There’s something about YA thrillers that hit different, and this one was a non-stop, heart-pounding ride. I knew this book was going to be fast-paced, but friends, I was SPEED READING as fast as I could to get to the end.

The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe flips back and forth between present day, and snapshots of the past. In the present, our main character Nora, along with her girlfriend and best friend, are caught up in a bank robbery. Ya, it sounds dangerous, but what’s actually more dangerous: two bank robbers without a solid plan, or the daughter of a con artist? That’s right, Nora has some tricks up her sleeves, and the flashbacks to the past show us just who she really is (and isn’t).

I absolutely loved this book. From the pacing to the characters, the reflection on identity and finding yourself, and having strength and resilience in dire situations. Plus, there was LGBTQ+ rep, a minor character who talks about having endometriosis, and just enough crime to keep you on your toes. This book packed so much, and kept me wildly entertained until the very end.

This is one that can easily be read in a couple sittings, and it’s apparently being adapted by Netflix as well (I’m not surprised). Be sure to pick it up if you like fast-paced thrillers, or contemporary YA books.

Trigger/content warnings: violence, emotional and physical abuse, hostage situations.

Thank you so much to Penguin Teen Canada for sending me a digital ARC of this book! The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe came out on January 26, 2021, and can be purchased wherever books are sold.