Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

But also a frustrating listen, because the more you read and understand the characters, the more you understand the true tragedy framing the book. Truly, a spectacular listen, and highly recommended to see how well Amelia is crafted, as well as the rest of her world. Allow me to repeat that - this book is so flawlessly executed that I cannot love it, because it drives home the tragedy of the death of the titular character. And nothing will change that, which is the tragedy of the book, and makes the execution of the book so flawless. I cannot give the book five stars because I did not love it, because in the end - from the outset - the character that was the most beautiful, most captivating, most perfect in her imperfection is dead.

McCreight repeatedly uses the phrase from multiple perspectives that the world is a little darker for Amelia's death, and her writing backs that up demonstratively. The author did a fantastic job here, and it's ultimately why I can't give the book five stars. Amelia is so perfectly written, so captivating a character, that her death is more tragic for unraveling who she was. Why, then, am I only giving it four stars? Perhaps the most beautiful and most damning aspect of this novel is Amelia herself, who is perhaps more the protagonist than her mother who is trying to reconstruct the events surrounding Amelia's death. Most characters - the ones deepest to the narrative - are well fleshed out, and motives and methods are believable. The book is well written and uncommon in its approach and execution, and perhaps perfectly executed for the unusual blend of storytelling methods. An audiobook edition narrated by Khristine Hvam was released the following year through. 1 2 It was first published in hardback in the United States on April 2, 2013, through Harper and received a paperback release on December 3 of the same year. Then Kate receives an anonymous text saying simply: AMELIA DIDN'T JUMP.A unique and unusual mystery told through a combination of 'normal' third person POV as well as the various modern means of communication (text message, Facebook status) to unravel what really did happen to the titular character, Amelia. Reconstructing Amelia is the 2013 debut novel of American author Kimberly McCreight.

And so begins an investigation which takes her deep into Amelia's private world, into her journals, her email account and into the mind of a troubled young girl. A grieving Kate can't accept that her daughter would kill herself: it was just the two of them and Amelia would never leave her alone like this.

Her daughter has jumped off the roof of the school, apparently in shame of being caught. Torn between her head and her heart, she eventually arrives at St Grace's over an hour late, to be greeted by sirens wailing and ambulance lights blazing. Ever wondered what goes on inside your daughter's head? Stressed single mother and law partner Kate is in the meeting of her career when she is interrupted by a telephone call to say that her teenaged daughter Amelia has been suspended from her exclusive Brooklyn prep school for cheating on an exam.

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight