This book tells us about Nora and her heartbreaking past that leads her to do what she does. The story takes a unique approach in A life of a con artist. The author gives us a tough, courageous, loving, and protective character who will do everything and anything in her power to make sure of her safety and her loved ones. This is a hair-raising, enthralling, and unputdownable story that you should read!

Before we start this review, I would like to thank Penguinteen for sending me this book through NetGalley for review!

This book was so amazing to read, and almost impossible to put down! It had so many twists and turns that I would just find myself hanging onto every word, waiting for another bomb to drop. This book also had multiple timelines, and I loved being able to see parts of the past as long as following along with the present!

The characters were also amazing to read about as well! Nora as the main character was amazing because she was just so sassy and strong in her ways. As we go through the past and present timelines, we slowly get to know who Nora really is. Growing up with a mother who is a con artist, she was finally able to get out and live a relatively normal life with her sister, but it all changed the day she went to the bank and a robbery took place. Maybe Nora has one more con up her sleeve. I also loved getting to know the side characters as well! This book was truly a favorite!

I highly highly recommend picking this book up! The way this book ended, I pray there is another one because I only want more after that ending! Make sure you mark your calendars for tomorrow, January 26, 2021, when this amazing book is released!

Final Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️

This book is a YA thriller about Nora, who’s running an errand to the bank with her ex-boyfriend and her new girlfriend. But the already-awkward trip becomes the WORST day ever when some bank robbers hold them hostage. Little do the robbers realize, though, that Nora knows all about cons, and she’s ready to outsmart them ...

The writing in this book GRABS you by the throat and does NOT let go! Tess Sharpe has such an immediate and compelling voice that I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Nora is a whip-smart main character who’s fully fascinating to read about.

Books that jump between the past and the present tend to be a little hit-or-miss for me, but this one was DEFINITELY a hit, largely because of how good the writing is. In the chapters dealing with Nora’s backstory, I was completely gripped even though I knew Nora would survive in the end! With a pace like that, it's no wonder this book is getting a Netflix show, which I'm awaiting very eagerly.

Such a twisted read. I thought I’d be diving into a typical YA mystery, but I had no idea what was actually in store. First person narrative, in a story that takes place on a single day.

The synopsis gives the reader a good feel for the story. What I did like that caught me by surprise though, was how the character development was still very present, even with the events happening were taking place minutes from each other. The author did an amazing job giving a backstory, giving us the opportunity to know the main character and her past. Experiences she went through, that were relevant to this present moment in time.

I gravitate towards mystery/thrillers and YA has always been a tricky one to keep my attention in this genre. The Girls I’ve Been help my attention from the start, and it was a complete page turner I didn’t want to be over.

This book was not quite what I expected it to be, but I still enjoyed it. It was thrilling, heart-breaking, and humorous!

First, I love the way the book was set up. It showed current events, past events, and police transcripts. At the beginning of each current event chapter, it told how long they had been held captive, what tools they had at their aid, and what their working plan was. I loved seeing these features of the book. They added some humor and helped me keep track of how things were going. The past events spilled our main character, Nora's, secrets. It told of the cons she was forced to run with her mom and her part in them. They were insightful and often heart-breaking. But necessary for the book, nevertheless. And the police transcripts helped give an insight into what was happening currently outside of the bank. Those were also insightful and a little humorous at times.

Second, I want to talk about our main character. We learn so much about Nora throughout the entire book through these 'past event' chapters. We also get to see some of her humor, love, and intelligence in the chapters that are taking place at the current time. Nora is such an interesting character because she went through so much and has seen/done more than any person should have to. The depth of Nora's strength and resilience is incredible. I didn't truly appreciate her character until towards the end of the book after I had learned most of her secrets.

Due to Nora's tough past, this book covers some heavy topics. Emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, cheating, lying, murder, etc. These are just a few things that this book mentions in some way or another. I think the author did a great job of balancing these dark and heavy parts of this book with the humous and thrilling bits. I was left with a sense of hope at the end which was nice considering everything that was mentioned throughout the book.

