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Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

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MNHQ

Book giveaway this week: Reconstructing Amelia

25 replies

LaraMumsnet · 04/07/2013 11:57

Kimberly McCreight's 'Reconstructing Amelia' is a gripping page turner packed with twists and turns. Single mother and lawyer Kate Baron is set to take her career to the next level when her world is turned upside down by the suicide of her daughter, Amelia. Struck with grief, Kate begins to investigate Amelia's troubled private life. The more she discovers, the more questions are raised. Did Amelia really commit suicide or was she killed?

Apply for a free copy here. If you are selected to receive a copy we do expect you to come back, and post your review/ discuss the book with other mumsnetters on this thread.

OP posts:

AnonYonimousBird · 08/07/2013 13:00

Have signed up, but I am a bit late, so suspect I have missed the boat ...

BOF · 08/07/2013 13:08

I've just read it on kindle- brilliant page turner.

mummyto2boys01 · 09/07/2013 23:38

Have applied for a copy. Sounds like a fantastic book - would love to read it.

SisterMatic · 10/07/2013 10:41

Would love to read this one too

SisterMatic · 18/07/2013 11:57

Was a pleasant surprise to have my copy arrive this morning, I hadn't received an email. Thankyou, I will be back to review!

countingto10 · 18/07/2013 14:21

I had a lovely surprise too! Thank you very much .

Will be back to review ASAP

weathermum · 18/07/2013 17:26

many thanks for the book I have just started reading it will let you know how I get on

SisterMatic · 19/07/2013 12:50

Ok here are my thoughts-

I liked this book. I found it a little slow to begin with, I struggled at first but then it took off and was a gripping read.

I liked the way it was written, in both Kate and Amelia's voices, showing texts, emails and social networking. I feel it made me as the reader feel more involved, seeing what Kate was seeing.

As for the twists and turns..wow.. you think you have uncovered one mystery then the rug gets pulled from underneath you! I must admit I changed suspect quite regularly!

I am worried about revealing too much, but I enjoyed the issues addressed in this book, I think they were dealt with well, especially the sorority situation.

On the whole I enjoyed this book, I stayed up til quite late to finish it suffice to say it got more unputdownable (not a word but hey!) as the story unravelled.

Thank you to the publishers and MN for my copy.

cavylover · 20/07/2013 15:26

I read this book in just over a day and it proved to be a real page-turner. It was a gripping story of the relationship between a single mother and her teenage daughter against the background of her daughter's death. The text was highly descriptive and evocative of the mother's emotions ad I could easily imagine this book being turned into a film/drama.

Many thanks for the chance to review this excellent book.

SisterMatic · 20/07/2013 15:33

I agree this could be a drama, I would definitely watch it if one was made.

sillylily · 22/07/2013 08:33

It has just arrived, thank you. The first few pages have been horrible. I don't usually mind gruesome so I'm not sure why I am being so squeamish about this. It gets a good write up by those of you who have actually read the whole thing so I will carry on and let you know how I manage.

clux73 · 22/07/2013 21:07

Thank you for this book. I read it over the weekend and really enjoyed it. I empathised with both Amelia and her mum as more and more layers of the story were revealed, more secrets and lies from almost every character. I agree that this would make a great drama series/film.

NoWomanNoCry · 23/07/2013 12:27

Thank you for the free copy. This book looks really good and am planning to read it next. Will post a review when done.

MumnGran · 23/07/2013 12:34

Whoops - posted mine on another thread called "Re-constructing Amelia"!! Sorry, I thought was the right one! Are you able to move the post, Lara?

MumnGran · 23/07/2013 23:42

cc'd from 'other' thread

I was very pleased to receive my copy, and settled down to make the most of the good weather with a good story!
It is not really the fault of the book that I didn't enjoy it.
The author is clearly talented, but I have never liked the device of flitting from perspective to perspective, so found the various text exchanges etc stopped me fully engaging with the story.
I also didn't find any of the characters particularly engaging.
Eventually, it felt the story was very contrived - so I committed the cardinal sin, and skipped to reading the end.

I have passed the book to my daughter, and hope I may be able to offer a more positive spin from her report.

NoWomanNoCry · 26/07/2013 11:01

Thank you for the free copy. A good psychological thriller with a few twists and turns. Overall an interesting and moving read and is a definite recommendation.

SunshinePanda · 26/07/2013 21:51

I found this book both fascinating and disturbing at the same time. I thought the twists and turns effectively added to the tension. As my DD is the same age, I think it has probably made even more of an impression on me. I would recommend it to some of my friends, especially if they are fans of Gone Girl and other such novels in this genre. Thanks for my copy.

AnonYonimousBird · 29/07/2013 13:07

Oo, my copy arrived whilst I was away. Sorry, I am probably a bit behind, but really looking forward to reading it soon. Thanks very much

sillylily · 02/08/2013 10:39

I finished it. A very clever book. Complicated structure of Kate's and Amelia's voices at different times which required concentration but I kept reading to find out what happened. I found the whole story rather disturbing. Not my cup of tea.

littlewifey · 02/08/2013 16:26

Absolutely l

littlewifey · 02/08/2013 16:27

Absolutely loved this as it kept me guessing until the very end! Would def recommend and have passed my copy on to a friend. Thanks Mumsnet!

countingto10 · 05/08/2013 14:42

Just finished it. Like a previous poster, found it a little hard to get into to begin with, getting use to the switching between the mother's and daughter's story but the twists and turns made it a real page turner in the end and kept me guessing to the final pages.

An unsettling story in many ways but I recommend it.

My copy is about to start the rounds of family and friends.

Thanks again.

VirtuallyThere · 09/08/2013 17:52

Thanks very much for the book, this was one I really wanted to read and very much enjoyed it. I thought it was a good thriller with various twists and turns and my heart went out to Kate who was trying to juggle everything to give the best to her daughter only to have it snatched away. Without trying to give away the story the only bit that really confused me was the author of the newsletter - what on earth was the motive of them doing it in the first place? Also I had to presume that it was fear that meant that the person who revealed a lot didn't do so in the first place. Very recommended.

AnonYonimousBird · 20/08/2013 10:01

I'm a third of the way through, and so have not read other posts in any detail to avoid spoilers! But I did want to say I think it is great so far, really enjoying it. Will post back when I am done.

Thanks MN.

AnonYonimousBird · 20/08/2013 18:52

Well, that didn't take long! Devoured it today, which in itself tells you something. I was desperate to see how it unravelled/turned out and some of it surprised me, some did not.

Anyway, not the best, but certainly a page turner and a bit different from anything else I've read in terms of the core subject matter.

3.5 out of 5 from me.

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