The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith | Book Review

The Way I Used to Be is a gut-punch of a novel. The story revolves around Eden, a teenager who at the beginning (and I mean from the first page) of the novel is raped. We then see how this extremely traumatic event impacts Eden and her mental stability. She becomes reckless, having meaningless sex with strangers, going to parties where she drinks, and she starts smoking. She also becomes extremely volatile to her family and friends, pushing them away.

I thought this was an incredibly important story and the way it depicts the massive personality changes in Eden were handled with grace and truth. The only complaints I have with this novel were the fact that there are several loose ends left dangling that I wish had been formed into a more cohesive ending and the fact that NO ONE tries to help Eden during her worst periods. Otherwise, this is a vital book to read, if you can handle the subject matter.

VERDICT: 4/5