Bookanista: Reconstructing Amelia

I picked up this book at RWA in the spring. Didn't think anything about it until a friend starting talking about it and compared it to Gone Girl.

Sold.

This is a little different of a book - since it is technically adult - but it is about a teen's angst and partly from a teen POV so I decided to try it. 

This book was so good, I wanted to talk about it. I loved it! 

I will say there was one subplot that felt a little forced, but it didn't ruin the book for me. It is told in alternating view points of Kate (the mom's) present day investigation and Amelia's POV in past tense (the 15 year old) time leading up to the event of her death. It's also told using emails, text messages, and Facebook statuses so its very technology focused which is different and really worked.

Below I listed my top 10 things about this book! But first what it's about.

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

A stunning debut novel in which a single mother reconstructs her teenaged daughter's life, sifting through her emails, texts, and social media to piece together the shocking truth about the last days of her life.

Litigation lawyer and harried single mother Kate Baron is stunned when her daughter's exclusive private school in Park Slope, Brooklyn, calls with disturbing news: her intelligent, high-achieving fifteen-year-old daughter, Amelia, has been caught cheating.

Kate can't believe that Amelia, an ambitious, levelheaded girl who's never been in trouble would do something like that. But by the time she arrives at Grace Hall, Kate's faced with far more devastating news. Amelia is dead. 

Seemingly unable to cope with what she'd done, a despondent Amelia has jumped from the school's roof in an act of "spontaneous" suicide. At least that's the story Grace Hall and the police tell Kate. And overwhelmed as she is by her own guilt and shattered by grief, it is the story that Kate believes until she gets the anonymous text: 

"She didn't jump."

Sifting through Amelia's emails, text messages, social media postings, and cell phone logs, Kate is determined to learn the heartbreaking truth about why Amelia was on Grace Hall's roof that day-and why she died.

Told in alternating voices, Reconstructing Amelia is a story of secrets and lies, of love and betrayal, of trusted friends and vicious bullies. It's about how well a parent ever really knows a child and how far one mother will go to vindicate the memory of a daughter whose life she could not save

Top 10 things:

1) I felt this mom's pain. It was heart wrenching. Find out out a teen is dead has to be horrible for any mom. Especially a single mom.
2) The bond between mom and daughter is special. This mom did everything right yet there was still a break down. I think this portrayed a real relationship.
3) It was very Gone Girl meets Pretty Little Liars. And I love both of those.
4) This book is a about how small secrets can grow into bigger problems. They can sneak up on you and fester slowly.
5) If i learned one thing it is : that quality is better than quantity. The quality is the emotional connection while the quantity is only physical.
6) It brings to light the issue of bullies. That they can be girls and they can be cruel. 
7) It touched me how a young beautiful smart girl who had everything going for her could still get pulled in the wrong direction
8) It was a page turner because I needed to know what happened - like Kate. The desperation bled off the pages into my heart.
9) It made me think about how important we think work is until something tragic happens and then it all doesn't seem worth it in the end.
10) The writing was beautiful. It was different

Pick this one up if you want a break from traditional YA books!

For other Bookanista books:

• Lenore Appelhans showers praise for HALF LIVES by Sara Grant
• Shari Arnold gushes about HYSTERIA by Megan Miranda
• Shannon Messenger adores THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US by Kasie West
• Tracey Neithercott is mad for EARTHBOUND by Aprilynne Pike
• Kimberly Sabatini dishes about ROSE UNDER FIRE by Elizabeth Wein
• Katy Upperman can't get enough of AUDREY, WAIT! by Robin Benway

Bookanista Cover Love: Faking Normal by Courtney Stevens

Today is the special cover reveal of Courtney Stevens, Faking Normal:

Alexi Littrell hasn’t told anyone what happened to her over the summer. Ashamed and embarrassed, she hides in her closet and compulsively scratches the back of her neck, trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does. 

At school, nobody sees the scratches or her pain. The only person she connects with is the mysterious Captain Lyric, who writes song lyrics on her fourth-period desk for her to complete. 

With pencil marks and music, Alexi carves out a comfortable space for herself as she and the Captain finish each other’s songs – words on a desk feel safer than words spoken aloud. 

