The Girl I Used to Be is one those books that doesn't blow you away, but it is a nice, pleasant read (as much as a murder mystery can be). The somewhat sensitive topic of Ariel/Olivia's parents' murder is discussed without unnecessary gore, making this appropriate for my junior high audience. There's also a smattering of romance, which somehow keeps this murder mystery a bit more light-hearted than April Henry's other books I've read. Although I knew the killer could come for Ariel/Olivia, I didn't feel too worried about it, which is why I gave this book four stars instead of five. The tension just didn't reach me like it did in Girl, Stolen. I liked the main character well enough, but I didn't care about any of the others except for Nora, and maybe a little for Benjy. This book would have benefited from about 20-50 more pages of character building spaced throughout, in my opinion. Still, it's a fun and enjoyable read overall. It's definitely worth picking up.