On the Verge

Eve Vitali moves out of her parents' New Jersey home to make a go of it in the big city in Ariella Papa's On the Verge. Through 23-year-old Eve and her sidekicks bitchy, buxom Tabitha and na ve childhood friend Roseanne readers will discover that Manhattan apartments are expensive, entry-level jobs are humiliating and the most desirable single men are gay. Shocking. Eve is a hopelessly dull protagonist, and although Tabitha provides a few much-needed moments of levity (especially when she reveals how she's been supplementing her income), nothing can rescue this debut from its banal dialogue and glacial pacing.