Camille is pregnant. #fml She knows she doesn’t want it, but living in Texas, it is not easy to get an abortion. So she sets out on a road trip with her pro-life bestie Bea and Annabelle, the local star actress who is wiser and more experienced than the two high school juniors. Black market raids, dwindling cash, exhaustion, and arrest turn what should be a simple, five-minute procedure into a week-long ordeal.

Sharon Biggs Walker, who explains in an author’s note that she had an abortion in 1990, and the experience was much different from today. However, with the continuing tightening of the noose around women’s choice, she felt it imperative to share Camille’s story to educate today’s teens on sex Ed and abortion and to encourage empathy for those who do decide to have an abortion. While I agree with this purpose, Girls comes across as a bit didactic at times, especially in the first half of the story.

This book is relevant and educational. I fell instantly in love with Camille, Annabelle, and Bea. This is an amazing story and, no matter what side of the issue you stand on, it provides insight and an understanding of what it's like to be a girl seeking out an abortion.

Thank you, NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of this book.

What an important and powerful book. There are so many strong feelings and emotions around this topic, and while some may not agree with the decision the main character, Camille, makes, it’s important to see the perspective of a teenager facing these issues, especially living in a state in the Bible Belt where misinformation is easily spread to promote religious beliefs.

The book also addresses the stigmas women face whether making the choice to have an abortion or continuing a pregnancy and the discrepancies with how male counterparts are treated in these scenarios.

The writing itself was very solid. The book was brief and an easy read. Due to controversial topics, I’d be cautious of the age of readers and since I am a resident of Texas, I puke see some raising major concerns over this book being available in a school setting, even though I firmly believe that as long as controversial topics remain taboo, we can’t truly face them and progress as a society.

All I'm going to say is that this is probably one of the most important books for teen girls right now. With all of the controversy over reproductive rights, Waller presents an honest account of what our country is experiencing and it is absolutely terrifying. This is a book that informs without being didactic and one can only hope that young women reading this will feel empowered to stand up for their own rights. Hands down and absolute must have and one I plan on adding to my own collection.

shew this was a very hard read. especially while thinking about all the "heartbeat" bills up for a vote in multiple states (with no exceptions for rape or incest) including in the great state i live in - tennessee. it's so unbelievably heartbreaking that this is something women and young girls go through every day.

i did feel it was a little heavy handed at times but honestly, i'm ok with that. after all, it is targeted towards a younger audience than me, and i think it's important to really impress upon the younger generation how important this is. but honestly people of all ages should read this.

it's a very heavy read, and i teared up several times but there are also moments of levity and road trip antics which i always appreciate (ya girl loves a road trip book!).

What an important and heart wrenching story. I had heard about this from a few different people who also had read an early copy of the book and they had nothing but incredible things to say about this story. All the hype is true. This book needs to be put into the hands of every teen and adult.

This very timely coming-of-age novel follows three Texas girls on a road trip to get an abortion. It sheds light on societal issues having to do with women’s rights and abortion, especially in the state of Texas. We see the protests that bombard women outside of clinics, the male government workers making decisions about a teenage girl’s body, and using faith and religion against young women when they’re already making one of the most important and agonizing decisions of their life.

After her best friend, Bea, doesn’t agree with her decision to end her pregnancy, Camille asks an acquaintance from theater to drive her to the Mexico border for the abortion. At the last minute, Bea decides that even if she is pro-life, she needs to support her best friend in her time of need. The relationship between these three girls was so special and such a journey. I loved the inserts of flashbacks throughout, it made the story flow in a really concise way.

I think this is such an important read and gives people a chance to see a young woman fighting for her rights.

I was sent an e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Girls on the Verge by Sharon Biggs Waller was amazing! What a great story with an interesting plot and the characters were so complex and great.

This book took me out of my reading rut! This book did an excellent job of telling the journey of a group of friends dealing with the process of getting an abortion. The emotions were strong and this book had me feeling all of the emotions the girls were feeling. I cried, and had to take a break; I got angry and had to take a break. But those breaks made the book even more powerful.
This is a book that I would recommend to any female or male because it brings to light the issues and current problems surrounding Planned Parenthood and abortions.
Although I would not integrate this book into my classroom or curriculum, I would highly recommend this book to any student that seems to have an interest.
I plan on pre-ordering this book and reading it again as soon as I get it in the mail!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC I received of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I went back and forth between three and four stars for this book. I did like it; the relationship that evolved among the three girls was really compelling and a lot more engaging than the journey towards abortion.

The actual abortion plot was the part I enjoyed a bit less. Like many others have said, I think the story is an important one. I think it’s important to have a book that shows how much of a struggle it can be to find a safe, legal abortion in the US, as well as show why it’s necessary. So my issue is not, at all, with abortion in general.

This book is fiction, not non-fiction. It’s a novel. So, tell me: why did I so often feel like I was reading some sort of exposé about the tactics pro lifers use rather than a novel? There were just too many times that this book felt heavy handed, like it was less interested in telling Camille’s story and more interested in using Camille as a vehicle. I didn’t really enjoy that.

That said, I will likely use it in my composition class as a way to talk about abortion. While I don’t think it always delivers as the best novel, I do think it would facilitate good writing, argument, and research.

