Nora O'Malley is a liar. Honestly, she’s a professional at it. If you’ve picked up Tess Sharpe’s 2021 YA thriller The Girls I've Been, you already know that Nora isn't just a regular teenager dealing with a messy breakup. She’s the daughter of a con artist who targeted abusive men, and she spent her childhood playing different characters—the "girls" mentioned in the title—to help her mother pull off the grift.
It’s a wild premise.
The story kicks off when Nora, her ex-boyfriend Wes, and her secret girlfriend Iris end up at a bank. They're just trying to deposit some fundraising money. Then, two guys walk in to rob the place. It sounds like a standard heist movie setup, but the depth here is what actually hooks you. This isn't just about a bank robbery; it's about the psychological trauma of a girl who was never allowed to have her own identity because she was too busy being whoever her mother needed her to be.
The Con Artist's Daughter: More Than Just a Gimmick
Most thrillers rely on a single "hook" to keep you turning pages. With The Girls I've Been, Sharpe uses a non-linear narrative that jumps between the tension of the bank heist and Nora’s past. We meet the different versions of Nora: Rebecca, Samantha, Haley, Katie, and Ashley. Each girl was a tool. Each girl had a specific purpose in a specific con.
Nora’s mother, Abby, is a fascinating and deeply flawed character. She wasn't just a criminal; she was a survivor who used her daughter as a pawn. The book doesn't shy away from the darker elements of this upbringing. It explores how a child survives when their entire reality is a performance. Nora didn't have a childhood; she had a series of assignments.
Wes and Iris aren't just there for the ride, either. Their presence creates this incredible friction. Wes knows Nora’s past. Iris is just starting to see the cracks in the mask. When the robbers take over the bank, Nora has to use the very skills she’s been trying to escape to keep them all alive. She has to out-con the cons. It's brilliant because the stakes feel personal. If she fails, her friends die. If she succeeds, she has to acknowledge that she’s exactly what her mother raised her to be.
Why the Narrative Structure Actually Works
You’ve probably read books where the "flashback" chapters feel like filler. You find yourself skimming them to get back to the "real" action. That doesn't happen here.
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The flashbacks in The Girls I've Been are essential because they explain Nora’s logic. When she starts manipulating the bank robbers, you need to see the "training" she went through as Haley or Ashley to understand why she’s so calm under pressure. It's a masterclass in character development. You see the scars before you see the current wound.
The prose is sharp.
It's punchy.
Sharpe writes with a sense of urgency that matches a hostage situation. She doesn't waste time on flowery descriptions of the bank's architecture. She focuses on the sweat on a robber's forehead or the specific way Wes shifts his weight when he's scared. It’s visceral.
Breaking Down the Netflix Adaptation Hype
For a while, everyone was talking about the Netflix movie. Millie Bobby Brown was attached to star as Nora and produce the film. This made total sense. Brown has that "old soul" energy that Nora requires. However, the development process in Hollywood is notoriously slow.
As of now, fans are still waiting for concrete updates on the production timeline. While the project was announced with much fanfare back in 2020/2021, the industry shifts and strikes caused delays across the board. The anticipation remains high because the book's cinematic structure—limited location, high stakes, and psychological depth—is basically a perfect blueprint for a streaming hit.
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The "limited location" aspect is key. Most of the "present day" story happens inside that bank. In filmmaking, this is often called a "bottle" story. It forces the tension to stay high because there is nowhere for the characters to run. It forces the audience to focus on the dialogue and the shifting power dynamics between Nora and the robbers.
Dealing with Real Themes
One thing people get wrong about this book is labeling it as "just" a YA thriller. It deals with some heavy stuff.
- Domestic Abuse: Nora’s mother targeted "bad men," but she often became a victim of their violence herself.
- Identity Crisis: How do you know who you are when you’ve been five different people before age sixteen?
- Sexual Orientation: The relationship between Nora and Iris is handled with a lot of care. It’s not a "coming out" story in the traditional sense; it’s a "trying to be happy while everything is on fire" story.
- Trauma Recovery: Nora isn't "fixed" by the end. She’s just survived.
Sharpe’s portrayal of trauma is incredibly nuanced. Nora has triggers. She has coping mechanisms that are actually quite destructive. She manipulates people because that is her primary language. Seeing her try to unlearn those behaviors while simultaneously using them to save her life is the core conflict of the book.
What Most People Miss About the Ending
Without giving away every single spoiler, the ending of The Girls I've Been is divisive for some but perfectly fitting for others. It doesn't wrap everything up in a neat little bow. Life after a con isn't simple.
Some readers want a "happily ever after," but Sharpe understands that after what Nora has been through, "happily" is a long way off. "Safe" is a much more realistic goal. The way Nora handles the final confrontation with the robbers—and eventually with her own past—shows a level of growth that feels earned. She doesn't just "win" through luck. She wins through strategy.
Actionable Insights for Readers and Aspiring Writers
If you’re a fan of the genre or looking to dive into this specific story, here is how to get the most out of it.
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For Readers: Pay close attention to the chapter titles. They often signal which "girl" Nora is channeling in that moment. It helps you track her psychological state. If you liked A Good Girl's Guide to Murder or Sadie, this should be next on your list. The tone is darker than Good Girl but just as fast-paced.
For Writers: Study how Tess Sharpe handles the "ticking clock" element. Even during the slower flashback scenes, the looming threat of the bank robbers keeps the tension high. This is a great example of how to balance character backstory with an active, high-stakes plot. Use the "alternating timeline" trick only if the past directly informs the present-day decisions.
For Fans Waiting on the Movie: Read the sequel/companion materials if they ever surface. Sharpe has a distinct voice, and her other works like The Woods Are Always Watching carry a similar vibe of survival and grit.
The reality is that The Girls I've Been stands as one of the most clever thrillers in the YA space because it treats its protagonist like a complex adult. It doesn't patronize. It doesn't look away from the ugly parts of survival.
Whether the Netflix movie eventually drops or not, the book is a self-contained masterpiece of tension. It's about a girl who was taught to be a thousand different things, finally figuring out how to just be herself. Even if that self is a little bit dangerous.
If you're looking for a book that you can finish in a single sitting because you literally cannot put it down, this is the one. Grab a copy, find a quiet spot, and get ready for Nora O'Malley to lie to you. You'll love every second of it.
Check your local indie bookstore or digital platform for the paperback—it's been out long enough that you can usually find it at a discount, which is a total steal for a story this good.