The Girl in Question

May 1, 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

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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)

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