The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe Book Review

 There are books that I will read without even reading their blurbs, purely because I have fallen in love with the front cover of the novel.

One book that I did that with recently was The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe. 

The bright red cover caught my eye. 

I felt compelled to read it and so I was immensely grateful when I was sent a proof copy to get lost in.

Nora O’Malley’s been a lot of girls. As the daughter of a con-artist who targets criminal men, she grew up as her mother’s protégé. But when mom fell for the mark instead of conning him, Nora pulled the ultimate con: escape.

For five years Nora’s been playing at normal. But she needs to dust off the skills she ditched because she has three problems:

#1: Her ex walked in on her with her girlfriend. Even though they’re all friends, Wes didn’t know about her and Iris.

#2: The morning after Wes finds them kissing, they all have to meet to deposit the fundraiser money they raised at the bank. It’s a nightmare that goes from awkward to deadly, because:

#3: Right after they enter bank, two guys start robbing it.

The bank robbers may be trouble, but Nora’s something else entirely. They have no idea who they’re really holding hostage…

What a book!

I devoured this in a matter of hours.

If you liked One of Us is Lying, you will be blown away by The Girls I've been.

A slick, twisty YA page-turner about the daughter of a con artist who is taken hostage in a bank heist.

The main story takes place over the course of a mere few hours, immediately making the novel extremely fast paced, and that was exactly what the book needed (in my opinion). 

A high-stakes story that isn't just set in the present.

We get taken on a  journey, Nora's personal journey her past, present and perhaps a glimpse into what her future could entail. 

Energetic, edgy and explosive!

The question you ask throughout the book is just who is Nora really?

There is no definitive answer to that, you see she's Rebecca, Samantha, Hayley, Katie, Ashley and Nora. You could say it depends on what year it is and just who her mum is dating at the time.

Differing timelines and flashbacks to perhaps defining moments in her life create a brilliant atmosphere. Adding depth and drama to both the characters and the storyline itself. And what I can say is that these moments of back and forth didn't complicated the story, it was easy to follow, and made Nora a more well developed character.

This is a YA book with attitude and I liked it a lot.

The Girls I've Been has a unique storyline, a bad-ass protagonist and is a brilliant depiction of self discovery.

I've been left wanting more and I am hoping that the supporting characters could perhaps get books of their own too.

Oh and to top off all the positivity, I hear this is being adapted for Netflix and I for one cannot wait to see it!!!