Read a book about a bank heist, con artists, and falling in love
The Girls I've Been — Tess Sharpe
What to Read This Week
The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe
What It’s About
The book begins with a timestamp: the time Nora, her girlfriend, and her ex-boyfriend have all been trapped inside a bank, held hostage by robbers. And it ticks slowly up as the book progresses and they try to figure a way out.
And while it may seem like an ordinary bank robbery, Nora is anything but an ordinary teenager. The daughter of a famous con artist, she was trained from the time she could walk to be another person, mold her personality, change her thoughts to be whatever was needed in the situation. The robbers don’t count on her to be at the bank when they rob it, and their carefully constructed plans (or not-so-carefully constructed, once Nora starts to pick them apart) come crumbling down.
But the book isn’t just about the current crime in progress; it’s also about Nora’s past, how she got to be the person she is, and everything that led up to that moment. She, after all, is the reason her mother is in jail. She’s the reason her ex broke up with her. She’s the reason her sister is now responsible for getting her out of the bank.
Who Will Like It
I cannot fully explain how well this book is written. It reads like you’re watching an action movie, fast-paced and thrilling and perfectly plotted so that right as a chapter ends on a cliffhanger, a new montage enters the picture and you’ll jump story lines to learn something you didn’t know before.
Anyone who’s obsessed with Yellowjackets right now or anyone who read and loved the Truly Devious series and can’t wait for another Stevie adventure should run, not walk, to get this book. I’d also recommend it to anyone needing a book to get them out of a long reading slump.
Bonus
At this point, you should already be on board, but if you need another reason to pick this one up: it’s slated to become a Netflix Original movie sometime in the near future, starring Millie Bobby Brown as Nora, our protagonist con artist teen. Production hasn’t begun yet, and there’s no official date (we need Stranger Things 4 first), but I am all in on this and cannot wait for more news on this adaptation.
Next Up
I didn’t do much reading this weekend other than continue Sharks in the Time of Saviors, which again, is absolutely incredible on audio. I dog-sat Mara, who was a big fan of my library chair. I have some projects winding down, and I’m making an effort to clear my schedule a bit more to allow for more reading time in the next few months than I’ve had in a while, and I’m pretty excited about it.
Before You Go
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I loved this book. I keep meaning to highlight it in my newsletter but I haven't found the right "hook."
Are we getting another Truly Devious book?!
This sounds great, I'm sold, it will be a nice escape for the start of the semester back at classes - and I love that there's a screen project attached to Millie Bobby Brown. Sounds like this is an under the radar read that is about to get above the radar, so even more intriguing!