But when Bodee Lennox, the quiet and awkward boy next door, comes to live with the Littrells, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend who understands her better than anyone. He has secrets of his own and knows all about suffering in silence. 

As they lean on each other for support, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her find the courage to finally speak up. 

Love this cover!

1) I hear the cover in real life ia A-Maz-ING with tons of special and sparkly stuff. :)
2) I love this girl. Red head with freckles. Not the normal gal you see on covers. 
3) Creates some mystery - I want to know 'what's up with the trees?'

Faking Normal will be released from HarperTeen on February 25, 2014. (earlier than the date listed on Amazon, woot woot!)

You can add Faking Normal to your Goodreads shelf and/or pre-order Faking Normal on Amazon.

Cover Reveal Contest: 


A few deets on the prize package! The winner receives: 

 - A signed ARC of Faking Normal 
 - A hand-painted cover rock by Courtney 
 - Signed postcard 
 - Silicone “Channel Your Brave” bracelet 

Since hand-painted cover rock isn’t usual book swag, you might want a little background. In Courtney's family, they paint rocks for significant events. (how cute is that?)

And, the bottom of the rock contains a sneak peek spolier!

Enter by filling out the Rafflecopter below. (U.S. only. Giveaway ends July 8, 2013.) 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway 

About the author:

Courtney C. Stevens grew up in Kentucky and lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She is an adjunct professor and a former youth minister. Her other skills include playing hide-and-seek, climbing trees, and being an Olympic torch bearer. Faking Normal is her first novel.

You can find Courtney here: Email – channelingbrave@gmail.com Twitter Tumblr Facebook 






Other Bookanista Posts include

Lenore Appelhans is bewitched by CHARM AND STRANGE by Stephanie Kuehn

Stasia Ward Kehoe delves into DANCER, DAUGHTER, TRAITOR, SPY by Elizabeth Kiem

Elana Johnson and Nikki Katz adore THIS IS W.A.R. by Lisa & Laura Roecker

Gretchen McNeil  is wowed by THE WIG IN THE WINDOW by Kristen Kittscher

Katy Upperman praises WORST CASE OF PASKETTI-ITIS by Kris Asselin

Bookanista Thursday

Here are some Bookanista Recs for this week :)

Shari Arnold marvels at THE MOON AND MORE by Saran Dessen

Tracy Banghart is thrilled by 3:59 by Gretchen McNeil

Christine Fonseca shivers over SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi

Carrie Harris and Elana Johnson reveal the cover of SALLY SLICK & THE STEEL SYNDICATE by Carrie Harris

Corrine Jackson is nuts for AU REVOIR, CRAZY EUROPEAN CHICK by Joe Schreiber

Jessica Love joins the BY BLOOD by Tracy Banghart book blitz – with giveaway

Shannon Messenger  raves about JELLICOE ROAD by Melina Marchetta

Tracey Neithercott adores THE ARCHIVED by Victoria Schwab

Kimberly Sabatini is touched by OUT OF REACH by Carrie Arcos

Katy Upperman gushes over THE GIRL GUIDE by Christine Fonseca

Bookanistas Relaunch Book Fest

The Bookanistas kicked off in July 2010 and included a group of reader-writer-bloggers. Our mission was to share our love of books as authors and as readers. ONly posting positive reviews from the YA and MG genres we loved so much.

Since then, some amazing things happened. Two Bookanistas became NYT best-sellers: Beth Revis (Across the Universe) and Veronica Roth (Divergent). Many others published novels, had babies, moved into new homes, changed jobs, got married... Life. So we faded into the background.

We've decided to kick off a new Bookanistas and relaunch our site with a BIG BOOKANISTA GIVEAWAY of signed copies of Bookanista publications, favorite books, and some fun swag.

