I knew I was in for a good book as soon as I heard about this book - revisiting Nora and her messy past, and reading about her getting up to more shenanigans with Iris and Wes? Count me in. Then we got to the end of the first chapter and I was like 'well, this book is going to keep me on all of my toes'. And then you know when you get to about 50% of the way through a book and you think 'there is no way this isn't going to be a 5 star rating and one my new absolute favourite books'? Yup. That.

I adore the way the relationships are written between Nora, Iris, Wes, and Lee. How there is so much unconditional love, understanding, immediate loyalty and true unyielding affection and friendship there, besides the things that they've gone through to bond them. I also love the way Tess Sharpe weaves through timelines and points of views so seamlessly that it is never confusing, but all crafted so well for me a as reader to build the backstory at the exact right time for the plot. The Girls I've Been is a phenomenally executed as a YA thriller, but The Girl in Question knocks it right out the park. The pacing, the plotting, the character.

Also shout out to the queerness of it and bringing endometriosis to the forefront!

I would definitely not go into this though if you haven't read The Girls' I've Been, and I'd definitely recommend a reread if it's been a while since there are a lot of flashbacks and callbacks to the plot in that.

4.5⭐️
Thank you to the publisher for letting me read this early! I was so hyped for this book after reading the first one, and it didn't disappoint. From the first chapter, I was hooked! There's just something about their friendship and the way each and every one of them would literally kill to protect each other that I love, and it's put to the test when their hiking trip is ambushed by Nora's enemies and their teams of killers. It was gripping, it was plot twisty (right from the beginning. I full-on gasped!), it was emotional, it was necessary. I'm not sure if there's going to be a third book. It could be left where it is, but there's also room for more if Tess chooses to, and I'd totally be down! I'm ready to see Nora and Lee be the best PIs that ever lived, but I'd also be happy if the series ended here. I really enjoyed it. Thank you!

I loved the first book in this series and I was so excited to finally read this one and I wasn't disappointed! I love Nora, Iris and Wes and it was great being back with them.
The book starts by throwing the reader straight into the action and it is only later that you connect the beginning to the rest of the story. I really enjoyed the plot; what looks like an innocent, hiking summer trip through a forest with friends turns into a fight for survival as Nora has to hide information from her best friend to ensure they all get out alive.
There are lots of twists and turns in this gripping novel about found family and trying to escape the past.

The Girl in Question is a book with true bite. It’s gritty, gripping and gives you one hell of a reading experience.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Girls I’ve Been and this follow-up was just as twisty, dark and deliciously full of vengeance. You can never fully trust everything you are presented with in this world of false identities and shifting allegiances. In particular, I loved the characters. Nora came into my life and stole my heart. I really liked her moral grayness and how she valued survival above everything initially, but learnt to trust and love again. Here, she is now turning to face that past once and for all. There is a deep-seated rage that I adored in this book. It is unapologetically angry at the monsters of this world, yet still holds a kernel of hope for the future. I also really enjoyed Iris’ narrative along this same thread - that opening sequence was heart-pounding and shows an evolution of the character into new territory.

As previously, the pacing and atmosphere was off the charts. The isolated setting gave it more of a survivalist feel than the ticking time bomb of the bank in the first book. I was glued to the pages, desperately hoping for everything to work out for our central characters. There are also incredible twists and turns in store. This is such a layered story, with even more secrets and lies to uncover. I love how Sharpe utilises long reaching consequences from earlier actions, creating a ripple effect of mayhem. Everything has its place and nothing is ever fully left to chance. This is a book that wallows in ambiguity and morally gray territory. In particular, the final third was such a brilliant culmination of everything that had gone before, adding a final few curveballs for the reader as well. It focuses on facing your trauma and learning to live with its effects on your life. Sharpe keeps it raw and real, but always allows for some element of hope within it.

The Girl in Question brings one of my favourite YA characters back into my life and for that I am grateful. A breath-taking, brilliantly riveting read once again.

This was a fantastic, heart pounding follow on from its predecessor The Girls I've Been.

I really liked how this one continued on with the storylines from the first novel. I do think the first book would have worked well as a stand alone, and does work well if you don’t feel like reading past it, but if you’re interested in seeing the consequences from the first book unfold then this one’s for you. The stakes were high, my blood pressure was high, it was a stressful time all around! Stressful — and entertaining!

The plot continued from the first, and we came face to face with Nora’s enemies in the present. I truly was struggling to see how she was going to get herself out of this one so it was interesting to see more of her scheming and plotting unfold.

I liked how we got to see more of the characters and this book gave room to explore more of their backstories, their personalities, their arcs, and the complicated relationship dynamics between all of them. Things got messy, and I was both glad and sad for it, because it fit the character growth.

I did guess some of the plot twists / was on the right tracks so I was quite pleased with myself however it did not make the reveals any less impactful.

