This is a sequel to The Girls I’ve Been. It begins after the bank robbery. Nora’s stepdad Raymond is out of prison and after her. She goes on a backpacking trip with Iris, Wes, and his girlfriend Amanda. When Raymond mistakes Amanda for Nora and kidnaps her, Nora must save them all with limited supplies and help.

I found this book to be a little slow in the beginning, but it picked up about a quarter of the way through. It alternates timelines and POV‘s, which keeps you engaged. The characters are great and if you like the first book, you will enjoy this one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange for an honest review!
The Girl In Question is the sequel to The Girls I’ve Been. Nora, Iris and Wes have survived the bank heist and are set to a hiking trip in the woods. But the trip takes a sudden turn when Wes’ girlfriend Amanda gets taken after being mistakes for Nora.

“Freedom’s just another thing to lose.”

I have read the first book back in 2021 and devoured it! I loved, loved, loved the story created and learning a sequel was to be released, I got that much more excited to get back to these amazing characters!

Everything I loved about the first book comes back just as strong in this one! The chapters are written from different POVs, and they are so distringuisable, because the characters themselves are quite different from each other. I loved how Nora’s had “What I’m working with:…”, Iris’ lists of mortal enemies and so forth! The humour is very present and a nice contrast to the high stakes and tension all around! Pair that as well with the chapters taking place in the past and slowly giving hints and snippets of information as the story continues.

Nora is just as amazing in this book as she was in the first. The vibes from the other girls she’s been aren’t as present, as she has embraced being Nora, but still those girls continue to haunt her. Her growth is impressive, and a continuation of the growth shown in the first book. Iris is honestly so much more than meets the eye! She is fierce and someone we all need in our lives! Wes is fiercely loyal to those he loves, and it shown in his actions throughout the story!

I devoured this book as much as I devoured the first one! From the very first chapter, the opening with Iris, this book had me in an iron grip and didn’t let go. The tone was set, and the tension didn’t slow down at any point! The suspense was amazing, and I loved the slow reveal of the secrets and don’t get me started on the twists! This book is honestly just amazing, action-packed and addiction!

Overall, The Girl in Question is just an amazingly written book that is so cleverly done and impossible to put down once you start reading it! Highly recommend this series!

Right from the beginning, Sharpe puts readers right into the middle of the action. With alternating perspectives from Nora, Iris, and Wes, we see the action from every angle imaginable.

I thoroughly have enjoyed switching perspectives and timelines throughout the story. Sharpe does a fantastic job of giving readers some information, switching views, and then revealing more over time. Everything fell into place and I loved the experience of reading it!

Before I read a Tess Sharpe novel, I know two things: 1. My students are going to love getting talking about this when it's out; and 2. I'd best take a deep breath and dive in. Once I start a Tess Sharpe novel, it's hard to stop. This is especially true with THE GIRL IN QUESTION since I have already read THE GIRLS I'VE BEEN. I don't want to risk giving anything away for this novel, so I'll simply say: this sequel holds up! I'm thrilled it's coming out in mid-May so that I can use it in my summer novel writing class for teens.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ THE GIRL IN QUESTION by Tess Sharpe

2️⃣ Sequel to The Girls I've Been
🌈 LGBT+ Rep
🧠 Mental Health Rep
🏎️ Fast-Paced
🎥 Coming to Netflix (Eventually)

This may be the best YA novel I've read so far this year. Mind. Freaking. Blown. 🤯

First off, I didn't know I needed a sequel to The Girls I've Been. I read it and loved it, so when I saw there was going to be a sequel, I thought huh. I went ahead and put a request in on Netgalley and some lovely human decided to let me read.

I was NOT expecting it to be this good. 👏👏👏👏

This novel is a masterclass in storytelling. The pacing was excellent. My heart was pounding the entire time. Another really impressive feat was the plot structure. At first I was frustrated that there wasn't an info dump for the first novel because I was having a hard time remembering the characters. I soon realized what she was doing (leaving breadcrumbs) and instead of being frustrated, I was invested. I will say that I probably would have had a slightly smoother reading experience if I had read these back to back, but it wasn't distracting enough to make me dislike the book at all.

The character building? Excellent. The relationships? Sweet, swoony, tender. I just loved all of these characters and how they love each other.

Oh, and THE DOG? LOVE.

But wait... THAT ENDING? Mic drop. 🎤

This was fantastic and I'll be shouting about it from the rooftops for quite a bit. Definitely read this series if you like psychological thrillers. It's YA, so obviously it's not as gory as many of them, but it's better than most of the adult reads I've come across in this genre. YA mystery for the win.

Thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the early access. Opinions are my own.