Come and join the Bookanistas as we continue praising amazing reads! Join the fun, win some stuff, and help us ensure that READING IS ALWAYS IN STYLE.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

The winner of the "Bookanistas Summer Fun" giveaway will receive signed copies of these Bookanista-authored books…

• IF I LIE and TOUCHED by Corrine Jackson, plus ARCs of JUST ONE DAY and SPEECHLESS
• LET THE SKY FALL by Shannon Messenger
• BY BLOOD by Tracy Banghart
• POSSESSION, SURRENDER and ABANDON by Elana Johnson
• TOUCHING THE SURFACE by Kimberly Sabatini (plus a swag surprise)
• BAD TASTE IN BOYS by Carrie Harris
• AUDITION by Stasia Ward Kehoe
• THE GIRL GUIDE by Christine Fonseca (plus sweet swag)
• MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza
• LEVEL 2 by Lenore Appelhans + swag 
• UNCONTROLLABLE and UNTRACEABLE by SR Johannes

And a second winner will get a box filled with Bookanista-beloved reads including:

• DITCHED by Robin Mellom 
• JELLICO ROAD by Melina Marchetta
• TAKEN by Erin Bowman
• CLOCKWORK ANGEL by Cassandra Clare
• MONSTROUS BEAUTY by Elizabeth Fama
• SPARROW ROAD by Sheila O’Connor
• WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON (signed by John Green!) by John Green and David Levithan

To celebrate, I thought I'd list of a few beachy reads for you this summer. Since I love thrillers, it's what I do, here is my fav list.

Dead Silence By Kimberly Derting

The fourth book in the Body Finder series

Sometimes the Dead Can't Be Silenced.

Violet thought she had made peace with her unique ability to sense the echoes of the dead and the imprints that cling to their killers . . . until she acquired an imprint of her own. Forced to carry a reminder of the horrible events of her kidnapping, Violet is more determined than ever to lead a normal life. However, the people who run the special investigative team she works for have no intention of letting her go.

Violet will do whatever it takes to keep her loved ones safe—even if it means lying to her boyfriend, Jay. But when an echo calls to her, she stumbles upon a murder scene unlike anything she's ever witnessed. The murders are frenzied and twisted, and the killer left a disturbing calling card for all to see—a brimstone cross sketched in blood on the wall. And Violet finds herself pulled into a deadly hunt for a vicious madman with an army of devoted followers.

Violet has survived dangerous situations before, but she quickly discovers that protecting those closest to her is far more difficult than protecting herself.

The Program by Suzanne Young 

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

3:59 (coming early Sept but I couldn't resist!) by Gretchen McNeil

From Possess and Ten author Gretchen McNeil comes a deliciously eerie science-fiction horror story in the tradition of Lisa McMann's Wake trilogy and the movie Sliding Doors.

Josie Byrne's life is spiraling out of control. And just when she thinks it can't get worse, she wakes to an image of herself in the bedroom mirror. Except it's not her at all—the girl in the mirror is blonder and prettier. And her name is Jo.

The two girls are doppelgängers whose universes overlap every twelve hours at 3:59. Fascinated by Jo's perfect world, Josie jumps at the chance to pass through the portal and switch places for a day.

But Jo's world is far from perfect, and the stuff of nightmares lurks around every corner. And when Josie finds herself trapped there, her life becomes more dangerous—and more deadly—than she ever imagined.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy 

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up

Bookanista Buzz

Check out what the other Bookanistas are recommending this week:

Stasia Ward Kehoe is mesmerized by GRAVE MERCY by Robin LaFevers

Christine Fonseca adores DEAD SILENCE by Kimberly Derting

Corrine Jackson revels in ALONG FOR THE RIDE by Sara Dessen

Katy Upperman is charmed by QUINTANA OF CHARYN by Melina Marchetta

Kimberly Sabatini is touched by TARNISH by Katherine Longshore

Lenore Appelhans loves THE ORIGINALS by Cat Patrick 

Bookanistas - better late than never

I forgot to post these last Thursday!

Lenore Appelhans  is blown away by REBOOT by Amy Tintera

Carrie Harris adores BEYOND DINOCALYPSE by Chuck Wendig -- with giveaway!

Tracy Banghart  & Debra Driza join THE GIRL GUIDE by Christine Fonseca book blitz!

