Nora O’Malley is the daughter of a professional con artist who spent years grooming her to play various personas to help entrap criminal targets. When Nora’s mother fell in love with a mark, Nora escaped and built a quiet life under a new identity. However, her past resurfaces when she is held hostage during a bank heist alongside her ex-boyfriend, Wes, and her secret girlfriend, Iris. To ensure their survival, Nora must utilize the psychological manipulation and tactical skills she learned from her criminal upbringing to outmaneuver the gunmen.
This thriller appeals to fans of suspense who enjoy heavy character development and nonlinear storytelling involving domestic abuse and survival. Readers observe how childhood trauma shapes adult intuition and defense mechanisms. The narrative provides a look at the tradecraft of social engineering and the difficulty of reclaiming one’s autonomy after being used as a tool by a parent. It offers a perspective on how survivors of manipulation repurpose their scars into tools for protection and self-determination.
Practical, clear-cut and escapist; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Escapist Adventurer. Which reader are you?
Insights from The Girls I've Been
“I'm a girl who learned too young how to be whoever you need me to be.”
Nora wears her old identities like layers of clothing. She plays the roles her mother needed to survive their marks.
The bank heist feels small compared to the horror Nora grew up with. A hostage situation is just another Tuesday for her.
“The problem with running away is that you take yourself with you.”
Escaping a monster doesn't mean the monster stops living in your head. Nora is always waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“They don't love the girls I've been. They love me.”
Wes and Iris are the first people who actually see Nora. They love the girl behind the masks even when she is messy.
- Published
- 2021
- Publisher
- G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
- ISBN
- 9780593111093
- Language
- EN
