The Way I Used to Be
by Amber Smith
Reviewed by Valerie Palmer
I chose this book based
on its popularity right now and wanted to see why it was receiving so much
buzz. I have also been into reading more young-adult books lately. The themes
in this book were bullying, first relationships, best friendships, rebellion,
and acceptance. If you enjoyed If He Had Been with Me by Laura Nowlin, you
may like this one too! Please check out my review of If He Had Been with Me!
Summary
Eden was a good girl and
was starting high school. Her world capsizes when her brother’s best friend,
Kevin, snuck in her bedroom one night and raped her. Someone she used to have a
crush on and thought she loved, had become someone she so desperately hated.
She knew she should tell someone, but just could not get the words out. Nothing
made sense to her anymore and she decided to bury the girl she used to be. The
book is told in four parts, freshman, sophomore, junior and senior year of high
school. This debut novel reveals how painful trauma can be to a young woman as well
as how she gains strength through experiencing first love, first heartbreak,
broken friendships, and learning to embrace horrible circumstances.
What I Liked
I truly enjoyed the writing
style of this book and how it was broken up into parts based on Eden’s grade in
school. Through each part you could see her gradual coming-of-age based on what
she was experiencing in life at that time. Josh was one of my favorite
characters as he truly cared about Eden even though she pushed him away. Even
though he was popular, he saw the good in her and wanted to be with her.
Throughout this book I felt like I was connected to Eden and could feel her
pain. The rawness of her feelings and internal struggle to decide if she should
speak out against Kevin is very realistic. She had no idea how to deal with her
feelings and felt that becoming someone else would fix all her problems. I mostly
liked how the book ended, but one component that I really wanted to happen did
not come to fruition. I will not go into detail, so I do not give anything away.
What I Didn't Like
This book is rated for 14 years old and up, and I completely disagree with that
rating. If I had a 14-year-old daughter, I would not let her read this book. I
understand that these things do happen in real life to children of this age
group, however I would not want to have my child living in fear. To me this
book contains adult content and should be read by an adult. Or if a parent
chooses to allow their child to read it, they need to discuss such a sensitive
topic with them. I was caught off guard at the beginning of the book because it
immediately starts out with the rape scene.
Rating⭐⭐⭐⭐
I gave this book four stars on Goodreads. I wanted to give it five stars
but could not because I did not get the result I wanted in the end. Overall, a
great read and I believe it deserves the hype it has received. I would highly
recommend this book; however, it does have some content that may be triggering
to some readers. There will also be a sequel to this novel called, The Way I Am Now, which will be released on November 7, 2023.
Comments
Post a Comment