 Corrine Jackson is stunned by BREAKING BEAUTIFUL by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Nikki Katz  wonders at THE GRAVE WINNER by Lindsey Loucks

Gretchen McNeil talks TRUTH OR DARE by Jacqueline Green

Elana Johson admires INSOMNIA by Jenn Johannson

Tracey Neithercott celebrates THE YEAR OF SECRET ASSIGNMENTS by Jacqueline Moriarty

Katy Upperman fawns over FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK by Melina Marchetta

Rebecca Behrens is wowed by THE FIFTH WAVE by Rick Yancey

BOOKANISTA LINKS FOR THURSDAY 9 MAY

LINKS FOR THURSDAY 9 MAY

Christine Fonseca  marvels at MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza – with giveaway!

Corrine Jackson is blown away by BRUISED by Sarah Skilton

Elana Johson  buzzes about STUNG by Bethany Wiggins

Stasia Ward Kehoe fawns over THE FIFTH WAVE by Rick Yancey

Jessica Love raves about THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING by Ashley Elton

Shannon Messenger  shares an exclusive excerpt from INSOMNIA

Tracy Banghart  swoons for THE NAME OF THE STAR by Maureen Johnson

Bookanistas: Christins Fonseca (Lacrimosa)

Congrads to Christine for her debut Young Adult Lacrimosa. (doesn't it sound like a nice cool drink!)

Today, I'm hosting a stop on her blog tour to celebrate Lacrimosa.

Before we hear some scoop from Christine, here is the 411 on her book.

As if casting out demons isn’t hard enough, five-hundred-year-old Nesy has to masquerade as a teenage girl to do it. Nesy is the best of the warrior angels called Sentinals. She never makes mistakes, never hesitates, never gets emotionally involved. Until she meets Aydan.  

He is evil incarnate; a fallen angel that feeds off the souls of others. Everything Nesy is supposed to hate.  But she can’t, because he’s also the love of her former life as a human girl—a life that ended too soon, tying her to emotions she was never supposed to feel.

Now Nesy must choose between doing her duty—damning Aydan to the fiery depths of hell—or saving him, and condemning herself.  

“LACRIMOSA reaches out, grabs readers by the heart, and takes them on an emotional journey from the first page to the last. The last novel you’ll need to read to understand true sacrifice.”

~Elana Johnson, Author of POSSESSION

===============

Thanks Shelli for hosting a stop on the blog tour celebrating the release of LACRIMOSA. Since this week is "Getting to Know Aydan" week, I thought I'd share a little bit about him and, more importantly, how I "found" him.

LACRIMOSA was first conceptualized during Nanowrimo 2008, while I was working on another project. It wasn't drafted, however, until much later - August 2009 to be exact. Although I drafted it relatively quickly, it took much longer for me to edit it and get it ready for the world. Even after I thought it was ready, I revised significantly throughout the querying and acquisition process. And again once it was sold.

But let me back up and focus on one particular aspect of the story - Aydan. I had a "sense" of Aydan from the very beginning; knew that he was a tortured soul in love. Knew that it was that love that would both redeem and kill him.

I had a sense of his looks and demeanor. But that was it.

Over the course of 5 substantial rewrites I found his voice. Literally. See, the book started off in third person, told from Nesy's POV. Rewrite #1 added a POV - Aydan's. Rewrite #2 added another POV. Rewrites #3 and 4 changed it yet again, moving from third into first, and past tense into present. With each rewrite I got to know Aydan a little more, got a chance to peek into his heart and mind and see all the layers of him. By the time I finished with rewrite #5, I knew Aydan. Profoundly. Had I not been willing to go back to the beginning, start over and experiment with different things in order to get the story where it needed to be...

Had I not been tenacious and resolute in my wish to craft the authentic story that existed deep within my heart...

Had I not bravely gone where Aydan wanted me to go, I never would have found him; never would have be able to craft his voice. Hopefully the connection I found will be one you will find when reading LACRIMOSA.

Hopefully.

Now, don't forget to enter the contest for fabulous AYDAN inspired books and swag. Just complete the form.




You can enter up to twice daily (through the tour and my blog).

And there's more - continue to collect the daily clues to enter the EPIC grand prize giveaway that includes books, swag and a special surprise.

Today's clue - LORI.

