In the first pages of The Girls I’ve Been, Nora, Iris, and Wes have helped with a fundraiser and are just getting to the bank to deposit the funds. Nora had stopped for doughnuts, and they’d basically only just gotten inside when two guys come in and yell, ‘this is a robbery!’

Nora starts alluding to the fact that she has had experience with similar situations and will be able to handle it, not that she isn’t scared. And yes, as things progress in the bank, Nora demonstrates that she does indeed have a particular set of skills.

The burglars seem amateurish and don’t have a backup plan for what to do if something goes awry with plan A, but they are still plenty dangerous since they are armed. Nora takes a whole bunch of risks, but all in an attempt to make sure they all leave alive.

This is a Young Adult novel, but it was right up my alley because it was a fast-paced thriller. I listened to the audiobook version, read by the author, and I really enjoyed it! If you also enjoy thrillers, give this a try. There are some trigger warnings for sexual assault, abuse, and drugs.