The Girl in Question

by Tess Sharpe

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Get ready to read this one from behind your fingers; this tense, thrilling sequel to The Girls I've Been packs in higher stakes and even bigger lies...

The unmissable, thrilling follow-up to the New York Times bestselling The Girls I've Been!
 
Four teens. Three henchmen. Two thousand acres of remote forest. One very bad man. And a whole lot of new secrets to unearth. 

High school is over, but Nora O’Malley’s life isn’t, which is weird now that her murderous stepdad Raymond is free. Determined to enjoy summer before her (possibly) imminent demise, Nora plans a ten day backpacking trip with Iris and Wes. Her plans hit a snag when Wes’s girlfriend tags along. Amanda is nice, so it’s not a huge issue—until she gets taken. Or rather, mistaken…for Nora. All because of a borrowed flannel.

Now Raymond has a hostage. Nora has no leverage. Iris has a spear and Wes is building boobytraps. It will take all of their skills to make it out of the forest alive.

There are three problems: Someone is lying. Someone is keeping secrets.

And someone has to die.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316574914
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	05/14/2024
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	27,892
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.70(d)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Born in a mountain cabin to a punk-rocker mother, New York Times bestselling author Tess Sharpe grew up in rural California. She lives deep in the backwoods with a pack of dogs and a growing colony of feral cats. You can find her on twitter @sharpegirl.

Editorial Reviews

"Gritty, fast-paced…A gripping and exciting sequel."—Kirkus

“Twisting suspense and wildly fun action…a vengeful adventure that ties up loose ends just tightly enough; a must-purchase.”—SLJ

“[An] intricately plotted nesting doll of a thriller. . . Sharpe has been a personal favorite for some time, and this latest novel should continue her journey into becoming a household name.”—Crime Reads

“Get ready to read this one from behind your fingers; this tense, thrilling sequel to The Girls I’ve Been packs in higher stakes and even bigger lies. . .” —B&N Reads

Praise for The Girls I've Been

A Forbes, Buzzfeed, Book Riot, and Kirkus Best Book of the Year
A New York Public Library and Chicago Pubic Library Best Book of the Year
An ALA Rise: Feminist Book Project and ALA Rainbow Book List Selection

* “A captivating, explosive, and satisfyingly queer thriller.” —Kirkus, starred review

* An arrestingly incisive narrative . . . fiercely captivating and impressively characterized, this tightly plotted thriller is engrossing from start to finish." —Booklist, starred review

* "Not since Veronica Mars have hardscrabble swagger, enormous grief and teenage noir been combined into such a satisfying piece of storytelling. The Girls I've Been is a heart-wrenching, perfectly paced, cinematic thriller . . . a romance, a tragedy and a story about reclaiming agency and power. It is a triumph." —Bookpage, starred review

"YA thriller fans, The Girls I've Been is the perfect read for you." —BuzzFeed

"This action-packed story sizzles with suspense.... In this thriller, characters prove that they can rely on their strength, friendship, and desire to be the confident and caring people they know themselves to be." —School Library Journal

"Sharpe (Barbed Wire Heart) focuses as much on [Nora's] trauma—and the systems of power that enable and excuse abuse—as on mystery and heart-pounding action . . . the small, complex cast of characters and emotional core make this a poignant thriller." —Publishers Weekly

"The tension is absolutely nailbiting." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“A non-stop thrill ride…. This book is so INTENSE. It jumps back and forth from the robbery in progress to Nora’s earlier life with her mother, a con woman married to a dangerous man. It’s so well done, extremely cinematic.” —Book Riot

“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.” —Culturess

“Quick, full of plot twists and reveals that will have the reader on the edge of their seat . . . Strong female leads and well-written characters.” —Screen Rant

From the Publisher

05/01/2024

Gr 9 Up—In this follow-up to The Girls I've Been, to celebrate graduation, Nora's dear friend Wes and beloved girlfriend Iris suggest a long hiking trip. The only downside is that Wes's new girlfriend Amanda will be accompanying them, but surely, Nora thinks, it will be fine. But nothing is as simple as it seems. Nora will get a chance to use the skills she learned as all of the other girls she's been to evade her evil stepfather, now out of prison, along with multiple other forces from Nora's past and present as she, Iris, and Wes try to find a captured Amanda and keep themselves alive. As with the first in this series, Sharpe drops readers right into a slow unspooling of what is happening, how the characters have arrived here, who wants what, and most importantly, how far they'll go to get it. Multiple perspectives and multiple time lines are a lot to balance at once; for all the twisting suspense and wildly fun action, there is a complex web of means, motives, and opportunities underlying everything. Nora and Iris's relationship is fiercely loving and supportive, and Iris's struggles with endometriosis give specificity and concrete representation to a not-uncommon yet rarely discussed chronic health condition. VERDICT A vengeful adventure that ties up loose ends just tightly enough; a must-purchase for any collection containing the first volume.—Allie Stevens

School Library Journal

2024-09-14
A backpacking trip goes awry, turning into a fight for survival when a girl’s past comes to call.

After surviving a chaotic bank robbery attempt along with her girlfriend, Iris, and ex-boyfriend/best friend, Wes, Nora O’Malley has graduated high school. Now she’s setting out on a backpacking trip with Iris and Wes, who’s bringing along his new girlfriend, Amanda, and his dog. At the forefront of Nora’s mind is her evil criminal stepdad Raymond’s release from prison and what that means for her—she knows it’s nothing good because she’s in possession of a thumb drive with damning information about him. When Nora lends her flannel shirt to Amanda, it leads to a case of mistaken identity. Amanda is kidnapped in the night by Raymond’s men, and when the group realizes what’s happened, they must fight to get her back and try to stay alive, even as Raymond’s henchmen hunt them down. This follow-up to 2021’sThe Girls I’ve Been unfolds in nonlinear chapters that alternate between the present day and the time before Nora escaped her life with her mother and Raymond. Occasional sections present Iris’ point of view. The earlier series entry must be fresh in readers’ minds in order to follow this one, which features Sharpe’s signature gritty, fast-paced writing. Beloved characters from the first installment are further developed in an incredibly satisfying way before the explosive ending. Main characters are cued white.

A gripping and exciting sequel.(Thriller. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews