The Way I Used to Be (Collector's Edition)
$55.62
- Hardcover
416 pages
- Release Date
2 December 2025
Summary
This special edition features a foil-stamped paper over board cover, stenciled sprayed edges, and bonus content!
Amber Smith’s extraordinary, New York Times bestselling, TikTok sensation debut novel “is a heart-twisting, but ultimately hopeful, exploration of how pain can lead to strength” (The Boston Globe) about a teenager struggling to cope in the aftermath of being assaulted.
Eden has always been good at being good. Starting high school doesn’t change that. But the night h…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9798347101443 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Amber Smith |
| Publisher: | Simon & Schuster |
| Imprint: | Margaret K McElderry Books |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 416 |
| Release Date: | 2 December 2025 |
| Weight: | 531g |
| Dimensions: | 217mm x 147mm x 31mm |
| Series: | The Way I Used to Be |
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Critics Review
“This young adult novel is an unflinching look at the struggles of a rape victim to process her trauma and find the strength to rebuild her life.” –Laurie Halse Anderson, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of Speak and Shout“The Way I Used to Be explores the aftermath of sexual assault with a precision and searing honesty that is often terrifying, sometimes eerily beautiful, and always completely true. It is The Hero’s Journey through a distorted circus mirror–one girl’s quest to turn desperation into courage, to become a survivor instead of a victim. Amber Smith gets it exactly right.”–Amy Reed, author of BEAUTIFUL and CLEAN“The Way I Used To Be is an intensely gripping and raw look at secrets, silence, speaking out, and survival in the aftermath of a sexual assault. A must-have for every collection that serves teens.”– “SLJ / Teen Librarian Toolbox”“A poignant and painfully honest survival story about the aftermath of trauma. Amber Smith weaves Eden’s narrative with a deft, empathetic touch that doesn’t shy away from difficult truths. This is a courageous, necessary, and beautiful book.”
–Kathleen Glasgow, author of Girl in Pieces, The Agathas, and How to Make Friends With the Dark
“Edy’s exploration of the meaning of sexuality and intimacy will be thought provoking for teen readers of various experience levels, and this title is likely to find space alongside [Laurie Halse] Anderson’s Speak.” – “BCCB”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”About The Author
Amber Smith
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.
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