Pub Date: December 2, 2025
Dewey: FIC
Lexile Code: 0640
Features: Price on Product
Target Age Group: 14 to 17
Physical Info: 1.24" H x 8.53" L x 5.77" W ( 1.17 lbs) 416 pages
BISAC Categories:
Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Sexual Abuse | Adolescence and Coming of Age
Series: The Way I Used to Be
Description: "After fourteen-year-old Eden is raped by her brother's best friend, she knows she'll never be the way she used to be"--
Brief description: Amber Smith is the New York Times, USA TODAY, and internationally bestselling author of the young adult novels The Way I Used to Be, The Last to Let Go, Something Like Gravity, Fade into You, and The Way I Am Now. An advocate for increased awareness of gendered violence and LGBTQIA+ equality, she writes in the hope that her books can help foster change and spark dialogue. She lives in Ithaca, New York, with her wife and their ever-growing family of rescued dogs and cats. You can find her online at AmberSmithAuthor.com.
Review Quotes: STARRED REVIEW "This is a poignant book that realistically looks at the lasting effects of trauma on love, relationships, and life....Teens will be reminded of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak. VERDICT An important addition for every collection."-- "School Library Journal"