As with the majority of books I've read this year, I utilized the audiobook format. This is definitely a book that would have served me better had I read it in a traditional print format. *Please note, that is not meant to imply anything negative towards the performance of the narrator, Khristine Hvam. Ms. Hvam’s performance was spectacular as she brought the characters to life and gave them unique personalities. The use of numerous text messages, Facebook posts, and blog entries mixed in with the alternating perspectives of Amelia and her mother, Kate, (pre-death, sometimes going all the way back to 1997, and post-death) made the storyline sometimes hard to follow. I rewound the book numerous times.
This is the second book I have read this summer that focuses on “mean girls.” Despite being a work of fiction, the behaviors of these girls absolutely infuriated me and scared me. (Kudos to the author for eliciting such strong emotions in me!) I am so glad that I did not have to deal with mean girls as a teenager. I'm also glad that I didn’t have to navigate the difficult and perilous waters of "teenagedom” with the ever-abundant access to technology and social media that teens have access to today. When my generation did something stupid, as most teenagers inevitably do, the act wasn’t digitally recorded, documented, and mass distributed like those acts can be today.
Overall, I thought the book was average. I loved the premise of piecing together Amelia’s life through the cyber artifacts she left behind. It story was intriguing enough to grab my attention and keep it throughout. The plot started out great; it was simple, yet focused. By the end, however, it became a twisted, convoluted mess that was a bit far fetched in my opinion.
I would definitely recommend this book to parents of teenagers. It really illustrates how naive parents can be when it comes to the dangers of technology and the horrific consequences of teenage bad choices.
I gave Reconstructing Amelia a rating of ★★★.
Have you read Reconstructing Amelia? If so, what do you think about it? I would love to hear your thoughts.
As always, thanks for stopping by!
My rating system:
★★★★★ = Awesome! Good chance I own a print copy!
★★★★ = Very good.
★★★ = Good.
★★ = Not good. I finished it, but did not like.
★ = Absolutely loathed it! I may not have even finished it.
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