This YA thriller is a follow-up to "The Girls I've Been", and it is a totally preposterous and over-the-top fun ride from start to finish. Nora O'Malley, her girlfriend Iris, and their best friend (and Nora's ex) Wes are great characters, and I was happy to spend more time with them. We learn more about Nora's past as the teens (along with Wes's girlfriend Amanda) take a post-graduation backpacking trip through the woods. Things turn dangerous quickly, as Nora's evil stepfather is out of prison and out for revenge. Add in a corrupt FBI agent and the plot never stops. I love the found family aspect of this group, and there were some great and unexpected reveals throughout. Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for a digital review copy.

Tess Sharpe doesn’t miss. The Girl in Question hits the ground running and constantly throws new twists and snarls in your path. I wasn’t necessarily a fan of the multiple POVs but it was necessary and the book was so tightly plotted that it just worked. Nora, Iris, Wes, and even Amanda are so… tangled. None of them are heroes, even if there are a few heroic tendencies in the mix for each of them. Nora felt a lot more real this time around, and seeing Wes and Iris from outside of Nora’s perspective really helped cement their personhood too.

The prose is quick, the chapters are short, the characters talk like modern teenagers, there’s some humor, there’s a lot of action and movement, there’s a very good dog, there’s found family with some edges sharp enough to cut yourself on, it’s gay as hell, there’s endometriosis rep, characters don’t walk off being injured… I could go on and on, but I think you get it.

And the best part? We could revisit these characters again in the future, but we don’t have to and that would be okay too.

I had the pleasure of reading "The Girls I've Been" for a book club last year. I flew through the book, so naturally I was excited to read "The Girl in Question" and see what had become of Nora, Iris, Lee, Will, and of course Raymond.

Tess Sharpe really did a great job of capturing Nora again and her identities. Unpacking Nora and her background even more, encountering some new characters and an unexpected twist, this was a page turner and once I started I couldn't wait to finish and see what would happen. Factor in Raymond being out of prison set the plot up nicely, and choosing to bring in wilderness, camping, and the outdoors was a good shift in setting for the plot line.

I also appreciated the alternating view points of characters and how it built depth for them. I would recommend readers start with "The Girls I've Been" before jumping into "The Girls in Question", which I think is a given this isn't a stand alone from the previous book. Readers won't be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley, Little Brown Books for Young Readers and Tess Sharpe for the ARC. I really enjoyed the fast-paced, humor, and suspense in Nora's adventure.

I loved the first book in this series, and the second delivers just as much action, humor, thrills, and heart. This time, Nora, Wes, and Iris are in the woods, and Nora's stepfather and an FBI agent are after all of them. Someone else is also back from Nora's past, a former mark turned reluctant ally. I love Tess Sharpe's impeccable plotting and her tough, survivor characters.

I’ve 4-starred every other Tess Sharpe book I’ve ever read—Far From You, The Girls I've Been, 6 Times We Almost Kissed and One Time We Did—but this one didn’t feel as solid as the others. I enjoyed it well enough while I was reading it, but I didn’t feel strongly motivated to pick it up again when I wasn’t reading it. There’s a twist halfway through that successfully shocked me, but it took me almost three months to get that far into the book (way longer than I usually take, especially for a thriller). Also, I understand that thrillers take place in a heightened reality that requires a robust suspension of disbelief, but this twist was kind of ridiculous—entertaining, but so soap-opera-level implausible that it distracted me from fully enjoying it.

The Nora/Iris romance feels flat; they don’t actually have that much chemistry. In fact, it feels like the author picked the wrong character to be the love interest: Nora has way more chemistry with [a different character, name redacted for spoilers].

The prose is sometimes clunky. For example, a character says earnestly, “It’s like a wolf pack; we’re stronger together.” (Thanks for that 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign nugget of wisdom?) A teenager says “we should have fashioned a lanyard” (why not just “made a lanyard”?). A character’s eyes “twinkle” (I just don’t think eyes do that unless you’re Santa Claus or Galadriel).

However, kudos for an actually realistic portrayal of college applications and financial aid! I work in higher education, and this is one of the most accurate fictional portrayals I’ve ever read (though it’s not a huge part of the plot).

Tess Sharpe is a master of writing twisty tourney unputdownable books. Nora, Iris, Wes, and Lee are back and getting revenge and good lord it was a glorious ride start to finish.

