{"product_id":"the-way-i-used-to-be-9781481449359","title":"The Way I Used to Be","description":"\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestseller! \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn the tradition of \u003ci\u003eSpeak\u003c\/i\u003e, this extraordinary debut novel shares the unforgettable story of a young woman as she struggles to find strength in the aftermath of an assault. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eEden was always good at being good. Starting high school didn't change who she was. But the night her brother's best friend rapes her, Eden's world capsizes. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhat was once simple, is now complex. What Eden once loved--who she once loved--she now hates. What she thought she knew to be true, is now lies. Nothing makes sense anymore, and she knows she's supposed to tell someone what happened but she can't. So she buries it instead. And she buries the way she used to be. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTold in four parts--freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year--this provocative debut reveals the deep cuts of trauma. But it also demonstrates one young woman's strength as she navigates the disappointment and unbearable pains of adolescence, of first love and first heartbreak, of friendships broken and rebuilt, and while learning to embrace a power of survival she never knew she had hidden within her heart.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAmber Smith is the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eUSA TODAY\u003c\/i\u003e, and internationally bestselling author of the young adult novels \u003ci\u003eThe Way I Used to Be\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e The Last to Let Go\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSomething Like Gravity\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Way I Am Now\u003c\/i\u003e. An advocate for increased awareness of gendered violence and LGBTQIA+ equality, she writes in the hope that her books can help foster change and spark dialogue. She lives in Ithaca, New York, with her wife and coauthor, Sam Gellar, and their ever-growing family of rescued dogs and cats. You can find her online at AmberSmithAuthor.com.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Margaret K. McElderry Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50611409748242,"sku":"9781481449359","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_f29cf741-8f63-4e9b-84eb-db9a1601d4df.jpg?v=1764072790","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-way-i-used-to-be-9781481449359","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}