Overall, I enjoyed getting to know Nora (along with Iris and Wes), learning about her difficult life, and seeing how much strength one person can have to make it through anything.

I seriously could not put The Girls I’ve Been down and I am so excited that it’s already being adapted by Netflix (Millie Bobby Brown is 100% a perfect fit for the role!!)

If, like me, you loved the first three seasons of Veronica Mars and nothing has quite filled that void since, you need to pick this book up. Nora reminded me so much of Veronica, except for the fact that she’s a somewhat reformed con artist instead of a detective. This one is a bit difficult to review without spoiling and I would absolutely recommend going in as spoiler-free as possible.

Sharpe did a fantastic job with the tension, I was at the edge of my seat the entire time. The flashbacks worked incredibly well. However, I would HIGHLY recommend looking up content warnings for this book if you need them.

Overall, I loved this book, even though it ended up being about 100% darker than I would have expected based on the summary.

The youngest daughter of a serial con woman, Nora has had to assume many identities over the years while helping her mother with her grifting schemes against bad men. So when she just so happens to be at the scene of a bank robbery, the robbers have no idea what they’ve got themselves into.

Beyond the present day story, you also get glimpses of the abuse Nora suffered at the hands of her mother’s marks, ultimately leading up to the mark her mom fell in love with, the worst of them all. There are heavier discussions of trauma and recovery woven into the story, not just with Nora but with her two closest friends and her sister as well. The way Nora grapples with the morally gray moments of how she’s defended herself in fight or flight moments adds an extra layer of substance and depth.

And of course, I loved the bisexual rep as well as the brief mention of her girlfriend Iris’ endometriosis.

Just a really unique story that I can’t wait to watch come to life!

So this book was perfect. It's so well written that it was a struggle to even put it down. I had to finish it in a day.
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You feel like you know Nora immediately because of how strong her characterization is, but then as you read you realize you don't know her as well as you thought you did. The tension between Nora, Wes, and Iris also heightened the stakes in this story as they need to find a way out of the situation while being upset with each other. Wes was the only guy in this story that deserved rights though. Also, I don't think I've read a book with a character who has endometriosis, so that was a great addition to the story. YA books are really it.
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I already know that I'm going to buy a copy of this because I need it on my shelves. It's a commentary on so many things, but I loved the way it talks about the treatment of girls in society, trauma, coping strategies, and the lies we tell ourselves and others. You just want to hug so many of the characters in this book (and help them get revenge). Looking at Nora's past and present, vigilante justice can seem thrilling, but you also see the negative impact it has on the way she sees herself and forms connections with others.
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I could keep going on about the characters, the structure of the book, Nora’s past, but I really can't say enough good things about this, so read it. Read it. Read it.

Definitely a really fun read! The story kept me entertained the whole time. Full review on my tiktok @torireadsthings

Overall: Tess Sharpe continues to bring thrilling stories to life while weaving in tales of survival.

Pros:
Nora. She is a complex morally grey character and it was really interesting seeing all the lives she had lived.
Tess Sharpe’s intense story-telling. I know when I pick up a Tess Sharpe book, that I am in for something intense and the robbery was just the surface level in this one.
Bisexuality. I love how Tess Sharpe never makes this a big deal in her stories. The characters at the beginning are more in their situation due to a lack of sharing about the new relationship than anything else.
Found family. Yes, it is Nora, her ex and her new girlfriend, but at the end of it they are a found family.

Cons:
The story is told through short chapters that flip between past and present. While this was not an issue for me, it could be bothersome for other readers.

I went into this thinking it was going to be a cute read with Veronica Mars vibes, boy was I wrong. Yes, I did get a badass female character but it was also filled with twists and tough issues you don't see coming, at least I didn't. The author really makes you feel for the characters and makes you wonder what you would do in certain situations.

