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 "Both poignant and agonizing, Girls on the Line is a must read."―starred, Foreword Reviews "[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 "[R]eaders are given a perceptive, sobering glimpse into China's oppressive economic bureaucracy."― The Horn Book Magazine "[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 "An affecting and original thrill ride . . ."― Kirkus Reviews "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 "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 Jennie Liu  is the daughter of Chinese immigrants. She has been fascinated by the attitudes, social policies, and changes in China each time she visits. Her young adult novels have won several awards and honors including the 2026 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature in the Young Adult category for The Red Car to Hollywood .  She lives in North Carolina with her family.