The Girl I Was (Deluxe Limited Edition): From the New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!
From New York Times bestselling author, Jeneva Rose, comes a fully updated and expanded edition of THE GIRL I WAS, the first book she ever wrote, featuring six brand-new chapters from a fresh point-of-view.
ORDER NOW to get a Deluxe Limited Edition with sprayed edges--available only on the first printing! This special first edition hardcover will include a gorgeous jacket, beautifully illustrated endpapers and sprayed edges.
"While packing a delightful punch of nostalgia, The Girl I Was delivers one of the most satisfying character transformations I've read in a while...Jeneva Rose's latest is witty and tender." --Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures
"With The Girl I Was, Jeneva Rose proves she's not just a master of thrillers, but also matters of the heart." --Colleen Oakley, USA Today Bestselling author of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."
Alexis Spencer will use any inspirational quote to rationalize her failures and shortcomings. Her closest friends are a distant memory, and her college debt is still as high as the day she left. But that's all fine and dandy, because "whatever will be, will be."
However, when Alexis loses her job and her relationship on the same day, there's no quote strong enough to get her through that. In typical fashion, she blames the world for her problems, including her younger self, who should have tried harder.
Feeling sorry for herself, Alexis finds a bottle of vodka from her college days and goes on a bender, blacking out in the process. Only this time, she doesn't wake up at home, or in the right city. In fact, she isn't even in the right year.
Alexis is back in her college town in the year 2002.
Convinced this is her chance to do things over, she heads to her dorm--and comes face-to-face with her eighteen-year-old unruly self, who goes by Lexi because it's "sexier." Getting acclimated to life in the early 2000s is the easy part. Dealing with Lexi is where things prove difficult.
They might be the same person, but they couldn't be more different from one another. Now Alexis and Lexi must learn to get along and come to terms with the fact that alone, they will never make things right, but together, they could change their life for the better.
From New York Times bestselling author, Jeneva Rose, comes a fully updated and expanded edition of THE GIRL I WAS, the first book she ever wrote, featuring six brand-new chapters from a fresh point-of-view.
ORDER NOW to get a Deluxe Limited Edition with sprayed edges--available only on the first printing! This special first edition hardcover will include a gorgeous jacket, beautifully illustrated endpapers and sprayed edges.
"While packing a delightful punch of nostalgia, The Girl I Was delivers one of the most satisfying character transformations I've read in a while...Jeneva Rose's latest is witty and tender." --Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures
"With The Girl I Was, Jeneva Rose proves she's not just a master of thrillers, but also matters of the heart." --Colleen Oakley, USA Today Bestselling author of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."
Alexis Spencer will use any inspirational quote to rationalize her failures and shortcomings. Her closest friends are a distant memory, and her college debt is still as high as the day she left. But that's all fine and dandy, because "whatever will be, will be."
However, when Alexis loses her job and her relationship on the same day, there's no quote strong enough to get her through that. In typical fashion, she blames the world for her problems, including her younger self, who should have tried harder.
Feeling sorry for herself, Alexis finds a bottle of vodka from her college days and goes on a bender, blacking out in the process. Only this time, she doesn't wake up at home, or in the right city. In fact, she isn't even in the right year.
Alexis is back in her college town in the year 2002.
Convinced this is her chance to do things over, she heads to her dorm--and comes face-to-face with her eighteen-year-old unruly self, who goes by Lexi because it's "sexier." Getting acclimated to life in the early 2000s is the easy part. Dealing with Lexi is where things prove difficult.
They might be the same person, but they couldn't be more different from one another. Now Alexis and Lexi must learn to get along and come to terms with the fact that alone, they will never make things right, but together, they could change their life for the better.
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Community Reviews
Thirty-year-old Alexis Spencer's life seems to be falling apart after losing her job, her relationship, and her sense of direction. One night, she mysteriously wakes up in 2002 and finds herself face to face with her eighteen-year-old self, Lexi. At first, Alexis and Lexi clash, but as they begin to work together, Alexis realizes that fixing her past is not the key to her happiness. Instead, she learns that true change comes from forgiving herself, embracing who she has become, and choosing a better path forward.
Jeneva Rose took a sharp turn away from her usual thrillers with The Girl I Was and honestly, I was here for it. I loved seeing her shift into a more emotional, reflective story and it felt so different but still carried her signature heart. The entire story had me invested, and yes, it even got a few tears out of me. But that ending fell too flat. It left me flipping the last page like “wait, that’s all we get?” I needed more closure, more punch, more something...
Regardless of the ending and how I feel about it, this book is worth a read if you like speculative fiction. I had heard this book gives "13 Going On 30" vibes and it really did! This book has me reflecting and wondering what I would do if I came across the 18 version of myself.
Well done! This author had the main character travel through time from 2016 to 2002 and face her college self. Alexis tries to convince Lexi to buckle down on school and not end up being a loser like she was. It’s not easy. It was most interesting to learn how much had changed technology wise in 14 years. No iphones, Netflix, Instagram. So many changes. Alexis does convince her younger self that it is indeed her, but a grown up hot mess version. It was hardest going home for Thanksgiving and seeing Mom since she knows Mom died the next Spring.
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