Overall it was a good read so much so that I am going to purchase a hard copy when it is released. I enjoyed the characters and the dedication/loyalty they have for each other.

What grabbed my attention immediately when I read the synopsis of this book was how unique it was! The majority of the book we closely follow the events of the bank robbery, but we also see into Nora's past with her con artist mother. I felt that the switch between these perspectives was very well balanced with perfect transitions and breaks in the story. We also had a variety formats to the writing, going between Nora's first person perspective of both the past and present, as well as some transcripts of phone calls and radio recordings. I flew through this book! It has such a binge worthy quality to it. The writing flowed very well and was consistent throughout the book. One aspect that I enjoyed the most was the humour in the writing and in Nora's character. While there was action and tense situations on every page, there was also humour to balance it out. One of my favourite lines from the book was "We're all going to die because I waited for the bacon donuts." At many points I was smiling while reading, but on the other hand the sombre topics that weren't diminished in any way by this. I really enjoyed reading about the characters in this book. My favourite character would have to be Nora but Iris is a close second. The romance between the two is very sweet and I was rooting for them from the very beginning. I loved how different they were and how well they knew each other and how to comfort each other. I would've liked for a more definitive ending but it still was satisfying. I also wished that we got to know certain characters more. Nora's relationship with her sister Lee was also something I enjoyed reading about. A strong sibling bond is something I love to see in young adult books,

I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for an exciting, fast paced queer thriller!

The Girls I’ve been is a young adult contemporary thriller about a trio of teens stuck in the middle of a small town bank robbery.

The story is told from the first person POV of Nora as she navigates her role as a hostage and tries to figure out what she can use to survive and get her two best friends (also current and ex lovers) Iris and Wes out safely. It also goes back in time and details some of the girls she pretended to be as a child to help with her mother’s sweetheart cons. It becomes rapidly clear that more often than not Nora’s experiences with the men her mother chose were traumatizing and abusive culminating in Ray, the gangster her mother left the con life for. Now five years later Nora is living under an assumed name and trying to put the past behind her.

The dialogue of The Girls I’ve Been is snappy and fun and you can’t help but root for Nora and her friends. The part I struggled with is just how cartoonishly EXTRA everyone is. Lee, her older sister and P.I. is practically mythical in her badassery. Because her mother purposely chose men to grift that were hiding things each man was worse than the next culminating in Raymond who is fat cat villain from every action movie. Wes’s father the mayor? Horrific abuser. Iris’s absentee father? Controlling abuser. And Iris herself (Nora’s girlfriend) is a vintage wearing teenage beauty that can also make a bomb out of common household materials or her petticoats. But at the core of it is Nora is a 17 year old near genius at reading people and hatching plans. I can see how this has already been optioned for a movie. The characters are all bigger than life and that will translate well on the screen. But in a book I prefer for a little more subtlety.

In the end, I give The Girls I’ve Been 3.75 stars (rounded up to 4). Although it is paced much like an action movie there is a lot of food for thought about trauma, abuse, found families and freedom.

* a review copy was provided by Netgalley as part of the YALLWrite/Penguin Young Readers sweepstakes

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live on a run, to never get a minute of rest, to constantly look over your shoulder, wondering if every breath will be your last? Nora, the main protagonist of The Girls I've Been, has exactly that life. After being born to a con woman who excelled at the 'sweetheart' con, Nora's life was never going to be normal. She started running the cons with her mother as soon as she was able to, still a little kid when her mother first gave her a new name and reinvented her into someone sweeter, quieter, someone befitting her mark. Six years of dangerous cons, entangling with dangerous men, and shedding her former identities like last season's fashion. Rebecca, Samantha, Haley, Katie, and Ashley; all girls who could keep her mother comfortable, each one teaching the girl inside something new.

"Girls like me, we prepare for the storm."

