced to try to solve her problem alone . . . and the system is very much working against her. At her most vulnerable, Camille reaches out to Annabelle Ponsonby, a girl she only barely knows from the theater. Happily, Annabelle agrees to drive her wherever she needs to go. And in a last-minute change of heart, Bea decides to come with.

I look like I’ve been through a battle and lived to talk about it.

Out of all of the important sociopolitical topics covered in YA over the last few years, one thing I have constantly wished to see more portrayals of in literature is pro-choice discussions about women doing what needs to be done to retain control of their own bodies. In the last few months, there has been so much going on here in the US regarding reproductive rights that Girls on the Verge is exactly what we needed to see burst onto the scene, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Girls on the Verge has so many fantastic points fit into this powerful little story, such as:

• The discussion revolving around the fact that birth control isn’t flawless and the “just use protection!” argument isn’t always enough
• The overarching theme of girls supporting girls and learning how to look past their own biases to take care of each other (because supporting a woman’s right to choose doesn’t have to mean you’d make the same choice yourself)
• The delightfully well-crafted references to current political goings-on (I died a little of joy every time Wendy Davis was mentioned!)

On top of all of that, though, it’s just such a fun story to read. Sure, it tackles very heavy and tough topics, and it definitely made me emotional a few times (mostly just enraged by the ridiculous state of our society right now), but I also laughed so hard at so many of the exchanges between Camille, Bea, and Annabelle. These girls are hilarious and feel so real and genuine; even in little ways, they just feel human, like the way one of them always piped up with “I’ll Google it!” when they were curious about the tiniest little thing — that’s a very ‘me’ thing and I loved it. Their friendships are so delightful and lovable and I honestly, truly cherished every single page of Girls on the Verge and hope that it gets the attention it deserves. ♥

P.S. Can I just say this would make an AMAZING teen film adaptation? Get on it, Netflix, please!

All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Henry Holt and Co. for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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