Like with the first book, I think this ended well however I do think if Sharpe wanted to tell another story in this world there’s still plenty of story left — just maybe not with Nora in the front seat.

I think I'm in the minority with not having read the first book so went into this one with not knowing what had happened before. It did take me a few chapters to get into it but once I had I was hooked and couldn't put it down!

📚 r e v i e w 📚

the girl in question - tess sharpe

nora, wes and iris are back with a bang that certainly blows their last adventure out the water. it’s been a year since the three of them ended up hostages in a bank heist and nora’s identity as a teenage con artist was revealed. now the three of them are heading out on a hike through the forest as one last horrah before college only it doesn’t exactly go to plan.

it’s been years since i read all the girls i was before and it is still on my mind. i can see the same thing happening with the girl in question

full of tess sharpie’s usual wit and intrigue the girl in question is a thrilling and entertaining ride with everything from fbi agents, murderous ex cons and frankly a bunch of teenagers that james bond could take some lessons from

the girl in question is out 14th may- so grab your copy and while you’re at it pick up all the girls i’ve been! thank you @netgalley for the early copy.

I really don't know what I thought of this book. I had so much fun reading it and would absolutely recommend the series, but did I think this book was necessary? No. No, I did not. Would I have read it had I not adored the friendship between Nora, Iris and Wes? No, I probably wouldn't. Hence the 3.5 star rating.

But did I love the friendship group, the sisterly love, the sweet sapphic romance? I absolutely did. Nora and the gang are some of my new favourite book characters, and this book only furthered that love. They were even more fleshed out than before, and the backstory and world grew so much more. It was fun, that's for sure, and I was hooked, finishing the book in two days.

I did, however, have some gripes about the book - and the fact it even exists.

Firstly with the way it was written. Call it a pet peeve, but when a successful standalone inherits a sequel, I like there to be some consistency between the two... such as a similar plot structure, for example. This book just wasn't as thrilling as the first, even though it was also set over a short space of time, and was incredibly action-packed. The sense of mystery wasn't... well, anywhere. It was an action book, and a little too gory, and kind of just felt like the author having a lot of fun with an existing world.

Which brings me to my second point. I'm not really a fanfiction girl, but I'm sure some fabulous fanfiction has been written about Tess Sharpe's books - and this book felt exactly like that. A fanfiction of a successful standalone, which finished on a cliffhanger. I would have much preferred for this book to maybe be a completely new mystery with the same characters, like the sequel to AGGGTM, for example. Instead, the book sort of... ruined a lot of the cliffhanger aspect, which was something I loved about book one. It was a lot less subtle, and spelt out plot points which were deliberately kept ambiguous at first.

I also found it sort of lazy how Tess Sharpe used perspective, here. We don't need to hear from every character's perspective, just because Nora isn't present in the scene. I would have loved for the book to have just been told from Nora's POV... or even Iris's!

All in all, I did really, really enjoy this book. But it also brought up many questions for me about the importance of creating a sequel that will compliment a successful standalone, instead of milking its success. A lot of mystery books do this well... and unfortunately, I don't think this was one of those times.

I LOVED the girls I've been so i had to get the sequel!! it's got the same fun, fast paced mischief and trickery and sweet sapphic light-hearted moments. i adored this (but definitely still prefer the first!)


We're back with Nora, who's murderous stepdad has just been released from prison. While camping in the forest, Nora's friend is mistaken for her and kidnapped. Nora, Iris & Wes must make it out of the forest & save Wes's girlfriend.


This was so fun and I'd definitely recommend reading both!


thanks to netgalley for an arc of this book, publish date april 11th

This book!!!!!!!

Omg, it's perfect for me. It is everything I want in a book. The emotions, the questions, the heart pounding from start to finish, the action, the absolute badass women!!!! I absolutely loved it. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this arc before release.

I need more of these books, I need more from these characters!!

Let the book hangover commence.

The Girl in Question is the wonderfully satisfying sequel to The Girls I've Been. It is fast-paced, full of tension that had me zooming through the pages and twists I didn't see coming. Like the first book it is written in a non-linear way, jumping around in time both within the current events, and also giving us more backstory of Nora's life before she was Nora. For me, this built the anticipation even more and I loved the suspense. The stakes are higher but it still has those lovely elements of found family and loving relationships.

Highly recommended for fans of The Girls I've Been. This was everything I loved from the first book but turned up a notch.

DNF at 16%/chapter 13. Nothing to draw you into the story and keep you engaged. Unfortunately feels messy. I loved the first book so really disappointed.

I loved The Girl's I've Been, so finding out about this sequel made me so incredibly happy, What makes me even happier, is being able to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it! While I did struggle to piece some things together, simply because the more specific details from The Girl's I've Been left my brain a long time ago, I still thought this book was tense, and engaging. Really kept me on my toes with the fast paced action, the majority of which is deep in the mountains, but never feels too "samey", as the novel jumps from perspective to perspective, and includes flashbacks to the recent past to help break things up. I loved the characters. The core trio are especially really well written and defined.