Because I live in Alabama, I do not believe that this will be a bestseller in my store. That does not mean that I do not wish it would be, I loved how this story did not shy away from how difficult it can be to pursue abortions in certain states. This is certainly true where I live. I hope that people read this and see how things need to change in order for women to have control over their own bodies again.

I was really excited when I read the synopsis and being from Texas this is definitely a topic I am interested in. However I couldn't get into this read, I know this is YA but I just felt this read younger than that. I couldn't connect with the storyline or the writing plus the characters were a bit annoying.

I just finished this and I'm a crying mess.

This book was so good and emotional.

The thing that I liked the most was the friendship between the 3 girls,they made my heart so happy and I love them.

Also the female characters were amazing and have my whole heart.


I cant put into words how much I love this novel,5/5 stars.

Girls on the Verge by Sharon Biggs Waller
Camille couldn’t be having a better summer—she kills it as Ophelia in her community theater’s production of Hamlet, catches the eye of the cutest boy in the play, and nabs a spot in a prestigious theater program. But on the very night she learns she got into the 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.
Over the course of more than a thousand miles, friendships will be tested and dreams will be challenged. But ultimately, the girls will realize that friends are the real heroes in every story. — From publisher
This book tackles the controversial subject of reproductive rights. Whatever side of this issue the reader is on, this read can be a vehicle to have a conversation about abortion. Each of the three main characters has their belief about the subject and they are carried throughout the book without being too preachy.
Readers who enjoy road trips will enjoy this trip. As Camille and her friends travel the road, the reader continues to wonder if Camille will end her pregnancy, not because she doesn’t desire it but the obstacles that are placed in front of her. Bea, her best friend, represents the other side of abortion. Although Bea’s beliefs are not explored deeply, Camille seems to accept that it is her view and doesn’t let them stop them from having a relationship. The book shows that even if one does not share the same viewpoint, a person can love a person while disagreeing with their decision.

This book can be a great book discussion book. Not only to discuss the two viewpoints on abortion and reproductive rights but also relationships who don’t always agree about issues. The book does not support conservative and religious viewpoint, however, it does not show those views in a negative light on a personal level. It was nice reading that Camille at the end opens up to her mom about her situation. Teens who are interested in realistic fiction with a little controversy will find this an enjoyable read.
I received an ARC ebook from Netgalley and the publisher, MacMillan Children’s Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the concept of this story but it took me a while to get through. I just didn't connect with it and that is in no way the fault of the book. I thought it had a good premise and I feel like some of my students will enjoy it. Thank you.

Review copy courtesy of NetGalley.

Torn over this book. It is an important story: it’s a road trip story about a girl carefully weighing getting an abortion. This could probably be very needed in the hands of the right reader. I myself just couldn’t get into the story and just wasn’t feeling it.

I think that this is a strong book about female reproductive health and young women's right to choose. It has real life choices. It shows how friendships are affected and how we have to make grown up decisions about our body no matter what age.

Strong girl friendships. Honest talk about reproductive health. Excellent girl characters. Realistic obstacles. Did I mention the awesome girl characters?!

This is an important book. I won't deny it, because to do so would be a gross and frankly irresponsible thing to do. Girls on the Verge points out a lot of terrible things the US have done in regards to women's health and abortion. The main character Camille has to go through multiple hoops just to get a straight answer out of someone and it's just awful. Like you seriously want to punch the concept of the state of Texas for what they put this girl and the thousands of others in her position through. This will make you angry, it will make you think, and it will most likely inspire some action in you that you need to take before it gets better.

I just think it was a boring book.

Girls on the Verge feels very much like a book written in response to a subject that has a lot of controversy surrounding it. And in my experience, they make great responses by humanizing and exploring what someone must go through, but they don't make for a compelling story. Camille is less of a main character and more of an every girl for someone to see through. See the inequality, the judgement, the shame. And make no mistake, it works but it doesn't help with the story or the character.

Camille's defining trait is she wants to be an actor. Annabelle's is that she sort of a rebel. And Bea is that she's religious and Camille's best friend. Of all three characters, Bea is the only one who gets the most development, trying to understand Camille's decision to have an abortion and her own religious upbringing. I liked how Bea isn't villainized for her religion and that it plays a strong part in her character rather then a stand-in villain for the religious pro-life people. However, I do think that Bea is the most extraneous character between the three.

In my opinion, I think this should have been a road trip with only Camille and Annabelle, because they didn't know each other. Annabelle drives Camille wherever she needs to go, but they're virtually strangers at the start of the book and I don't feel like they grew that close on a personal level. It seemed like Camille cared so much for Annabelle because of what she was doing for her rather then out of genuine friendship. Having the two of them in the car for long periods of time would have allowed for some chemistry to develop between them as well as a friendship. But because Bea was there, Camille was split between her best friend and Annabelle which prevented the two from connecting. However, I do believe that a Camille and Bea story would also work, with Bea going with her best friend despite her religion because she cares so much for Camille and not because she was jealous of Annabelle. As it stands I don't think the main trio was bad in any way, but I would have preferred if they could have had more time to interact and grow with one another.

This is an important book, and one I think should be read by nearly everyone in the US, but I'm hard pressed to call it an enjoyable story.