She Used to Be Nice, Alexia LaFata
She Used to Be Nice, Alexia LaFata
List: $18.99 | Sale: $13.29
Club: $9.49

She Used to Be Nice

Author: Alexia LaFata

Narrator: Robyn Maryke

Unabridged: 10 hr 27 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/12/2025


Synopsis

A young woman must confront her abuser in this gripping debut novel sure to captivate fans of Sweetbitter and My Year of Rest and Relaxation.One night in college changed the course of Avery’s entire life. Her rapist took everything from her—including the trust of her friends and long-term boyfriend, who were convinced she cheated. A year later, she still can’t bear to tell the truth about what happened and risk her friendship with Morgan, the only friend she has left.Instead, Avery finds her way under a man or into a bottle just to convince herself that she has power over her feelings and her autonomy—that her body still belongs to her. That is, until she meets Pete, a man so kind and good that he awakens a part of Avery that makes her want to try something new.But somehow Avery’s rapist has resurfaced in her life as the best man in Morgan’s wedding. And as maid of honor, there’s no way Avery can avoid him. His mere presence grates at Avery’s already raw emotional state, and she begins to drive away the final few who care about her—including Pete.As the wedding nears, Avery must decide whether to finally let her walls down and tell her truth or risk spiraling toward a darkness she may never be able to recover from.Readers who seek out thought-provoking, character-driven stories and book club novels with strong discussion themes will love She Used to Be Nice.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Sandra on April 06, 2025

This book made for a compelling read, and I say that as someone who put the book down a number of times but had to keep coming back to it. There are so many women out there, me included, who can relate to SA in one form or another, and the struggle to be believed after the fact. This story tackles m......more

Goodreads review by Celeste on November 25, 2025

This is a story I believe far too many people will relate to, me included. This story follows Avery following the events of a life altering moment in college. Drunk, at a party with her boyfriend, and being nice to another guy at the party, he decides to rape her. Unfortunately, all her friends have......more

Goodreads review by Lee Ann on November 01, 2025

This story really hooked me and was hard to put down! It was enjoyable to read despite the difficult subject matter. The ending felt deeply satisfying.......more

Goodreads review by Ella on May 01, 2025

Avery I will defend ur honor until the day I die update: I was lucky enough to blurb this book!! Here's what I wrote as my endorsement: "How do you come of age as a young woman in New York City when PTSD keeps you trapped in the memory of the worst night of your life? Alexia LaFata’s She Used To Be N......more

Goodreads review by Lex on June 25, 2025

thank you NetGalley for the ARC to read! This story was very emotionally charged and deeply thought provoking. Going into this book I was expecting a more mysterious storyline, while this was not as "thriller-y" as I thought, I was still very interested in the story. This story follows Avery on her......more