THE GIRL IN QUESTION

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’s The 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.