Girls on the Line - by Jennie Liu (Paperback)

About the Book

Raised in an Chinese orphanage until they aged out at 16, Luli and Yun work together in a factory until Yun, who is pregnant, disappears and Luli must confront the dangers of the outside world to find her. Includes facts about China's One-Child Policy and its effects.

Book Synopsis

A powerful, dual-narrative coming-of-age story set in 2009 China.

Luli has just turned sixteen and finally aged out of the orphanage where she's spent the last eight years. Her friend Yun has promised to help her get work.

Yun loves the independence that her factory job brings her. For the first time in her life she has her own money and can get the things she wants: nice clothes, a cell phone . . . and Yong, her new boyfriend.

There are rumors about Yong, though. Some people say he's a bride trafficker: romancing young women only to kidnap them and sell them off to bachelors in the countryside. Yun doesn't believe it. But then she discovers she's pregnant--the same day she gets fired from her job. If she can't scrape together enough money to terminate the pregnancy, she'll face a huge fine for having an unauthorized child.

Luli wants to help her friend, but she's worried about what Yong might do . . . especially when Yun disappears.

"[E]xplores a moment of contemporary history and a culture that is underrepresented in YA realistic fiction."--starred, School Library Journal

"Both poignant and agonizing, Girls on the Line is a must read."--starred, Foreword Reviews

"An affecting and original thrill ride." Kirkus Reviews

Review Quotes

"[A] much-needed look at the people who produce the goods we rely on worldwide and the hardships they face. . . . Readers will learn much from this absorbing and realistic tale."--Booklist

-- (9/25/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"[E]xplores a moment of contemporary history and a culture that is underrepresented in YA realistic fiction. . . . Recommended purchase, especially for YA collections serving older teens or new adults."--starred, School Library Journal

-- (8/27/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"[R]eaders are given a perceptive, sobering glimpse into China's oppressive economic bureaucracy."--The Horn Book Magazine

-- (11/29/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"An affecting and original thrill ride . . ."--Kirkus Reviews

-- (8/15/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"Both poignant and agonizing, Girls on the Line is a must read."--starred, Foreword Reviews

-- (1/1/2019 12:00:00 AM)

"A powerful view into the struggles faced by young women in a world that doesn't value them--and where they must find strength within themselves and each other."--Joanne O'Sullivan, author of Between Two Skies

-- (5/15/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"This story will pull on your heart in a hundred different ways. I found myself so worried for Yun and Luli, and the difficult choices they had to make in order to survive. It was beautiful to watch their friendship evolve, as each girl lost, and then found, her own strength, voice, and sense of self amid such challenging circumstances. An authentic, gripping read from beginning to end!"--Ingrid Palmer, author of All Out of Pretty

-- (6/13/2018 12:00:00 AM)