After she finally escapes the endless cons with help from her estranged sister, she finally gets a chance to live, but in hiding, yet live nonetheless. But as Nora, the girl who was here to stay and to be safe in this new, mundane life with her sister, gets taken hostage in a bank robbery, and it seems that her cover might collapse. She would do anything to save the people in the bank with her, the people she loves most, her girlfriend Iris and her ex-boyfriend turned best friend Wes. Even if it's by revealing who she really is to the dark underworld which knows the story of an escaped stepdaughter turned snitch of a powerful criminal. Can she keep her secrets and save the new reality she carved out for herself or will the past catch up with her yet?

The Girls I've Been is, at its core, a story of survival. It's about going through the most horrible events and coming out battered and bruised, with memories that will plague your mind till your dying day, but surviving. Nora said it best in one of her many insightful moments, where we got to learn her story piece by piece:

"I hate the whole 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' saying. It's bullshit. Sometimes what doesn't kill you is worse. Sometimes what kills you is preferable. Sometimes what doesn't kill you messes you up so bad it's always a fight to make it through what you're left with. What didn't kill me didn't make me stronger; what didn't kill me made me a victim. But I made me stronger. I made me a survivor."

Nora's tale starts strong, with her and her friends being taken hostage, and the wild rollercoaster ride doesn't let out until the very end. There are a lot of time jumps as we move from the bank robbery to Nora's many past experiences and the cons she's led with her mother, and this format works perfectly with the story. It reveals little bits and pieces of Nora's life to the reader without being info dumpy or too heavy. Some small parts are kept a secret till the very last chapters, building up the anticipation and ending on just the twist this story needed for it to work as amazingly as it did.

The Girls I've Been presents us with a beautiful trio of friends that are a perfect example of a found family, all with their own scars (physical and metaphorical), but determined to stay by each other. Throughout this high-stakes robbery, the trio is forced to face the ugliest truths and deep-buried secrets, opening up little by little even if it hurts in order to work together as best they can and survive the predicament they've found themselves in. Through it all, the author kept a steady hand, dealing with the traumatic experiences of their pasts with sensitivity without minimising the extent of the influence they had on their lives and mental health. One of the most important things was the ease with which therapy was discussed because while we do live in a world that is more open to issues regarding mental health, getting help and going to therapy is still sometimes treated as taboo, and Nora and her older sister Lee having a therapist was written in as something completely ordinary, which it is.

This book is full of quotes and moments that will bring tears to your eyes, that will make you scream in rage at the unfairness of the world, that will make you question how our society still treats women. As Nora deals with her past, in tiny bursts of pain and acceptance, she gives the reader a chance to feel what she feels and see all she's been through.

"I see the steel wrapped in fear that all little girls find on the spike-strewn road to womanhood."

Sharpe masterfully told a story of survival while also weaving in beautiful friendships, a sapphic main relationship you will root for from the get-go, a medical condition (Iris's endometriosis), and many witty remarks that will make you laugh out loud even in the direst of scenes. A beautiful ode to the strength and an elegy to the infinite struggles of women, The Girls I've Been  will hook you from the start and make you think about Nora and her story long after you've closed the book.

Now, go do yourself a favour and pick up this heart-wrenching story about con artists, bank robbery, life on the run, and of course, hope and love, before the Netflix adaptation (with the talented Millie Bobby Brown as Nora) hits our little screens! You won't want to miss it!

“You can’t con a con artist. Isn’t that what they always say?”

Content warnings from the author: bit.ly/2NcdmLP

The Girls I’ve Been at it’s base is a twisty YA thriller following a teenage girl named Nora, who was raised by a con artist to be a con artist. She, her best friend, and her girlfriend are being held hostage in a bank heist, and Nora uses her retired con savvy to hopefully get them out alive. If you read TGIB, then you will find the story is more than a YA thriller. It’s an exploration in healing and survival after experiencing trauma, navigating many forms of love, and a fictional look at a mother/daughter con team relationship, that I’m sure will feel scary relatable for many who have toxic relationships with their mother.

