Looking for an unforgettable collection of books like The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith? As an award-winning author and veteran blogger for YA books, I’ve spent over a decade reading, analyzing, and recommending the most emotionally honest stories about difficult topics, such as sexual assault and self-harm.
You’ll find detailed reviews of more than a dozen favorites in the roundup below. These characters, their stories, their strength, and their scars are beautiful and inspiring. I’m confident you’ll find something new to read for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. These stories are disturbing, explicit, difficult to read, terrible—and important.
Trigger Warning: This blog includes references to sexual violence. Victims may find some of the book recommendations disturbing, explicit, and difficult to read. If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, visit RAINN.
The Cutting Edge of Friendship by Khristina Chess
“Sometimes my inside hurts so bad that I need to make the outside hurt worse so the inside will stop.” ― Khristina Chess, quote from The Cutting Edge of Friendship
Absolutely gripping! For readers drawn to the emotional and physical scars of Amber Smith’s popular novel, The Cutting Edge of Friendship is for you. This realistic novel explores the wounds of self-harm, shame, and redemption following a sexual assault. I found Sadie’s resilience to be fierce and unforgettable, and the book’s raw, unfiltered pain hit me hard.
From the very first page, it’s clear that although Sadie and Elana have always shared everything, now they’re keeping secrets that could destroy them. On the night of the fireworks, something terrible happened to Sadie—something she can’t even name. Instead, she turns to cutting to help her cope.
But Elana has secrets too. She’s been texting Hunter, making plans to meet in secret, and never questioning why he insists on hiding their relationship.
As their lives spiral deeper into danger, Sadie must find the strength to fight back—not just for herself, but for Elana—before a predator can strike again.
What made The Cutting Edge of Friendship truly unforgettable for me was how this novel didn’t shy away from the truth—it revealed, with painful honesty, how self-harm can become a desperate response to trauma.
If you’re searching for more great books like The Way I Used to Be, I wholeheartedly recommend this poignant book about sexual assault and the trust involved in sharing our truest selves.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
“Murderers are not monsters, they're men. And that's the most frightening thing about them.” ― Alice Sebold, quote from The Lovely Bones
Susie Salmon is dead.
She was raped and murdered in a most gruesome fashion by a most gruesome man, and now she exists in an afterlife, observing her family and her killer.
The story is a bit disorienting, but I think that’s kind of the point. Most of the novel is about Susie’s struggle to come to terms with the fact that she’s dead and move on. The “why?” questions haunt her. Her family and former life haunts her. The desire for justice and vengeance haunts her.
It’s the disquiet that comes when a young person dies tragically, suddenly, whether or not by foul means. There is a profound unfairness. The soul cries out.
I definitely recommend The Lovely Bones for readers looking for books similar to The Way I Used to Be. Alice Sebold is also well-known for her harrowing, heartbreaking, and controversial memoir, Lucky, about her own rape.
Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
“You get away with a lot, even after you're caught.” ― Courtney Summers, quote from Cracked Up to Be
Parker Fadley has a secret.
She used to be the captain of the cheerleading team, top student, queen B, perfect at everything, but something happened. Something she never told.
By the time we meet Parker, we’re in the middle of her “after,” when she’s busy wrecking her perfect life and torturing herself, so it takes a while to understand how deep this secret really goes.
It’s not what you think.
It’s worse.
If you’re looking for an irresistible protagonist who is mean, unsympathetic, and yet strangely someone you want to hug—someone like Eden in The Way I Used to Be—this is the book for you. You won’t be able to stop until the final page.
Wonder When You’ll Miss Me by Amanda Davis
“I'd lost forty-eight pounds and my skin had mostly cleared up. I'd missed a whole semester of school and disappeared for seven months. It seemed like no one had even noticed I was gone.” ― Amanda Davis, quote from Wonder When You’ll Miss Me
In Wonder When You’ll Miss Me, sixteen-year-old Faith Duckle still talks to The Fat Girl. She sees her too. Usually The Fat Girl is eating something and offering snarky commentary or advice. Sometimes Faith tells her to go away. Sometimes she listens to her.
