GIRL ON THE VERGE

How far would you go to fit in?

When Kan’s physician mother brings home Shelly, a white girl in need, Kan, the American-born child of Thai immigrants, welcomes her into their small family even as her maternal grandmother, Khun Yai, acts apprehensive. And for a while, everything feels right. Shelly seems to understand Kan and her feelings of being an outsider all the time, and the two of them grow close, even sharing clothes. When Kan’s crush turns out to like her back, her life feels almost complete. But then weird things start to happen that Kan can’t explain, such as the sudden deletion of messages from her cellphone, and Shelly starts to feel more like a stranger. Who is this girl? And what does she really want? Dunn keeps the suspense level high and the risk factor great through taut plotlines and compelling characters. The narrative takes the important issue of diversity and effortlessly folds it into a suspenseful tale about betrayal, loneliness, abuse, and the extreme lengths one person will go to fit in. The book manages to forge a solid path in a crowded forest of thrillers while tackling the issue of bigotry with intelligence and empathy.

A thrilling tale with a lot of heart.