The Way I Used to Be: Summary, Series Order & Review

TikTok turned Amber Smith’s debut into a phenomenon—not despite its unflinching portrayal of trauma, but because of it. The Way I Used to Be, published in 2016, became a touchstone for readers craving raw, honest YA about trauma and recovery—and the story only deepened from there.

Author: Amber Smith · First Book Published: 2016 · Series Books: 4 (Book 1, 2, 2.5, 3) · Genre: YA Fiction · Key Theme: Surviving Trauma

The table below summarizes the core data points for this series.

What is The Way I Used to Be about?

Eden buries the truth along with the girl she used to be. That’s the setup for Amber Smith’s debut: a fourteen-year-old girl is assaulted by her brother’s best friend during freshman year, and the novel tracks what happens next—not the crime itself, but its aftermath. Smith’s novel covers all four years of high school in four parts, showing how Eden transforms into someone who pretends she doesn’t need friends, doesn’t need love, doesn’t need anyone at all (Armed With A Book).

The book received nominations for the Nutmeg Book Award, Goodreads Choice Award, Eliot Rosewater Award, and Bank Street Book of the Year (Book Series In Order). A starred review from VOYA called it “a provocative debut that reveals the deep cuts of trauma”—but also tracks one young woman’s strength as she navigates the disappointment and unbearable pains of adolescence (Good Books and Good Wine).

Main character Eden

Eden isn’t a passive victim in her own story—she’s someone who fights back the only way she knows how. After the assault at age 14, she becomes a “tough, mean girl” to survive high school social dynamics, according to Book Series In Order. Her armor is performance: good grades, cold distance, refusing to let anyone close enough to hurt her again. The series follows what happens when that survival strategy meets college, a trial, and an ex-boyfriend who still matters.

Themes of trauma

Smith writes trauma recovery as nonlinear and exhausting. The series explores first love tangled with trauma bonds, heartbreak when the person you trusted most becomes unrecognizable, and justice as something that might never arrive. Readers on Goodreads note the books don’t offer easy catharsis—the pain is real, the healing is slower, and that’s exactly why the series resonates. The Way I Used to Be became a New York Times bestseller, reportedly driven by word-of-mouth on TikTok (Armed With A Book).

Is The Way I Am Now a sequel to The Way I Used to Be?

Yes, directly. The Way I Am Now is book 2 in the series, published November 7, 2023 by Margaret K. McElderry Books (Lisa Loves Literature). Amber Smith confirmed the sequel herself on Goodreads when a reader asked: “Yes! I did, and it’s called THE WAY I AM NOW! It’s out now :)” (Goodreads Author Page).

Book 2 details

The gap between books 1 and 2 spans roughly a year. By the time The Way I Am Now opens, Eden has publicly accused her rapist along with two other girls (Gen and Amanda), and her rape case has gone to trial (Armed With A Book). She’s in college now, trying to build a life that looks normal from the outside.

The catch: Eden is in a toxic relationship with someone named Steve before reconnecting with Josh, her high school connection who still matters. “Eden and Josh decide to give their relationship another chance in this much anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller,” according to the publisher blurb from Margaret K. McElderry Books (Lisa Loves Literature).

Connection to book 1

Book 2 doesn’t retell—it continues. The first book’s four-part structure (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior years) gave readers a complete high school arc. Book 2 opens in real time, about a year after Eden shared her story. The trial is happening, the trauma is still live, and the question shifts from “can she survive this?” to “what does she do now that she has to live with it?”

What is the order of The Way I Used to Be series?

The series has four entries: three full books plus one novella that fills in backstory. Fantastic Fiction confirms the complete order (Fantastic Fiction Series Page).

The series publication schedule reveals a deliberate pacing that prioritizes quality over speed.

Three full novels, one novella, and a publication gap of seven years between book 1 and book 2—the series moved at its own pace. The Way We Met novella sits between books 2 and 3 on Goodreads, filling in how certain characters met (Goodreads Series Page).

Standalone novels by Amber Smith

Smith’s bibliography isn’t limited to Eden’s story. Her standalones include The Last to Let Go (2018), Something Like Gravity (2019), and Code Name: Serendipity (2022)—all YA contemporary fiction with different protagonists (Book Series In Order). Readers who finish the Eden series and want more from Smith have options, but these are separate stories.

What is the saddest YA book ever?

That’s an unanswerable question—sadness is subjective, and “saddest” depends on what cuts deepest for each reader. That said, The Way I Used to Be frequently surfaces in conversations about emotionally devastating YA. It sits alongside titles like Thirteen Reasons Why (Jay Asher), The Fault in Our Stars (John Green), and It’s Kind of a Funny Story (Ned Vizzini) in the category of YA that doesn’t pull punches.

Position of this series

What sets the Way series apart from some other “sad YA” titles is its structure. Rather than a single devastating event resolved within one book, Smith’s series tracks ongoing recovery across multiple volumes. The first book’s trauma doesn’t end when the book ends—Book 2 opens with the trial still happening, the toxic relationship still active, the healing nowhere near complete. For readers who want trauma represented as a process rather than a moment, this is the appeal.

Similar emotional reads

If Eden’s story hits for you, related YA titles exploring trauma, grief, and recovery include:

• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher — a different type of trauma aftermath, focused on why someone didn’t survive
• The Last to Let Go by Amber Smith — Smith’s own standalone about a different protagonist navigating loss
• Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow — similar tone, similar themes of young women rebuilding after damage

Related reading: Pride and Prejudice Book: Summary, Quotes, Analysis · Funny Story Emily Henry – Plot Summary, Tropes and Ending Guide

Frequently asked questions

“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.”

— Good Books and Good Wine

“Eden and Josh decide to give their relationship another chance in this much anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Way I Used to Be.”

— Margaret K. McElderry Books (publisher blurb)

For readers who found The Way I Used to Be at the right moment—or who are looking for a series that doesn’t flinch from what recovery actually costs—the waiting period until Book 3 in 2026 is the real test. The first two books are available now, the novella fills in gaps, and if the series maintains its pace, Eden’s story won’t have an easy ending. That’s the point.