In Pintip Dunn’s latest release, Girl on the Verge, the life of an Americanized Thai girl named Kanchana is fully explored. Told with brutal honesty and a plot that is sure to shock readers completely, Dunn has provided a story that not only speaks to the chaos and conformity found in adolescents but to the secrets that each of us hides deep inside.
Kanchana is Thai, but at heart she is more of an American girl, born and raised in the state of Kansas. While not fitting the mold for either place, all she wants is to be able to fit in and be just like everyone else. When she discovers that a girl named Shelly will soon be moving in with her family, everything seems to be looking up. With a new substitute for a sister and a chance to finally feel wanted and loved, Kanchana begins down a more positive path, with dark secrets and challenges simply waiting to be exposed. With a lyrical and disturbing story about a girl’s craving for acceptance, Dunn illustrates the challenges of growing up and the confusion of finding one’s self — all beautifully and honestly displayed.
Girl on the Verge hooked me from the very first words. The dark and grim beginning as well as the depiction of being true to one’s self was incredibly interesting to experience. Dunn has perfectly crafted a story that will appeal to those who like coming-of-age tales but also to anyone looking to be shocked and thrilled simultaneously. With strong female protagonists and a chilling story about the dark side of friendship, readers are left with a narrative that describes the leaps one will take to find a sense of belonging, a journey that is both absorbing and addictive. Kanchana’s story is impossible to put down.
Finding love and acceptance in any relationship is important, but at what cost? Girl on the Verge is a young adult novel that both teens and adults alike are sure to find themselves obsessing over, unable to leave Dunn’s beautifully executed world. Pick up a copy of Girl on the Verge on June 27th, and follow Kanchana and Shelly as they discover friendship and realize the secrets and darkness in their own lives.