I honestly enjoyed this book quite a bit. It was way deeper than I expected, and I truly felt connected in so many ways to Nora. Not only her though, because even her friends and family grab you, and you’ll want more and more of them. The thrilling aspect of the story would be enough alone, but the emotional and deep parts of this story take it to another level for me. They are that boost from entertaining, to entertaining and impactful for me.

The pacing of this story is good. The chapters are quick, and the dialogue and story are as well. There is a back and forth of time jumping, and it personally took me awhile to adjust, because as I said the chapters are quick, so I felt like I was moving on as soon as I was adjusted in one time frame. That said the time jumps were necessary to establish Nora as a character, and to explore why she is who she is. So they were worth it even if I felt a little bouncy at first.

The end gave me chills. I can’t say much without spoiling, but it’s poetic and the perfect end. So to close. If you’re looking for a YA that’s thrilling, mysterious, dark fun, and also has that deep emotional edge, then you MUST pick up The Girls I’ve Been on January 26th!

The Girls I’ve Been is a mystery thriller that takes place inside a bank.
What happens when the daughter of a con artist is held hostage by a bank robber?


I wasn’t sure what I was expecting but it wasn’t this! I mean that in the best way. This book was a fun ride, it was hard to put it down. The writing was fantastic and I just breezed through it.

The story is told by Nora, we get the events from the bank but also her past and how she became Nora. There’s some difficult topics in this book so keep that in mind. (TW: child abuse, domestic abuse, violence)

I really loved Nora, she was a bad ass character and I was rooting for her the whole time.

If you enjoy YA I highly recommend this book!

This one starts with a bang with a bank hostage crisis, then we work back through Nora's history as a con artist's daughter (and apprentice). What we uncover are a lot of details about trauma, insidious parenting, and the power of reinvention. Overall a fun read and best for more advanced/mature teens than younger ones, given the subject matter.

I read this book in one sitting. I was hooked on this book from the very beginning, and it is was one of the best contemporary books I have read in a long time. Sharpe not only wrote an incredibly tense and thrilling story, but she also managed to include a heartbreaking character background that allows the reader to see how far some people are forced to go to survive. This book had basically everything I could have asked for. It had amazing LGBTQ+, a fast placed and constantly twisting plot that left me begging for more once the book was over, and a story of survival that moved me to tears but also showed that Nora truly was the survivor in her story, and was not a victim to be blamed.

I don't have enough words to describe how amazing this story was, and I will be reading more from Sharpe as soon as possible.

"You get to choose," aka the line that broke my heart and put it back together again.

The Girls I’ve Been was a thriller with a refreshing premise. The story itself only takes place over the span of a couple of hours, but by the end I felt as if I knew these characters so well.

Nora was always a con artist. Her mom taught her how to be the best assistant in a con. When Nora finds herself in the middle of a bank heist, she has to figure out a way to get out safely. Nora is such a complex character. She has led hundreds of lives-- each one shaping who she became as an adult. Iris is amazingly funny and unique. The chapters alternate between the bank heist (modern day), and Nora’s past lives. The plot is fast-paced and the jumping between past and present feels seamless.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

With the voice and wit of a comedy but the heart and soul of a drama, this book absolutely blew me away. The way Nora's life unfolded in tandem with the present events kept all the plots tense and tight throughout the entire reading experience. Every character, even those who were only present for a few scenes or flashbacks felt so fleshed out and real, for better or worse. The relationships between Nora, her sister, her ex-boyfriend, and her girlfriend were so layered with love and history and evoked some of the greatest found family energy I've yet to read in a realistic fiction novel. In addition to the thoughtfully explored themes of assault, trauma, abuse, and reclamation of autonomy, the prose itself was incredibly quotable and beautiful. I genuinely adored this book with my entire being and will happily recommend it to anyone looking for something equal parts heartbreaking, uplifting, humorous, and entertaining.