The Girls I’ve Been ~ Tess Sharpe

The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe has instantly become a contender for my favourite book of the year so far. We are plunged into the life of Nora O’Malley and the many lives she has led before. Growing up as the protege of her con artist mother, Nora has moved from place to place becoming a new ‘girl’ every time. But five years ago her mother fell for the man she was meant to conning and soon Nora was thrown into a life of somewhat normality. A life where you are always looking over your shoulder. Now alongside her ex-boyfriend and new girlfriend, Nora gets caught up in a hostage situation at the bank. The bank robbers may look like trouble but they have no idea who they have just taken hostage.

Hooked from the first page this book is so fast-paced that I just could not put it down. The hostage situation spans the entirety of the book with each new chapter indicating how many minutes they have been in the bank. However, we are drip-fed details about Nora’s tumultuous past through the chapters weaved so amazingly in between. Sharpe’s writing had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish, knowing the precise moments to drop bombshells that just kept me wanting more. This book also covers an array of such important topics from menstruation, endometriosis, LGBTQ+ to the ramifications of both emotional and physical abuse. 

The Girls I’ve Been is one of the easiest 5 ⭐️ review I have given all year and I cannot wait to see the Netflix adaptation of this book featuring Millie Bobby Brown, especially as she is tipped to play Nora.

M🌸