Girls I've Been
Tess Sharpe
Girls I've Been
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Tess Sharpe
The text is written at a 8th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Here’s a secret: Nora O’Malley isn’t just anyone—she’s the daughter of a master con artist and has been playing many roles in her life. Now, trapped in a bank during a robbery, her past skills might be the only thing that can save her. But that’s only the beginning.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This young adult thriller follows Nora O’Malley, a teenager with a complicated past as the daughter of a con artist, who finds herself taken hostage during a bank robbery. The story explores themes of identity, relationships, and suspense, with mature content suitable for teens aged 13 and up. Parents should note the presence of romantic relationships, including LGBTQ+ representation, and tense moments involving crime and danger.
Why we rated Girls I've Been 12ME
Girls I've Been is written at a Level 8 reading level across 547 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Girls I've Been works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate Girls I've Been as 12ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Girls I've Been explores friendship, romance, lgbtq+ representation, thriller, and suspense — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, romance, lgbtq+ representation.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781432885199
- Pages
- 547
- Publisher
- Thorndike Striving Reader
- Published
- 2021
- Type
- Fiction