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New York Times bestseller! In the tradition of Speak, Amber Smith’s extraordinary debut novel “is a heart-twisting, but ultimately hopeful, exploration of how pain can lead to strength” (The Boston Globe).
Eden was always good at being good. Starting high school didn’t change who she was. But the night her brother’s best friend rapes her, Eden’s world capsizes.
What was once simple, is now complex. What Eden once loved—who she once loved—she now hates. What she thought she knew to be true, is now lies. Nothing makes sense anymore, and she knows she’s supposed to tell someone what happened but she can’t. So she buries it instead. And she buries the way she used to be.
Told in four parts—freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year—this provocative debut reveals the deep cuts of trauma. But it also demonstrates one young woman’s 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.
From the Publisher
Publisher : Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date : March 7, 2017
Edition : Reprint
Language : English
Print length : 400 pages
ISBN-10 : 1481449362
ISBN-13 : 978-1481449366
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Reading age : 14 years and up
Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.25 inches
Book 1 of 2 : The Way I Used to Be
Grade level : 9 – 12
Lexile measure : HL640L
Best Sellers Rank: #2,434 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #7 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction about Emotions & Feelings #9 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Girls’ & Women’s Issues (Books) #21 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Dating & Sex (Books)
Customer Reviews: 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 15,511 ratings var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
Customers say
Customers find this book to be an essential read, particularly for girls and women, with heart-wrenching emotional content that truly encapsulates trauma. The writing is well-crafted, with one customer noting how it makes readers feel understood through their own trauma, and the story is captivating, with one review describing it as an achingly real look at a young girl’s journey. Customers appreciate the book’s realistic portrayal of events and its ability to open readers’ eyes to important issues. While some customers enjoy the pace, others find it slow.
