The Way I Used to Be

Name: The Way I Used to Be
Price: 1.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.5 (19957 reviews)
Author: Amber Smith

by Amber Smith

Contemporary Fiction Young Adult

4.5 (19,957)

4.5 stars from 19,957 reviews. One of the highest rated Contemporary Fiction books we track.

$1.99KU86% off peak

Last checked: Jun 26, 2026

Read free with Kindle Unlimited

Price history: $2.99 – $14.53

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Price range: $2.99 – $14.53

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Fans of these authors will like this...

Laurie Halse Anderson
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Fans of these books will like this...

Speak
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Perfect for you if...

You're ready to sit with difficult subjects and want fiction that treats trauma with seriousness and nuance, not as a plot device.
You loved Speak and are looking for a contemporary companion that explores assault, shame, and recovery through a high school lens.
You appreciate narratives that don't rush healing or pretend recovery is linear, and that show the messier, longer arc of reclaiming yourself.

Maybe not for you if...

You need stories with clear resolutions or uplifting endings where everything wraps neatly by the final page.
You prefer to avoid books that centre on sexual assault, even when handled thoughtfully.
You're looking for lighter coming-of-age stories focused on fun, romance, or friendship without the weight of trauma.

About this book

Eden was known for being good until a traumatic event changes everything. When her brother's best friend rapes her, her world shifts fundamentally. What once felt simple becomes complicated, and her feelings toward people and things she loved transform into hatred. Unable to process what happened or tell anyone, she buries the trauma and the person she used to be. Structured across four parts—freshman through senior year—the novel follows Eden through high school as she experiences the effects of trauma. It also traces her journey through adolescence, including first love and heartbreak, fractured and repaired friendships, and her discovery of inner strength and survival she did not know she possessed.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

$2.99 – $14.53

Currently on sale at $1.99 — 86% off peak. Price has dropped 4 times over the last 6 years. Goes on sale roughly every 391 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

Currently #892 in the Kindle store — a top-1,000 bestseller. Climbing the charts — 30% improvement recently.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

Currently 4.5★ from 19,957 reviews

Gaining approximately 321 new reviews per month. Reader interest is accelerating. Rating has remained stable at 4.5 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

Actual Predicted

This book is currently discounted at $1.99. It typically returns to around $14.53.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.