Reconstructing Amelia

[SarahAndFuck]

Mumsnet sent it to me (thank you) and I've just finished it.

Anyone else had a copy? What did you think?

I was a bit worried when I started it, that I wouldn't enjoy it but by the end I was quite gripped by wanting to know what happened that day at the school.

There were some things I found odd, like the way Kate was allowed to go about with the police officer and join in with the questioning.

And their was another issue to do with Amelia's father that I found a bit strange (but don't want to spoil).

I have almost finished this! I am loving it.

Glad you are enjoying it.

I read it very quickly once I got started.

I liked Amelia very much and I found that even though we only meet her after she has died, I was very much hoping it would all turn out to be a terrible mistake and we would find she was fine after all.

There were some bits that rang very true. Kate's mother, Gretchen, implying that Kate could now move on with the life Gretchen always wanted for her and suggesting it was the bright side to Amelia's death. I know people who would think that was a reasonable thing to say to a grieving parent.

Kate wanting to go back to work but not knowing what to do with herself once she got there. That sort of thing all felt very believable.

I found the police thing funny to.

Was slightly confused about the ending with Phill.

I also think it was a little odd that spoilers coming don't read anymore if you haven't read it

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All that build up had nothing to do with her death, really. I suspected murder and felt the ending was a bit of a let down.

too*

i liked it a lot
laughed at the stereotyping at YOOROPEANS

thought the rudey photos thing was a bit unlikely

let down by end

wrt the moving on thing - after all the bleating about work and kids i thought " HEY LADY no more whinging about your kid"
so yes i am going straight to hell

Also SPOILERS

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I did find that about the end as well Samu.

I was expecting murder, but then I think I preferred it to be the way it was.

I found the PTA woman very weird. Would someone seriously do all that, for a purpose I really couldn't figure out.

Okay, so both women had an affair with the same married man, and both women became pregnant. Why would you then have the one child stalk the other on your behalf, sixteen years later? What would you gain from that? And that man is not the only person in the world to have Waardenburg Syndrome, so it was quite a conclusion to jump to, work colleagues or not.

I know the whole club thing was a device by the author to get the two girls to the roof and have them argue, but it was a massive red herring in the end and after investing so much in it I did feel a bit "oh' when it turned out not to be what I thought it was. But now, actually, I'm glad and I do think it worked.

It was strange to me that the mother would be allowed to accompany the policeman everywhere and join in with the questions.

And I have never heard a teenage boy call anybody 'Luv' before.

But that said, I did get very caught up in wanting to know what happened to Amelia and hoped that by the end it would be a mistake, even though I knew it wasn't going to be. I do that a lot when I like a character, I want them to be alright even if I've read the book before and know they die in it

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.

Apple tree yard is way better

I haven't heard about that one, what's it about?

google - is ace

Oh, it does sound good, and I have read another book by the author.

oh rilly - which?

It was called Whatever You Love and I remember it as being a good one.

I've just finished it & was somewhat disappointed. I agree with Sarah about the PTA woman & I had figured out 'whodunnit' by half way through. But the thing I though it most lacked was any characterisation - I just felt that all the persona were empty shells. Too contrived by half for me.

PS Have just bought Whatever you love - only £1.39 on kindle. Will let you know what I think of it.

oh i have it on my kindle dead daughter?