Nora and the gang really deserve a break, but selfishly I'm now wondering if and when there's going to be a third instalment.

The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe is a YA thriller that I read a few years back now and really enjoyed, it was fast paced, had me hooked and characters that were easy to root for so when I heard this book was coming I knew I would need to pick it up.

The Girl in Question again follows Nora, Wes and Iris who we know from the bank robbery from the previous book but instead this time after graduating high school they are going on a backpacking trip in the woods when Wes’s new girlfriend gets kidnapped dure to a borrowed flannel. Most of this book takes place over about a week while the characters are in the forest but there are flashbacks to weeks and years previous.
This is a series I would recommending checking out the content warnings for as there are a lot of things discussed and it’s better to be safe.

I really like how this book is written, it’s not something I find in a lot of the books I read but I don’t think the story would work without it. Unlike the previous book we get Iris, Nora and Wes’s POVs but like the previous book we get flashbacks to previous weeks and years that are important to the story. Jumping between times and POVs kept me hooked and wanting to know where this was going but it also helps give the reader as much of the necessary information that possibly can be.

Along with seeing more of Iris, Wes and Nora we get to see Lee again and meet Wes’s new girlfriend Amanda. I would have loved more time on page with Lee but that didn’t work with the plot which makes sense. I really liked getting Iris and Wes’s POVs because while I felt like I had a decent grasp on Nora already it help me understand them better and where their actions come from - there was a point this was particularly helpful with Wes after a reveal that was unexpected. Amanda’s character was an interesting one who I think I liked but don’t think I still completely understand even if a lot of her actions do make sense.

There were parts where it took me longer to get into the story but once I was hooked I could not put it down and just wanted to know how it was going to end. There were some twists that didn’t surprise me as much as they once would have but then there were some where I never would have expected it but it still made perfect sense and I really liked that. There is a lot I would like to say but can’t without risking spoiling something, I will say I would love to see some of what Wes gets up to after this book ends and what this trio’s future will end up like but the story also ended in exactly the right place.

A fantastic sequel that doesn’t feel like it was just added because book 1 did well and I can’t wait to see what Tess Sharpe comes out with next. This book reminded me why I loved The Girls I’ve Been and I will be recommending this pair upon release again.

Thank you Netgalley and Hachette Children’s Group for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐
The wilderness setting had my pounding throughout and added the right amount of suspense but the end was anticlimactic. It did have some twists that had me gasping out loud and flipping the pages even faster. I highly recommend if you need something to get the heart racing even though it's not really necessary for finishing out the series. It's still a good time and it's multi POV.

That cover is still a let down though.

Tess Sharpe does it again - The Girl in Question is full of her evocative writing and sharp twists that will leave you gasping and itching for more.

Tess Sharpe has done it again, this was a cracking book and just like her last had me at the edge of my seat.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of the bok in exchange for a review.

Tess Sharpe does what Tess Sharpe always does in this sequel to The Girls I’ve Been— full of unique storytelling, twists and turns, and a heart-wrenching narrative of a girl who has lived a life of abuse and exploitation as she finally breaks free of the shackles holding her back.

Nora is such a unique heroine, I was actually unsure whether I’d like her when I was first introduced to her in the first book, but she quickly won me over with her quick wit, her deadpan humour and her fierce love for the people around her— namely Iris, Wes and her sister, Lee. And I loved her even more in The Girl in Question. She’s the star of the show, I’m enamoured by her journey, by her intelligence and I just love a heroine who outsmarts everyone around her and that’s Nora. The book started with a bang, launching us right into the story while the plot was fast-paced, energetic and had me teetering on a knife’s edge and I didn’t want it to end. I could read Tess Sharpe forever, honestly.

I just love Tess Sharpe, truly. She’s never written anything that I haven’t adored because she favours unique stories about queer girls who are queer and it’s just who they are. They exist, they love and they live and they thrive. Far From You will always hold a special place in my heart but Sharpe is an auto-buy author for me and I’ll always recommend her books to everyone I know. Everyone who loved the first book will be really happy with the sequel— I’m glad Sharpe wrote a second book because Nora’s story didn’t feel finished in the first one. We’d only just seen the tip of the Nora-shaped iceberg in The Girls I’ve Been and The Girl in Question satiated all the questions I had from the first book.

Just go and read Sharpe’s whole backlist because you will never be disappointed!!

I absolutely love The Girls I've Been so I was really excited to read this one and it totally lived up to the hype and I enjoyed it just as much as the first book.

This took me a little while to get into (partially, I think, because I'd forgotten some of the first book 🙈) but once I did get into it, I couldn't put it down!