Tess Sharpe’s The Girls I’ve Been will captivate you from start to finish

The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe tells the story of Nora O’Malley, a teen who grew up as a child of a con artist. But she escaped that life. Left it behind. Or has she? She’s going to have to use everything she’s ever learned if she’s going to get herself, her best friend and ex-boyfriend, Wes, and her girlfriend, Iris, away from the violent bank robbers holding them hostage.

The day starts out with Nora, Wes, and Iris meeting at the bank. Easy enough, right? Well, Wes just found out Nora and Iris are dating and is none too pleased neither of them told him. It’s awkward and tense and just overall not great. Little do they know their awkward morning is about to turn into a fight for their lives.

Luckily, Nora has plenty of practice cheating, lying, and manipulating. Unfortunately, Iris doesn’t know that side of her and she’s about to have a front-row seat to Nora at her most cunning. Needless to say, Nora did not expect to tell her girlfriend about her past while they were both being held hostage inside of a bank.

As Nora, Wes, and Iris try to figure out how to get out of this situation with as few casualties as possible, Nora tells them her secrets. She has been many girls over the years, but she’s finally ready to tell her truth and figure out who her true self is.

This book is everything I never knew I needed. I can’t speak for everyone who has been through trauma or abuse, but this book knocked me off balance in the best way possible.

The Girls I’ve Been is action-packed, emotional, and beautifully written

Nora has been through a lot, but as she works with Wes and Iris to get away from the bank robbers, she realizes she is really no longer alone. She has people who are there for her now. People like Wes, Iris, and her sister, Lee. But she can also rely on herself. For an abuse survivor, that’s huge.

Structure

Let’s start with structure! The way this book is structured is masterful. It switches between the past and the present. The present shows Nora, Wes, and Iris during the bank robbery, while the past shows Nora as a kid and the different girls she was made to play as part of her mother’s cons.

Characters

Moving on to the characters, Nora is the perfect amalgamation of complex, complicated, loving, scared, hurt, and strong. She is a fighter, but that doesn’t mean she can’t cry and feel everything that has happened to her. It doesn’t mean she can’t feel hurt. I love characters like her so much.

Wes is a cinnamon roll, but with a little bit of extra kick. He’s more than willing to call out Nora on her lying and her past, and that’s what makes him so wonderful. She has told him everything, and despite her betrayal, he clearly still cares for her deeply. Wes has also been through his own abuse and trauma, and that’s one of the many reasons why he and Nora are so connected.

Iris is so wonderful and so full of surprises. No spoilers, but the scene in the bathroom…I shouted “No way!” while reading it. The girl has some skills (and ones you wouldn’t expect of someone wearing a watercolor sundress). Iris also doesn’t let Nora get away with her lies once she knows the truth. She cares enough about Nora to want to know all of her. Iris has some darkness in her past as well and it connects the two girls in a way nothing else could.

This trio is the epitome of friendship goals, and Nora and Iris are100-percent relationship goals. Yes, they have stuff to work on, but they care enough about each other and their bond to do the work. I love them so much! *sobs*

Trigger warnings

Let’s look at the trigger warnings because there are a few. Physical child abuse, emotional child abuse, and sexual child abuse are the three major ones. The physical abuse is described, but not in any graphic way. There is a scene that shows the aftermath of abuse that’s quite intense, so be careful there. The sexual abuse is mentioned but is not described in any detail.

The emotional abuse is pretty much present through every flashback. Nora’s mother (as you can imagine) isn’t…great. Beyond that, there are guns and violence during the bank robbery and in the past, so if those are triggers for you, be careful there as well.

If you’re looking for a queer YA contemporary book with complex characters, loads of action to keep you reading WAY past your bedtime — and a story so well written I might have shed a tear over it — you need to read The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe. It will keep you captivated until the last page.

The Girls I’ve Been is also being turned into a Netflix movie with Millie Bobby Brown as the star. I cannot wait to see how it turns out, and I pray they do this story justice. Fingers crossed.

The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe is available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.