Faith was sexually assaulted by a group of boys who made sport of her as the fat girl, and then she tried to kill herself. Then she ended up in a hospital, where she lost the weight but not The Fat Girl. She’s still hanging around.
This is the beginning of the story.
The real story is Faith’s journey when she runs away to join the circus, takes a new name, gets a tattoo, and becomes a handler of elephants. The real story is how Faith and The Fat Girl found healing after such a terrible event.
I loved this book when I read it twenty years ago, and I love it still.
Amanda Davis was a gifted author who sadly died in a small plane crash at the age of 32. Wonder When You’ll Miss Me was her only novel.
If you’re looking for a hidden gem YA book about sexual assault that focuses on resilience and recovery, be sure to check this one out. Fans of books like The Way I Used to Be will enjoy this.
Scars by Cheryl Rainfield
“Other times, I look at my scars and see something else: a girl who was trying to cope with something horrible that she should never have had to live through at all. My scars show pain and suffering, but they also show my will to survive. They're part of my history that'll always be there.” ― Cheryl Rainfield, quote from Scars
Wow! What a powerful, thrilling, emotional, heartbreaking book. Scars packs a real punch, touching on multiple tough topics, including cutting, sexual abuse, and relationships. Kendra was raped at a very young age by a man whose face she cannot remember. The story opens with her in therapy with a counselor who is helping her to cope with the painful memories that have started to surface, but the plot accelerates quickly as Kendra feels her abuser is stalking her. She copes with her pain through self-harming and also in her art, which is both beautiful and darkly disturbing. Descriptions of her art in this book are very vivid.
The revelation of her abuser is both a shock and a non-shock, and I was rooting for her to confront him and find a path to justice and healing. Scars is a great read about rape and the way victims cope with trauma if you’re looking for books similar to The Way I Used to Be..
Drive to June by Khristina Chess
“You do realize that a car is a mobile make-out location, right?” ― Khristina Chess, quote from Drive to June
What kind of girl drinks after a drunk driver kills her mom?
Sixteen months ago, Adrianna lost her mother. Since then, she’s been drowning her grief—one bottle at a time. With her father always away and her sister off at college, no one notices she’s slowly draining the wine collection and numbing herself to avoid an awful secret.
Now, she can’t quit.
Then one evening, a pizza delivery boy finds her crying on the roof of her house and offers to teach her how to drive—and somehow, that changes everything.
What a ride! Drive to June grabbed me from the start and never let go. It’s more than a story about alcohol abuse—it’s funny, romantic, and deeply emotional. I loved the undeniable chemistry between Adrianna and Ian.
What stood out for me is the beautiful way Khristina Chess portrays Adrianna’s sorrow, bereavement, loneliness, and guilt about the accident that changed everyone’s lives. Although not a novel about sexual assault, I’ve included Drive to June in this list of books like The Way I Used to Be because of the way Adrianna copes with trauma through alcohol abuse—similar to the way Eden does.
Room by Emma Donoghue
“Scared is what you're feeling. Brave is what you're doing.” ― Emma Donoghue, quote from Room
Room is a story told by Jack, a 5-year-old boy who lives in “room.” In some ways his teen mother is a secondary character, a 19-year-old girl who has been kidnapped, imprisoned for years, and serially raped by her jailer until she gave birth to Jack. She is a fiercely protective mother, loving, courageous, and resilient in the face of incredible hardship and danger.
I couldn’t put this book down. It was a very compelling read with an intriguing and unusual narrator, and although Ma never has a choice about her pregnancy (she’s kidnapped and raped for years, remember), she does have a choice on how she raises her son under these horrific circumstances.
Their journey is unforgettable.
Read this book. Think about Ma’s story, not just Jack.
Some Boys by Patty Blount
“Brave. The word hangs in the air for a moment and then falls away, almost like it even knows it has no business being used to describe me.” ― Patty Blount, quote from Some Boys
In this book, Grace was raped by the “golden boy” student and star athlete at their school named Zac, and she does speak. But no one believes her. Instead she is bullied and ostracized for daring to accuse the prince of such a heinous crime.
