One of my favourite reads of 2020 was The Way I Used To Be (2016) by Amber Smith, an extraordinary debut novel that shares the unforgettable story of a young woman as she struggles to find strength in the aftermath of an assault.
Amber Smith’s novels are beautifully written, filled with authentic, multi-layered characters whose experiences and raw emotions will resonate with young adult readers. So, if you’ve somehow missed Amber’s books until now, read on for a beginner’s guide to Amber Smith’s YA books and the best places to read them!
First, we sobbed over Eden in The Way I Used To Be
Eden 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.
What 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.
Told 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.
Read it: In a comfy bed, with your pet for emotional support.
Then, we were heartbroken by Brooke in The Last To Let Go
Junior year for Brooke Winters is supposed to be about change. She’s transferring schools, starting fresh, and making plans for college so she can finally leave her hometown, her family, and her past behind.
But all of her dreams are shattered one hot summer afternoon when her mother is arrested for killing Brooke’s abusive father. No one really knows what happened that day, if it was premeditated or self-defence, whether it was right or wrong. And now Brooke and her siblings are on their own.
In a year of firsts—the first year without parents, first love, first heartbreak, and her first taste of freedom - Brooke must confront the shadow of her family’s violence and dysfunction, as she struggles to embrace her identity, finds her true place in the world, and learns how to let go.
Read it: On a rainy day when you don’t have anywhere to go, preferably with some background music such as Lana Del Ray so it really gets you in the feels.
And then our hearts crashed back together again when Maia and Chris met in Something Like Gravity
Chris and Maia aren’t off to a great start. A near-fatal car accident first brings them together. Chris’s good intentions backfire. Maia’s temper gets the best of her. But they’re neighbours, at least for the summer, and despite their best efforts, they just can’t seem to stay away from each other. The path forward isn’t easy. Chris has come out as transgender, but he’s still processing a frightening assault he survived the year before. Maia is grieving the loss of her older sister and trying to find her place in the world without her. Falling in love was the last thing on either of their minds. But would it be so bad if it happened anyway?
Read it: Outside on a sunny day with a stack of other Amber Smith books, because if you’re like me, you’ll finish it in one sitting and immediately want to start another.
If you're still interested in finding out more about Amber Smith's YA books why don't you check out my review of The Last To Let Go.
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