review: the way i used to be by amber smith

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Powerful—that’s the one word summary of The Way I Used to Be. This debut from Amber Smith begins with one night of Eden’s freshman year of high school. Her brother’s best friend, who she has a bit of a crush on, comes into her room and rapes her. From the horrifying scene of the opening page, Smith eloquently describes Eden’s life as she progresses through high school. Eden tries a few different ways to deal with the trauma forced upon her, but few of those expressions are good. Smith lays it all out with grit and sensitivity. The characters are excellently drawn so that all are immediately familiar with those who should evoke sympathy doing just that.
5/5
Review copy from Amazon Vine.