Perfect, no notes. Loved it

This book. I mean, THIS BOOK. I've never been so emotionally hurt and traumatized by something while also being incredibly happy about it. Does that make sense? Probably not, so let's get into what I loved about this book.
So, to start with I'd like to point out that since this is a sequel it is absolutely necessary to have read the first book "The Girls I've Been". Without it, you will not understand this book. Since book one already discussed some pretty heavy topics, I believe that if you were fine with book one, book two should not be a problem, since they have the same tone, Nonetheless, please check the trigger warnings for this book, since there are a lot of things that could potentially be triggering,

Now that that is out of the way, let me tell you what I look at most in books: the writing style and the characters. Tess Sharpe's writing style is one I enjoy immensely, with lines that are so good they're basically poetry, mixed with things that are so on point with what a teenager would say that it just feels authentic. It's beautiful, but it's also real,
And the characters. My god, I would protect Nora, Iris, Wes and Turbo with all that I have. They are so near and dear to my heart and especially their relationships are very special to me. Their relationships with each other are so real and don't gloss over the hard or ugly parts. And especially getting to see the aftermath of the bank robbery was very interesting.

What I also love about this book is the timeline. Non-linear, with going back and forth a few days up to a few years and twists and turns thrown at you from every side. You get so invested in the story and trying to figure out the missing pieces that haven't been revealed yet that you simply cannot stop reading. Or at least you won't want to. I didn't at least, but when I had to (because of life and responsibilities *sigh*), I kept thinking about the characters and what they would do next.

As i suspected, going into it, this book was a 5/5 and one of my favorite reads of the year.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, when I got this ARC approved, I jumped for joy. The Girls I've Been was 1 of my top reads when it came out. You may want to give that book a read or reread before diving into this follow-up.

Nora O'Malley is running out of time playing a normal teenager. Her former step-dad Raymond Keane is out of prison and gunning for her and her closest friends. She doesn't know when or how or whether to activate one of her 13 escape plans. This book takes place after the fallout from the bank robbery in the 1st book. Nora is with her girlfriend Iris and best friend Wes, living with her sister Lee, who helped extract her from her nightmare childhood. Will one of her mom's past cons come back to haunt her?

On the surface, the book starts out as the group plans to go on a camping trip. Wes wants to include his girlfriend Amanda. Everything on the surface seems ordinary. Until Amanda gets taken by Raymond's men. And we learn something about Amanda and why Nora and Iris were ok with her joining the trip.

The plot keeps moving, and it's exciting and dangerous and unputdownable. Can Nora save her friends, and can her friends save her? There's no question Raymond needs to die. This book reminded me of Pippa'a determination in AGGTM final book. (Which I loved) finally the same level of excitement and suspense for the reader, especially the last 25% of the book.

TW of childhood abuse mentioned, kidnapping and assault. 5/5☆ this book is out May 14. Get ready!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An intense, thrilling sequel set in wilderness to Tess Sharpe’s The Girls I’ve Been.

The Girl in Question follows Nora O’Malley after the events of the bank robbery in the first book. High school is over and Nora’s murderous stepdad, Raymond, is free from prison and after her. But she’s set on having fun and enjoying her summer before he comes for her. Nora, Iris, and Wes plan a backpacking trip through the wilderness. The only problems is that Wes’s girlfriend, Amanda, joins at the last minute. Everything goes fine until Amanda is taken by Raymond. Nora has to save Amanda and her friends with little supplies and danger lurking around every corner.

I loved The Girls I’ve Been and when I saw there was a sequel I requested this so fast! Nora, Iris, and Wes are still some of my favourite characters. They’re all so clever, smart, strong, and really enjoyable to read from. I enjoyed that this time, they were in the wilderness with different elements and threats, although I think I preferred the bank robbery setting. I still love the dynamic between the characters and the sheer love they have for one another. It’s a really wholesome trio and I love them!!

Personally, I think this book was too long. I would’ve preferred less backstory and subplots and instead focusing more on the present. I really enjoyed the parts that were in the wilderness and current, but the flashbacks were meh to me. The plot was interesting and engaging once you get into it, but I felt like the first 28% really dragged and I wanted to dive into the plot that was in the summary.

Overall, Tess Sharpe writes really engaging, twisty thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat. Her characters are smart and active participants in the plot and dangers, which I really like.

Definitely recommend checking this sequel out if you enjoyed the first one!

It's been two months and I'm still thinking about this book. I don't think I will ever get over these three and how much they mean to each other and me. I cried throughout basically the whole book not because it's horribly sad but just because I love it so much. Highly recommend to anyone that loves thrillers and found family (and fierce sapphics) Also once again seeing Nora be such a badass while dealing with her chronic pain/illness hits so hard for me. She's so cool, a little crazy as well and I love that for her.

4.5 - Tess Sharpe really knows how to write a stressful and thrilling book. The Girl in Question is such a great follow-up to The Girls I've Been It’s so wonderful to be able to read more about Nora, Iris, Wes, and Lee. I love how fiercely they protect one another and how you can feel how much they care about one another.

I think it’s so impressive how Sharpe can craft a story that’s a super fast paced thriller but also a character study. The times when the book flashes back to Nora’s childhood or to an earlier part of the plot never makes the story feel like it’s lagging. Everything in the book is so important to the overall story of who Nora is and how she’s able to fight to protect the people she cares about. And how she’s able to strike back at the people who’ve hurt her. Also, the romance between Nora and Iris remains top tier.

This book is a total wild ride, there are some reveals that took me completely by surprise. While I did have a blast reading this, I think I didn’t love it quite as much as the first book. It’s still excellent, but I think the bank setting from book one did more for me than the wilderness in this book.

Definitely check this one out if you were a fan of The Girls I’ve Been. Tess Sharpe is a master when it comes to queer YA thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

Until I saw this on NetGalley I didn't realize there was a sequel to All The Girls I've Been. Not only was that a surprise but every damn chapter in this book was too! A complete wild ride that I raced through so fast that I was constantly skipping back just to make sure I read what I thought I read. Wild. Can't recommend enough!

I loved this book so much! If you're looking for a fast paced gripping page turner, with a whip-smart and brave MC and a cast of supportive three dimensional characters, with so many twists and turns, told in a totally compelling way that will have you up late at night reading, with a dash of black humor and an intensive and sweet sapphic romance, while they're running for their lives! This book is for you!

I have been climbing the walls waiting for this book to come out, I already knew I would make it my personal mission to read it as early as possible so you better believe I snatched it when it came out on read now. I absolutely loved The girls i've been to the point where several people on my instagram associate it with me and i'm glad for it because that book and now its sequel deserve all the love and then some. I knew before starting this book I was without a doubt reading a 5 star book, it just wasn't a possibility that it would be anything different. Ive read 2 Tess Sharpe books and each time she blows me away with her storytelling and characters and the way she weaves the story to get you to care so much about them its phenomenal. Tess Sharpe truly knows how to write an unforgettable book and I will read anything she writes.

It was super bittersweet reading this and watching as I got closer and closer to the end knowing this was it of Wes, Nora, Iris, Lee, and even sweet little turbo's story. And i've seen many other reviewers say the same so Im glad i'm not the only one lmao. I never wanted it to end but also I needed to know HOW it would end it was a push and pull there for a second very confusingly but in a good way lol. The more and more I read this book the more I felt like I was being conned a little bit because of the twists and turns it took and how everything so quickly could just spin on a dime and new things would be at play. Nora is such a trip of a character to read like she's deadly and wicked smart, always 5 steps ahead of everybody else, even when it seems like she's trapped or cornered she never truly is. She's a force to be reckoned with but then you also get moments where she shows she's still just a teenage girl trying to survive and keep her family safe. But honestly godspeed to anybody who takes a run at her still because they wont survive it lol. I enjoyed Wes and Iris's POV in this book a lot. It was cool to see where they were at in all the chaos sometimes and to see their thought process on things. I already knew Iris was pretty badass and maybe a tad bit insane but that got leveled up here too. She's Nora's perfect level match and they'd do pretty horrible things for one another and also Wes and y'know what i support it. Wes got the shit end of the stick in this book pretty badly and I get WHY but also WHY are you harming that boy! He's a sweetheart! Doesn't deserve it! I hope he heals and gets every single good thing in the future like truly. I loved the little found family these characters had going on, its so heartwarming to me. I even began to care a lot for Amanda by the end of the book, I think she was a pretty cool character and I wonder about her kinda and where she's gonna end up. Also I loved the implication of Wes, Iris, and Nora being Lees kids, Like no they aren't ACTUALLY (except Nora) but she loves em all the same. She's gonna go to war for them anyways.

It was left a little open ended in general to me and I thought that was pretty alright here actually, I like that we get to wonder about it because even just wondering you know with these characters they WILL be ok in the end. Theyre just set up that way. I will miss the absolute hell out of these kids ngl but Im happy that their story is over and they might get a little peace now lmao. Thank you to Tess and the publisher for the ARC! Im so excited to be an early reviewer for one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I cant wait to hold this book physically in my hands.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read an advanced copy!

I made the call to reread the Girls I've Been before reading this and it was such a good call. I was able to understand more in terms of twists and turns throughout the story and the addition to the perspectives were so fun. Sharpe's writing is perfect for my attention span, the second I hit the 20% mark, I sped through the rest of the book. I was already in love with Iris, Nora, Wes, and Lee but this just added more reasons as to why I do. there's a few scenes where I almost started crying because their setup as a family is just so sweet despite the circumstances that led them there.

I will be buying this the second it comes out to match my hardcover of TGIB.