Reconstructing Amelia

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sum it up in a sentence (or two): In the aftermath of Amelia's death, her mother, Kate, must reconcile with her past to reconstruct the last few days of her daughter's life. Told from Kate's point-of-view in the present and Amelia's in the days leading up to her death.

First thoughts: I both struggled and raced through this mystery thriller - the red herrings, twists and turns, cliffhangers, and sketchy characters kept me reading while the similarities of Kate and Amelia to my boss and her daughter gave me pause.

Whodunnit: I changed my mind on trusted characters versus suspects almost page by page. [Spoiler-y Examples] Ben went from an innocent friend to slightly too involved to way to mysterious to not be up to something. Liv went from helpful to a bit too chummy to unprofessional.

High School Drama: I had a hard time believing some of the interactions between Amelia and her "friends" (and mom). While some where realistic to the point of annoyance, others had me shaking my head in doubt.

Recommended for: mystery/crime lovers, voracious readers, NOT parents of teenagers/high schoolers.

Final thoughts: [Spoiler!] Uff. So many "guilty" parties...and this whole thing is an accident/caused by the best friend? Heart-wrenching. The ending/knowing the truth is still sad - the closure isn't comforting.


View all my reviews