Review: Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

the lowdown
Amelia is a 15 year old attending Grace Hall in Brooklyn. Her mother, Kate, is a litigation lawyer in a Manhattan law firm. When Grace Hall calls Kate one afternoon to tell her Amelia has been suspended and Kate promptly heads to the school. Once she arrives she is given horrible news: Amelia has jumped from the roof and died. Kate goes on a journey to figure out what lead Amelia to jump from the roof, but instead figures out its not the truth. She is told that Amelia didn't jump. Kate tries to figure out what happened to Amelia on that day and piece together the life Amelia had that Kate never knew about.

This book is amazing! I have read a few page turners in the past, but this one is on the top my list. I found out about the book when it was mentioned in an article a few months back. Afterwards, I was on the hunt to find it and read it. I am so glad I did. This mystery kept me on the edge of my seat and I always wanted to know what happened next. Reconstructing Amelia is not a book you want to start before bed because you will want to finish it that night. If Gone Girl is a book that you loved, then this needs to be your next read. It keeps you hooked and interested, right from the start. Kimberly McCreight outdid herself in this novel.

the good

• The writing of this book kept me hooked. I wanted to know what was next, who was involved, what would happen. It was a need by the end. I loved how interesting she made it and how it was told. Having many points of view on the same moment helped get perspective and it really shaped the book.
• Being able to tap into a teenager's mind the way she does in the book is amazing. Usually it's simple and straightforward, but in the book, she takes it a step forward and has her mother figure out all her secrets and put the pieces together to solve the mystery that is her daughter. Tapping into this new territory is great and gives McCreight a leverage over other psychological thriller authors. 
• The storyline and being able to visualize all the people, the school, and the actions was amazing. McCreight gave life to this book with her vivid details and it made me want to be in the book and experience it through another one of the characters. It was as if a real life mystery was unraveling before my very eyes.

the bad

• The way it keeps flipping between points of view can be confusing if you aren't quite paying attention to the chapter liners. I had some difficulty at the beginning, but as the story developed it was easier and so much more insightful when it switched points of view.
• Some of the context was a bit more R than PG but it all flowed and made sense as to where the storyline was headed. Its not as bad as other novels out there, but this is one flaw that could have been left out and it would not have been missed. 

the quote
"Sometimes its hard to tell how fast the current's moving until you're headed over a waterfall."

skip it/borrow it/buy it
 In my opinion, if you cannot already tell, buy it! It needs to be part of your book collection if you love Gillian Flynn. This novel keeps you on your toes and it won't disappoint.

overall score:9/10

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