Missed out on any of the tour? Click over to the schedule to make sure you've hit all the stops, seen or read the posts, entered the giveaways, and collected the clues. More great things are coming next week as well. EEP!!!

More Book Information

• Publisher: COMPASS PRESS
• ISBN: 0984786368 (ISBN 13: 9780984786367)
• Hardback and Digital formats from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and fine retailers.
• Kindle ebook
• Nook buy link -  
• Book trailer can be seen by linking to YouTube - 

Additional Titles in the series include DIES IRAE (a Requiem Novella), LIBERA ME (Oct 2012) and REQUIEM (March 2013).



====================

Check out other awesome Bookanista posts!

• Christine Fonseca  is awed by A TEMPTATION OF ANGELS
• Stasia Ward Kehoe shares some scoop on DEAR TEEN ME
• Debra Driza swoons for SLIDE
• Katy Upperman praises PANDEMONIUM
• Tracy Banghart thinks SCARLET is spectacular
• Gennifer Albin  brings you her Bologna trendwatch
• Jessica Love sings for NEVERSINK – with giveaway!

Bookanistas: Guest Post by Elle Strauss (It's a Little Haywire)

Elle Strauss is the author of Clockwise (YA Time Travel) and her newest middle grade, It's a Little Haywire.

Owen True is eleven and eleven twelfths and has been “exiled” to the small crazy town of Hayward, WA, aka, Haywire, while his mother is on her honeymoon. All he has to whittle away the time is the company of Gramps, his black lab Daisy, and his Haywire friends, Mason and Mikala Sweet. They don’t look so hot this year, in fact, the whole town has gone to pot since the mill shut down.

Owen has his first encounter with a real life homeless man who ends up needing Owen’s help in more ways than one. But how does a rich city kid help the small town’s suffering citizens?

And what is Owen to make of the fog train and its scary, otherworldy occupants that appears out of thin air on the old tracks behind Gramps’ house? Do they have the answer Owen is looking for?

I asked Elle to stop by to talk about her decision to publish her middle grade.

Well, I guess the simple answer to the question, why did I indie my middle grade is because I can. I think the most frustrating thing with traditional publishing, at least for me, was having to wait for someone else to say, yes, let’s publish this.

I had an agent. I actually had two agents. And for a myriad of reasons, this never led to a sale of any of my books.

My choices then were to shelve them and move on, or to do it myself. So, I did it myself. I published my YA time travel rom/com, CLOCKWISE last fall and never looked back.

When I decided I wanted to publish my middle grade, IT’S A LITTLE HAYWIRE, quite honestly, it never even occurred to me to seek representation for it.

Not that its easy to sell middle grade books at an indie publisher especially e-books. It’s not. (And yes, I will put out a print version of It’s a Little Haywire sometime this year.)

My wager is that with ereaders getting more affordable, middle graders will be reading on them. The tide hasn’t hit yet, but it will. Parents are handing them down to teens and tweens, schools are picking them up. It’s just a matter of time.

I realize that my buyers will be parents and grandparents, but that’s usually the case for middle grade anyway.

And for me, doing it myself means it’s actually going to get done and before I grow old and die. J Plus, I don’t have to worry about it getting pulled off the shelf in three months. The virtual book shelf never gets full.

Go and download It's a Little Haywire - it's free but only for 22nd and 23rd.

You can find her hanging out at:

Blog: www.ellestraussbooks.com
Twitter: @elle_strauss
Facebook : Elle Strauss - Author
Goodreads: Elle Strauss Goodreads Author 
Google+: Elle Strauss 
Wattpad: Elle Strauss 

To read other Bookanista posts:

Christine Fonseca  interviews author L.K. Gardner-Griffie

Corinne Jackson announces Change Write Now: Round 2 signups are open

Carolina Valdez Miller adores UNDER THE NEVER SKY - with giveaway

Jen Hayley has a passion for PARTIALS

Debra Driza falls for THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

Jessica Love shares some TIME BETWEEN US cover talk

Tracy Banghart jumps for CATCHING JORDAN

Stasia Ward Kehoe contemplates middle grade series

LiLa Roecker is enthralled with THE NIGHT CIRCUS