Zac’s best friend is Ian. Although he has a major crush on Grace, he no longer feels he can follow-through on that because the whole school is slut-shaming her.
Grace sets on a plan to prove to everyone that Zac isn’t the perfect son everyone believes him to be, and she’s the kind of fighter to make that happen. Instead of a depressed and withdrawn rape survivor, this character is a middle-finger-in-your-face girl who goes after her rapist despite nearly everyone being against her.
This YA book about rape and rape culture shines a light on how girls are labeled by how they dress or act—and how that can influence whether or not she is believed after a sexual assault. If you are looking for books similar to The Way I Used to Be and its angry, tough main character Eden, this story will resonate with you.
Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake
“This. This is why I never said anything. Because no one ever believes the girl.” ― Ashley Herring Blake, quote from Girl Made of Stars
Mara and her twin brother Owen are as close as any fraternal twins can be. So when Owen says he is innocent and never raped his girlfriend, Mara is faced with a difficult decision. She’s friends with the victim. Who is telling the truth? Her brother, who she knows as well as she knows herself, or the girl?
In addition to Mara’s confusion about her twin brother’s role as an accused rapist, she’s also dealing with her own sexual identity and relationship with her best friend, a girl named Charlie. Her parents pressure her to support her brother, but why would the victim lie? And in wrestling with these conflicts, Mara can no longer ignore a secret trauma from her own past and what happened to her.
I felt that this YA book about rape and sexual assault tried to address so many issues that it felt a bit overwhelming at times. Yet the author handles the emotional issues about sexual assault in a beautiful, heartbreaking, and important way.
Fans of Amber Smith’s The Way I Used to Be will relate to this powerful YA book about rape, consent, teen relationships, and sexual identity.
All the Rage by Courtney Summers
"What a stupid thing it is, to care about a girl." ― Courtney Summers, quote from All the Rage
All the Rage tells the story of a girl who was raped at a party by a boy she thought was beautiful. And then, she loses her best friend for telling about it. And everyone in the school begins bullying her about it. And she ends up at another party in the same situation, only this time her ex-best friend turns up missing.
The plot alternates between bewildering and breathtaking. Who was the assailant? What happened to Penny? Will there be justice? Is the girl going to be okay?
I felt sorry for Romy because of what happened to her and what continued to happen as she suffered bullying by the other girls. At times, she is a difficult protagonist to embrace because she's a person in deep pain. She's not always nice. She doesn't make good decisions. She hurts kind people who care about her.
Although this is a fast read, the ending wasn't what I expected or hoped in a YA book about rape. I felt things remained unresolved. Still, if you liked The Way I Used to Be and you're looking for an emotional roller coaster about rape, victim blaming, and bullying, All the Rage is definitely worth checking out.
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
“When people don't express themselves, they die one piece at a time.” ― Laurie Halse Anderson, quote from Speak
Just before beginning high school, Melinda Sordino is raped at a party, and as a result of this experience, she can’t speak. Everyone hates her at school. Her parents aren’t very supportive. She feels alone, depressed, powerless, and unsafe everywhere except in art class.
When her friend starts a relationship with her rapist, Melinda speaks.
This is an important YA book about rape and sexual assault shows how victims feel silenced by their assailant and how speaking out can liberate. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for books like The Way I Used to Be. In fact, all of Laurie Halse Anderson’s novels deal with difficult issues, including anorexia and self-harm. Be sure to check out her other titles too.
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
Three life lessons:
1. No one will see you.
2. No one will say anything.
3. No one will save you. ― Elizabeth Scott, quote from Living Dead Girl
This teen & young adult sexual abuse book was one of the most shocking novels I’ve ever read.
Fifteen-year-old Alice is the kidnapping victim of a pedophile named Ray who took her at age ten. This haunting, horrifying, graphic, disturbing, and tragic book is about so much more than child rape, although that certainly happens. This novel shows how a person—a child—can lose their self-worth and believe their captor’s lies.
