The Way I Used to Be

The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith is a powerful and emotional coming-of-age novel about trauma, silence, and healing.

Eden has always been the perfect “good girl,” but everything changes the night she is raped by her brother’s best friend. Unable to tell anyone, she hides her pain and begins to lose herself, turning away from the people and things she once loved.

Told over four years of high school, the story follows Eden’s struggle to survive and make sense of a world that suddenly feels broken. As she navigates grief, anger, love, and self-discovery, Eden slowly learns that confronting her truth is the only way to reclaim her strength.

A heart-wrenching yet hopeful debut, it’s a story about the lasting impact of trauma—and the resilience it takes to heal.