Review + Giveaway: Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield

Expected Publication Date: July 5th 2012 by Dutton Books

From Goodreads:

An arresting un-coming-of-age story, from a breathtaking talent

Becca has always longed to break free from her small, backwater hometown. But the discovery of an unidentified dead girl on the side of a dirt road sends the town--and Becca--into a tailspin. Unable to make sense of the violence of the outside world creeping into her backyard, Becca finds herself retreating inward, paralyzed from moving forward for the first time in her life.

Short chapters detailing the last days of Amelia Anne Richardson's life are intercut with Becca's own summer as the parallel stories of two young women struggling with self-identity and relationships on the edge twist the reader closer and closer to the truth about Amelia's death.

My Thoughts:

Intense and captivating, Kat Rosenfield’s Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone left me breathless. This tells the story of a girl named Rebecca who just graduated from High School and has plans to high-tail it out of her small town and move forward with her life without looking back. On the night of graduation, her boyfriend suddenly dumps her in a cruel manner and the body of a dead girl is found on the road in her town. No one knows who this girl is or what happened, except that it was murder. This rocks this quiet small town and weighs heavily on the habitants but no one more than Rebecca. She is at a crossroads in her life, wanting to move on but fearing life on the outside at the same time.

What is great about this novel is that it tells the story of both Rebecca and the aftermath of the mysterious murder but also the circumstances of Amelia’s life, leading up to how she ended up on that road. Like Rebecca, Amelia was also at a crossroads in her life. She had just graduated college and made a huge decision about her career path that completely deviated from her original course. She also felt very stifled by her life and wanted freedom and excitement. I loved how parallel their stories were and I absolutely loved both of these girls. They were relatable with realistic circumstances, thoughts and emotions and I found myself immersed in their lives. I was antsy to get to the end, to find out what truly happened to this poor girl and I was not disappointed! I was hanging on the edge of my seat until the very end!

My only complaint would be that I would often find myself confused on the timeline of events. I struggled with keeping track on whether Rebecca was retelling something that happened in the past or if it was currently happening. I would have to reread sections to figure out what was going on and when. There were also parts being told about past occurences in the town and I had a hard time understanding the relevance. I wish those transitions were told a bit better.

I cannot leave this review without expressing my love for the author’s beautiful and eloquent writing. Her words captivated me and left me spellbound. I posted the following passage on my Teaser Tuesday post this week, but I have to add here as well:

     We sat together, the rushing breeze making rustling sounds in the trees, the branches above our heads creaking, groaning, moving in time with the wind. The air was thick with the scent of wild roses.

     So thick, that smell. It stifled, pressed back against the golden thrust of the sun. The wild rose wants to be remembered, wants to color the afternoon with its heady essence, so that every summer recollection is tinted with its sweet, soft-petaled scent. It was a blanket that covered everything, crept into my nose and flooded my eyes with perfume that couldn't be blinked away.

*(Please note that this has been taken from an ARC and may differ from the final copy)

Gorgeous and so vivid! That was probably my favorite piece in the novel but there are many more that gave me chills as well.

Grittier than most contemporary fiction reads, Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone is a standout. I must warn that there is sex in this novel, though not explicitly so. I highly recommend for older teens and up who are fans of realistic and dark thrillers.

4 out of 5!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

I will be giving away my ARC of Amelia Dead and Gone to one of YOU! I had already planned on doing this but if you look over at my followers, you will see I reached 300! EEP! Thank you so much everyone! Unfortunately this one will be US/CAN only BUT I still have my JUNE NEW RELEASE GIVEAWAY HOP going on for a couple more days for all my International followers. I am also planning another International giveaway for later in the summer! :)


Giveaway Rules:

1. Giveaway is US/CAN only!
2. Must be at least 16 years old to enter. (Due to content)
3. Winner has 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected.
4. I am not responsible for any lost, stolen or damaged items.
5. Please follow the entry directions in the rafflecopter. (I do check and will delete entries that do not follow the directions. If you have any questions on how to enter, please ask!)

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