How someone can lose their own humanity.
This thin novel was a fast read, but Alice and her story have stayed with me long after I finished. It’s her voice. In her unflinching viewpoint, Alice shows us what can happen to children who are taken and never found. She challenges us to look more closely at the people around us. To notice.
Pay attention. Speak out.
Because the monsters prey on the mute.
For books similar to The Way I Used to Be, this one is worth a look.
The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis
"I am vengeance."― Mindy McGinnis, quote from The Female of the Species
Female of the Species is a YA book about rape, murder, and revenge that stayed with me for a long time.
I loved this book. Alex Craft is a unique female protagonist, and I had a hard time pinning her down. Sometimes I wanted to label her as a psychopath / sociopath based on her actions and reactions to things, but I don't think that's right.
She is a criminal. It's easy to forget that about her because she makes friends, takes care of kittens, shows compassion to other kids, and falls in love. But she also kills people. So there's that.
This was my third Mindy McGinnis novel, and I'm hooked on her. She writes compelling stories and tough, unflinching characters, and she’s one of the top authors in my list of the Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited.
Fans of The Way I Used to Be will definitely like this one.
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
“To be groomed is to be loved and handled like a precious, delicate thing.” ― Kate Elizabeth Russell, quote from My Dark Vanessa
What a deeply disturbing book. I wondered what made 15-year-old Vanessa so malleable to Strane's grooming and manipulation. It seemed like more than just being a lonely kid in search of approval. Her confusion about what was happening in the early days of the relationship was clear. Did she imagine that? Was it real? And then, the first sexual encounter with them was so horrible. Even in that moment of being raped, she was confused and tried to explain what was happening to her.
It was sad that the adult Vanessa was so messed up. She couldn't break free of him and what he did to her. She even seemed bent on repeating the cycle with another teacher, and I'm not sure I really believe the hopeful notes at the end of the story. I'm not sure Vanessa will ever recover from Strane.
Also, I was confused about what actually happened with the other girls. Was Vanessa really the only one who was raped by Strane, or was that just something she told herself?
I know this review is all over the place, but it's a fitting reflection of this book. If you enjoyed The Way I Used to Be, this novel will also strike a chord.
Bonus Round: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
“It’s an unimaginative accusation and one that I am frankly tired of hearing. Witchcraft. As though there is no other explanation for a woman who excels at her work.”― Ariel Lawhon, quote from The Frozen River
What a wonderful book! Historical fiction isn't my usual genre, but the cover and the accolades for "The Frozen River" made me give it a try.
On a high level, this mystery is about a midwife named Martha Ballard. The body of an accused rapist is found frozen in the river, and after examination, Martha says that the victim was murdered. She becomes a key witness in a trial for the woman who was raped because she treated the woman's wounds after the assault. The other accused man is a judge.
This novel has many layers. Beyond the mystery, there is the social commentary on women, family, sexual assault, and society during early days of America in New England. Paul Revere is mentioned as a friend of the family. The author depicts a rich setting of cold winter, warm homes and hearts, young love and pre-marital relationships, and the early court system. I couldn't put it down.
Although not a YA book, this historical mystery delves deep into rape and how women in the 1800s were treated by the court system about their accusations.
Other YA Books You’ll Enjoy If You Liked The Way I Used to Be
If you are looking other YA books you’ll enjoy if you liked The Way I Used to Be, check out the Books Similar to The Way I Used to Be, Young Adult Books about Rape & Sexual Abuse (331 books), and Rape Book Lists on Goodreads.
You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which lists other reviews of YA contemporary books about tough topics for teens.
About the Author: Khristina Chess
Khristina Chess is an award-winning author of more than a dozen young adult novels, including The Cutting Edge of Friendship, The Delinquent Hero, and Junior Missing. Her novel about eating disorders, Hollow Beauty, was named a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. She tackles tough teen topics and writes binge-worthy books across multiple genres, including contemporary, thriller, mystery, dystopian, and adventure.
