The Way I Used to Be

New York Times bestseller! In the tradition of Speak, Amber Smith's extraordinary debut novel âis a heart-twisting, but ultimately hopeful, exploration of how pain can lead to strengthâ (The Boston Globe).
Eden was always good at being good. Starting high school didnât change who she was. But the night her brotherâs best friend rapes her, Edenâs world capsizes.
What was once simple, is now complex. What Eden once lovedâwho she once lovedâshe now hates. What she thought she knew to be true, is now lies. Nothing makes sense anymore, and she knows sheâs supposed to tell someone what happened but she canât. So she buries it instead. And she buries the way she used to be.
Told in four partsâfreshman, sophomore, junior, and senior yearâthis provocative debut reveals the deep cuts of trauma. But it also demonstrates one young womanâs strength as she navigates the disappointment and unbearable pains of adolescence, of first love and first heartbreak, of friendships broken and rebuilt, all while learning to embrace the power of survival she never knew she had hidden within her heart.
Eden was always good at being good. Starting high school didnât change who she was. But the night her brotherâs best friend rapes her, Edenâs world capsizes.
What was once simple, is now complex. What Eden once lovedâwho she once lovedâshe now hates. What she thought she knew to be true, is now lies. Nothing makes sense anymore, and she knows sheâs supposed to tell someone what happened but she canât. So she buries it instead. And she buries the way she used to be.
Told in four partsâfreshman, sophomore, junior, and senior yearâthis provocative debut reveals the deep cuts of trauma. But it also demonstrates one young womanâs strength as she navigates the disappointment and unbearable pains of adolescence, of first love and first heartbreak, of friendships broken and rebuilt, all while learning to embrace the power of survival she never knew she had hidden within her heart.
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Community Reviews
This was a really good book. I think I was able to feel the way she was feeling, but there was a part in the end ending with Josh
I think couldâve went very differently
This book was incredibly emotional. I wanted to jump into the story and help the main characterâI even cried a few times while reading. The trauma she endured was unimaginable, and it made me realize the importance of encouraging my own kids to speak up. Itâs a powerful and heartbreaking story, and I highly recommend it.
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