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The Me I Used to Be

A Novel

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The Me I Used to Be

By: Kristan Higgins
Narrated by: Xe Sands, Laura Jennings, Natalie Naudus, Eva Kaminsky
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At their twenty-fifth high school reunion, four former best friends discover that growing up is way messier than anticipated—and the past isn’t nearly as finished as they thought.

Back in senior year, Audrey, Micah, Jasmine and Beck were the Core Four: the lucky one, the beautiful one, the smart one, the sporty one. They had color-coded dreams, inside jokes and a lifelong friendship they thought would last forever. But graduation night ended in a tragic accident, followed by the kind of silence that stretches for decades.

Now, they’ve returned for their reunion, each carrying a life that looks nothing like the glossy future they imagined. There are stalled careers, complicated marriages, outspoken adult children and secrets that never fit into holiday cards. For one of them, a diagnosis of early-onset dementia turns the weekend into a ticking clock.

Across one unforgettable weekend, the Core Four must decide if their past can still change their future together.

©2026 by Kristan Higgins. (P)2026 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.
Friendship Genre Fiction Small Town & Rural
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Critic reviews

The Me I Used to Be is a two-tissue-box read (possibly three, just to be safe), but it’s not a tearjerker—there’s nothing gimmicky about it. This book confronts the complexities of friendship and love and ambition with honesty and heart as the characters learn to do the same. Required reading for everyone in midlife trying to make sense of where they are and where they want to be.”—Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author

“A restorative, redemptive, heartbreakingly beautiful story about life, love and the power of female friendship. I loved it.”—Paige Toon, international bestselling author of Don’t Fall in Love with Me

“A heart-wrenching, hugely entertaining and hopeful read! Kristan Higgins expertly navigates the messy, beautiful complexities of lifelong friendship and the enduring power of the past. Every reader will recognize the ‘Core Four’—Audrey, Micah, Jasmine and Beck—as they reunite twenty-five years after a shocking tragedy tore them apart. During their achingly nostalgic reunion weekend in an idyllic setting, the layers are peeled back to reveal secrets, regrets and the enduring bonds that once held them together. Higgins’s writing is sharp and tender, capturing the evolution of these four women with depth and humanity. She gives us a poignant exploration of how we lose ourselves and, more importantly, how we find our way back through the grace of acceptance and the people who truly know us. A must-read for anyone who has ever wondered about the road not taken, this is a story to be shared and savored.”—Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author of Wayward Girls

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