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Parents' Guide to

The Girls I've Been

By Andrea Beach, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Suspenseful, poignant thriller about teens taken hostage.

The Girls I've Been Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 16+

Based on 1 parent review

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (4 ):

This suspense-filled story will keep readers on the edge of their seats with its effective blending of past and present. The excitement in The Girls I've Been kicks in right from start and is cleverly balanced with piecing together the mystery of Nora's past. There's even a nice balance of humor and a little bit of romance woven in, too. Nora's a believable narrator even though she's hard to get to know, but learning about her past in bits and pieces is an effective way of showing the distance she's always had to keep from people in her own life. When she finally starts to really come into her own, and find within herself the power and courage to be her own person, readers will come to understand and maybe even admire her. Near the end, the pacing stutters a bit, so there's no real surprise or shock there. But it does come to a satisfying and effective end. Violence, including child abuse, and strong language make it best for teens and up.

Book Details

  • Author: Tess Sharpe
  • Genre: Contemporary Fiction
  • Topics: Friendship
  • Book type: Fiction
  • Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
  • Publication date: January 26, 2021
  • Publisher's recommended age(s): 14 - 17
  • Number of pages: 368
  • Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
  • Last updated: January 22, 2021

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