I really liked this book! I really didn't know a whole lot about this book before I decided to read it. I loved the cover so I decided to give it a try. I am so glad that I did. Amelia goes through a lot in the pages of this story and I enjoyed watching her deal with everything. I found this to be a very touching and entertaining story.

Amelia and her best friend, Jenna, are just like sisters. They do everything together and Amelia is included in Jenna's family functions. As a graduation gift, they go on a trip together to a book festival where N.E. Endsley is scheduled to appear. He is the author of their favorite books and Amelia is really looking forward to meeting him. Things don't work out as planned and they head home to follow the rest of their plans for the summer with Jenna going on a trip and Amelia doing some college prep. Then tragedy strikes and Amelia is left to try to pick up the pieces and figure out how to move on.

I really liked the characters in this book. Amelia went through so much in this book and I thought that her range of emotions felt very authentic. I really enjoyed getting to see her work through things and make new connections. I love that she was willing to open herself to new connections and possibilities. Nolan has also been through a lot and is very guarded. I loved seeing him come out of his shell and take a chance. All of the supporting characters from Alex, Jenna's parents, and Val were all wonderfully done and added a lot to the story.

This was an emotional yet hopeful story. I loved the fantastical elements that played a role and appreciated the fact that there was a good dose of humor worked into the story. The romance was well done and I couldn't help but hope that they would be able to make things work. I had a fantastic time reading this book and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others.

I received a digital review copy of this book from St. Martin's Press - Wednesday Books via NetGalley.

This book is a perfect reminder that I need to read more YA, it was absolutely wonderful. It opens at a book festival, so obvi I was hooked already, and we begin with 18 yr old Amelia Griffin running off to use the restroom right before heading over to see the headliner, who also happens to be her obsession, the writer of the famous Orman Chronicles series. He is the young prodigy N.E. Endsley, and is a bit of an introvert / recluse. Her bestie Jenna goes to get them a spot, and on Amelia’s way back, well, everything goes to poop. Jenna got to meet him, and then he bailed. ON HIS EVENT. Amelia understandably is not happy, they get into a huge fight, and right after Jenna is headed overseas for a trip with her family. And then on said trip, Jenna is killed in a freak car accident and Amelia is left to deal with a future that does not include Jenna. But then, a rare edition of the Orman Chronicles arrives, Amelia expects Jenna sent it but cannot confirm it. And so she sets off to find out the source, finds N.E. Endsley himself, along with a bit of self-discovery of her own in the process.

I mean, if this one doesn’t sound like a doozy, it is. I was thrown for a loop with Jenna’s death just like Amelia was. But this was SO good. The setting is wonderful, the plot is centered around books, and Amelia definitely has her struggles but she is a phenomenal character and I absolutely loved her. She comes into her own really well, and I enjoyed the flashbacks on how she and Jenna became friends and how she just knew her friend had not quite left her yet. She was fearless in going overseas by herself to find the origin of the sender of that book copy and ended up finding herself, met some great people along the way, and learned that although life is cruel sometimes there are also many reasons worth living. I think you should add this one to your list, and I definitely have a travel bug after reading this!

Thank you to @NetGalley and @wednesdaybooks for the e-galley to review.

Amelia met her best friend, Jenna, in a bookstore the day her father left the family. She also found the world of Orman, written by N. E. Endsley, a reclusive wunderkind author. Years later, Amelia and Jenna’s plan to finally meet N. E. Endsley at a convention falls through, but when Amelia learns that Endsley won’t be making his appearance, but Jenna saw him right before the decision was made and possibly had something to do with that decision, their friendship is shaken. Jenna’s unexpected death, less than a week later makes any sort of discussion impossible.

Schumacher understands what it is to love books, and it shows in the way she has Amelia talk about the way she feels reading. Which is why it’s so terrible that Jenna’s death makes it impossible for Amelia to read anymore. Even the mysterious arrival of the 101st out of 100 signed, super-special leatherbound editions of her favorite book, nearly two weeks after Jenna’s death, cannot reignite Amelia’s love for reading, but it does send her to Michigan on a quest to determine whether Jenna was the one who sent the book.

And thus she meets the enigmatic N. E. Endsley, who is surly and uncommunicative and maybe more than a little broken. She also meets his best friend, Alex, who seems to be to him what Jenna was to Amelia, at least somewhat. He is a voice of reason and a fierce protector and a good person, whose mother is much the same, and looks out for his best friend, Nolan.

The whales (you’ll see about those), the more I think of them, are a wonderful image for someone who is grieving. They are large and ponderous and somber and they sing mournfully. But they have huge, expressive eyes, and for all their weight, they are buoyant and graceful in their element, and their songs can last for so long it’s almost like they can sing across time. I have decided I very much like Amelia’s whales.

I also very much like Jenna’s parents. Jenna’s parents are amazing human beings. I’ve known people like them, and they always seem like they don’t quite live in the same world as the rest of us, because they treat unlimited generosity and consideration as a matter of course, and can offer love to people who are not their family and draw them in as if they were. Even when they make mistakes (and they do) they admit that they’ve done so and work to make amends. They are lovely, loving human beings.

This book is a beautiful, painful exploration of grief and the burden that expectations and even love can become. I was certain, as of page 131, that I would need to buy a copy to keep. Though why do bookstore romances like this always have to have someone dying to be so achingly poignant? (Looking at you, Words in Deep Blue.) It is possible to experience emotion without death, after all. Whatever. This is a wonderful book.

I received a pre-publication copy of this book from Netgalley.

The first thing to catch my eye about this book was the cover. It's simply lovely. The title, too, drew me in. I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into, but I knew I wanted to read the book. What did it mean, I wondered, for a character to be unabridged? By its very nature, unabridged implies that an abridged version exists. Even more intriguing, then, what would be it mean to be abridged? To be cut off, incomplete?

The book opens when Amelia's life changes. Her father abandons his family for the company of his much-younger girlfriend. Her mother is practically catatonic with grief. Unable to handle the circumstances of her home, Amelia retreats to the local bookstore, where one of her classmates, Jenna, saves her. Jenna is one of those perfect people that no one quite knows how to approach, but she approaches Amelia. Their intense friendship begins that day, when Jenna distracts Amelia from her pain with books. She offers to buy a book for Amelia, and Amelia chooses the first book in the Orman Chronicles--and it becomes an obsession for her. The book is so wonderful that it transports her away from her pain. Amelia and Jenna become the best of friends, so close that Amelia goes on family holidays with Jenna.

As the cover copy explains, all that changes shortly after they graduate from high school. Amelia and Jenna have a serious fight, and Jenna is killed in an accident before they can reconcile. Here, we meet Amelia, Abridged. Without her best friend, Amelia feels herself to be incomplete, missing a part of her own self. She is completely helpless in her grief.

This book is about Amelia's journey back to herself, to recognizing that she is a whole person on her own. It's also a love story, about two souls recognizing each other in grief and seeing their way forward together. It's a good story, and I truly liked it.

In addition to being a story of healing after the loss of a loved one, Schumacher's book is also about fandom. It's something that could only have been written after a generation grew up breathlessly waiting for the conclusion of the Harry Potter series. For me, one of the most troubling and compelling parts of the book was Amelia's relationship to the Orman Chronicles. She finds this fantasy world so attractive that it shapes her own imaginings. I'm not quite certain what I make of her relationship to fiction, and I've given myself a couple of weeks to mull it over. On the one hand, Amelia's relationship with these books does provide a path forward for her. On the other, the level of obsession is very concerning. At times, I found myself wondering if I even knew Amelia all that well, even though I'd been reading this book about her for hours. But I also think that one of the major focus points of the book was that Amelia didn't know herself, either.

I suspect that teens that love books (or any fandom, really) will be able to see themselves in Amelia and appreciate her journey. The sweet romance will help.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I don’t read many books like this one, but I really should because I end up enjoying them a lot.
This book had my attention from the beginning, it took hold of me and refused to let go, but I was not complaining.

The story follows our protagonist, Amelia, who, after her father left Amelia and her mother, met Jenna. They bonded over a book series The Orman Chronicles written by the young author N. E. Endsley, and became best friends soon after and planned their lives together. They attend a book festival to meet the author but the panel is cancelled before they have their chance, only afterwards Amelia finds out that Jenna met him, sparking a fight they have. Then, a few days later, Jenna dies. Stricken with grief, Amelia travels to Michigan to visit a bookstore from where she received a package she knows was connected to Jenna, but she doesn’t know how. Jenna’s parents, who are also grieving Jenna’s death, help arrange Amelia’s trip. But in Michigan, when she goes to the bookstore, she doesn’t get the answers she hoped for. Until she meets Nolan Endsley.
Amelia Unabridged is a story about grief, friendship, love, and becoming who you want to be. This book was very sweet and beautiful, and I loved every second of it.

I loved all the characters. They all had their own story and were unique and passionate. The characters are that are central in this book are Amelia and Nolan. They learn how to deal with and overcome the issues they have and how to grow from their grief together. They help one another and we learn how much books and Orman was to them.

It was written brilliantly; the descriptions were poetic and still was unmistakably from the perspective of an eighteen-year-old girl. The writing helped connect the reader to the story and made us empathize with the characters. It brought this story to life as well as the characters, which I will hold dear to my heart. The ending was just stunning. The author did a lovely job in wrapping up the story with a hard blow to leave the reader with something when they closed the book.

This book was simply perfect. Everything about it is masterful. I can definitely see myself rereading this in the future, I actually wanted to reread it as soon as I read the last page. I really, really recommend this novel to everyone. To every reader of whatever genre, to everyone who cherishes books, to everyone. Read this book. You won’t regret it.

I love Amelia Unabridged with my entirety of my soul and being. I rate this book 5/5 stars.

A lovely and heartbreaking—but ultimately hopeful—book that's perfect for book lovers. Amelia is a strong-willed, likable narrator and the Michigan bookshop at the heart of the story is so beautifully realized.

A high schooler mourns the loss of her best friend after a terrible accident. When she receives an unexpected gift, she traces it to its origin and discovers a secret. Debut author Ashley Schumacher uses innovative prose to explore the depth of grief and the healing power of love in her novel Amelia Unabridged.

High school senior Amelia Griffin knows two things: she’s the biggest fan in the entire world of the Orman Chronicles by author N.E. Endsley, and Jenna Williams is her best friend. In fact, the Chronicles are the reason the girls became friends in the first place. Now they’re inseparable.

Ultra-planner Jenna has it all mapped out: they’ll leave hot, sticky Dallas and go to college at the University of Montana, have practical careers, and always be by one another’s side. Amelia is beyond grateful for Jenna’s friendship. After her father left in freshman year, her mother has spent all of her time either at a part-time job or in front of the TV. Amelia craves family, and Jenna and her parents give it to her.

In the summer before college starts, the girls travel to California to meet the N.E. Endsley. Famously reclusive, the young author has agreed to an appearance at a book festival. The publication date for the third book in the Orman Chronicles has been pushed out, but no one knows when the book will drop. Amelia and Jenna, like hundreds of other fans, have come to the festival hoping for answers.

An hour before the event, though, Endsley cancels, and in the Uber ride to the airport back to Texas Jenna reveals she’s partly responsible. The girls fight, and Amelia struggles to forgive Jenna. Less than two weeks later, during a study abroad program in Ireland, Jenna dies in a car accident.

Amelia doesn’t want to accept this new reality. How is she supposed to go to college without Jenna? How is she supposed to read books without Jenna?

Days after the funeral, Amelia receives a gift: a limited edition copy of the first book in the Orman Chronicles. When she calls the Michigan bookstore on the return label, though, they claim to have no knowledge of where the book came from. According to them, they never processed the order. Amelia and Jenna aren’t even in their computer system. Something about the bookstore employee’s explanation doesn’t ring true to Amelia. She decides to go to Michigan to find answers. If Jenna ordered the book for her, she wants to know the story behind it.

Her trip brings her to a little town in Michigan straight out of a fairy tale. Not only does Amelia find the bookstore that shipped her the gift, but also she meets N.E. Endsley himself. As Amelia works through her shock and her grief at the same time, she rediscovers the power of stories to transform anything and the healing factor of love.

Author Ashley Schumacher shines in her debut novel. Although the events in the opening pages move at a brisk pace, Schumacher doesn’t compromise on Amelia’s depth of gratitude for Jenna’s friendship nor the grief from losing Jenna. The emotions feel so real that the events following Jenna’s death make complete sense in the story world Schumacher has constructed.

Schumacher sets for herself a huge challenge. Creating a fictional novel that readers in the story world love and adore and making it just as appealing to real-life readers is not for the faint of heart. Yet she meets the challenge and endears Amelia to readers all in the process. The Orman Chronicles come across as an old-fashioned fairy tale, exactly the kind an older sibling might invent to keep their younger siblings entertained. Given Amelia’s challenges, it’s obvious why this type of story would appeal to her and reiterates the power of a good book in all the best ways.

Like many YA novels, the adult characters are somewhat underdeveloped or absent altogether. Making them more three-dimensional would have enriched Amelia and Jenna’s story even more. It’s a testament to the novel that the lack of that character development doesn’t hurt the plot. It would have been a rich addition but doesn’t take away from the lovely writing already in place.

Readers who love a good story about good books and good friends should definitely pick this one up. I recommend readers Bookmark Amelia Unabridged.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review through @NetGalley. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am so glad I got to read it. It was a book about heartbreak and hope and finding yourself after a tragedy. And just finding what you are meant to be instead of what others expect from you. This book pulled on the heartstrings and was a book I just wanted more of. I wanted to live in Val’s bookstore with them all and just browse will the piano played. It made me want to own a place like this just to live surrounded by books.

Amelia and Nolan were such honest characters. These poor teenagers have grappled with tragedy the best way they knew how. These two were so true to each other and themselves and it was such a beautiful friendship that grew. I liked that their relationship was mostly innocent (with the exception of a few kisses). I feel like that was more believable for who these characters were. It was hard enough to let someone into their lives and the emotional part was much more important to them than anything overly physical.

I was sad that Amelia’s mom was not more of a character in her life, even as the book progressed. But as I thought more about it, it wasn’t the relationship with her own mother that was the point of the story. Although, their relationship did change a bit during the course of the book. I thought it was sweet and also a little sad that Jenna’s family sort of adopted her and it seemed that her own mother didn’t care at all. It was maybe the only thing I didn’t like about the book.

Overall, I loved this sweet story and I can’t wait to read more by this author. I am so glad I came across this debut book.

What an absolutely beautiful book. I did not read anything about this book at all before diving in and I am so glad. This book has some YA vibes, but the maturity and stunning story make it seem a lot more than that. I would not call this a love story, but more a coming-of-age, that definitely made me cry multiple times.

I'll be honest...part of reason i requested this arc was the last name---my maiden name. But what a surprise!This is the kind of book that sneaks up on your heart when you’re least expecting it. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This. Book. So I got an eARC from the publisher and ten minutes after I finished it, I went and bought a physical copy so I could hold/hug the book. I cannot be the only one who does this??? But I digress. Let’s talk characters first.

Characters

Amelia has so many elements of me in her that it’s hard not to relate. She clings to people who show her love because she’s not getting it elsewhere and fuck, if that’s not a mood. It first starts with her best friend, Jenna, and Jenna’s family. But when Jenna’s gone, Amelia only has her parents left and that’s awkward no matter how much they try to make it not be.

But then THE BOOK arrives. The rare edition. And she doesn’t know who sent it. Was it Jenna? Determined to figure it out, she goes to Michigan where the book was sent from and finds something she never expected (and I’m crying).


She finds love and belonging and community and a support system and people who GET her (and maybe I talked about all this in therapy. whatever.) Did I look up the bookstore in this story to see if it was real so I could go there and never leave?….maybe.

Ok, let’s talk Nolan. Ooomph, the grief. When we first meet him, you can feel it coming off him in waves. We don’t find out what happened for awhile but you know it’s big and you KNOW it’s going to destroy you when you read it. (and it did!).

There are also so many elements of him that I relate to. The guardedness, the anxiety, the shame/blame he puts on himself are all so perfectly shown on the page. But that also means those feelings punch you right in the throat.

BUT when Nolan starts to open up to Amelia and when we see him around people he’s comfortable with, it’s the most beautiful thing you can imagine. Goddamn it, I love Nolan and Amelia so much!

Supporting characters

I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about Val and Alex. Lord have mercy, they are wonderful. Val will take none of your shit but also make sure you are fed and have a place to stay. She will take Nolan to task for be A SAD but also love him unconditionally. She will stare down Amelia when she decides (SPOILER) to go back home but accept her back when she comes to her senses. (SPOILER END).

Alex is the friend we all want. He will tease Nolan until the day he dies but he will also possibly bury your body in the woods if you try to hurt his friend. I love how protective he is of Nolan, especially when Amelia first shows up. But I love when he opens up to her even more.

Jenna’s mother is the sweetest and most understanding and lovely and at a certain point, I wanted to punch Jenna’s dad in the neck.

WALLY!! I love him and his ability to pounce on anyone he wants. I mean…he’s a dog. What’s not to love?!?!

Story/Plot/Writing

I feel like I already covered so much of the story while talking about the characters but I want to highlight a few points I keep coming back to when I think about this book.

The book convention is delightful. While I haven’t been to a book convention, I have been to other types of cons and those scenes describe the experience perfectly. Sitting on the floor because you cannot walk another inch is definitely something I’ve done a time or two. I really liked the addition of these scenes.

Every scene with Amelia and Nolan was legitimate perfection. Even when they weren’t talking or when they were both upset, we learn something about them each time they’re together. What they’re saying and not saying to each other in those scenes is so well done. I would like a collection of short stories with just them, please!


THE WHALES! I loved this aspect of the book so much. What it means to Amelia and how it shows the depths of her mind and imagination. It’s an incredibly beautiful and poetic part of the book. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.

THE EPILOGUE

I know this story is about grief and accepting that people will not be with you forever, but the epilogue is NOT FAIR. Val and Wally are immortal. It’s the rule! Needless to say, the epilogue had me sobbing for 30 minutes after I finished the book.

Overall

Clearly, I loved this book more than life and I’d like to crawl into it and never return. 5 out of 5 stars and a bucket of tears (bring tissues). Please read it! It’s just so damn wonderful. And it takes place in Michigan which I LOVE!

Amelia Unabridged by Amy Schumacher is available now!

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I feel like any words I could possibly write for this one just would not do it the justice it deserves. From the moment I started reading Amelia Unabridged, I knew it was going to be a special book for me. I found myself highlighting so much in my eARC and bookmarking whole pages, that I immediately ordered a copy for my home library. Amelia is such a relatable character and her relationship with Jenna was so wonderfully heart wrenching. Schumacher's writing for this one was beyond amazing and I was easily captivated by this one. This was the easiest 5 stars to give out and Amelia Unabridged is now one of my all-time favorite reads.

I'm always here for books that involve the grieving process and characters working through the loss of someone they loved. This is a nice addition to that collection.

I have been reading a lot of books about grief recently. A person I was friends with in high school passed away from cancer a few weeks ago. We weren’t close, but I knew her. Spent time with her. Watched her journey from diagnosis to the end, and it broke me to hear she had passed. In fact, three people from my school have passed from cancer. Two people I knew and was friends with.

Reading these books about grief have helped me understand my own. My sadness, my grief, my frustration. This book took me on Amelia’s journey to accept the loss of her best friend and I will tell you, I sobbed.

To start off, read this book solely for the epilogue. I loved this story, but the journey to the epilogue was a rollercoaster. The epilogue sealed the deal that this story is a five star read for me. I sobbed so hard reading it, the journey of Amelia’s whole life on display, and I would a million percent read the book of her whole life’s journey if I could.

Going back to the beginning, I loved reading about Amelia and Jenna’s friendship. One thing I wasn’t so happy about though, was the fact that Jenna basically planned out Amelia’s whole life without even asking her. Amelia is happy to go along with Jenna’s plan, but it felt super controlling when I first read about it. While I loved that Jenna took Amelia in like her own sister, it was clear that Jenna was in charge of the friendship, and Amelia was simply tagging along. The one thing they both loved and bonded over though, was books. Amelia and Jenna both love the Orman Chronicles book, written by teenage author N. E. Endsley, and their love of books is what started their friendship.

When Jenna passed, Amelia lost that love of reading. Until a 101/100 special edition of Amelia’s favorite book shows up and she knows it was a gift from Jenna before passing. Set to find out how Jenna got this present to her and what she said to the author, Amelia travels to the bookstore it was shipped from in Michigan and runs into none other than the author himself, N. E. Endsley (Nolan). Amelia is determined to find out how she received this mysterious book and what it all means, all the while trying to process her grief and learn how to live a life without Jenna.

When we first meet Nolan, he’s a shy, reserved, and socially awkward guy who is not only unsure of himself, but of other people. I was taken aback by how reserved and anti-social Nolan was at first. Most authors I met have been very friendly and happy to converse with people about their books, but Nolan is the opposite. We quickly find out there’s a good reason for that. Hearing Nolan’s story and how his books, The Orman Chronicles, came to be, was heartbreaking. When we discover the backstory to these books and how they came to be, I was almost in tears.

Once Amelia arrives in Michigan, the plot really took off. Her journey through grief, finding Endsley, falling in love, and her realization that she has to take her own life in her hands, was an intense one. I loved the fact that Amelia discovers herself and her own passions, instead of just following what Jenna wanted her to do with life. And of course her learning how to live without her friend and understanding that life simply doesn’t stop if someone you love dies, though it feels like it should.

This book took me on such a journey and I absolutely loved it. I’m so excited to read her next book, Full Flight!

First of all, thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for an e-ARC of this novel.

TW: Grief, Loss of Loved Ones, Anxiety Attacks, Drowning, Car Crashes

A wonderful debut full of voice, friendship, and truthful moments.

Amelia Griffin is obsessed with books; more specifically with a fantasy series that both pulled her out of the dreary reality of her family life and became the building block for a solid friendship with her best friend Jenna. She's easily recognizable to us bookworms for her fervor and her idealization of this book series and of its mysterious, teenage author.

While Amelia is quiet and wants to go with the flow, Jenna is a drill sergeant with many, many plans for herself and for Amelia. Of course, when Jenna is killed in an accident, Amelia is left adrift. The arrival of a special, long-gone, edition of one of the books in their favorite series sends Amelia on a hunt for a part of Jenna.

Who she meets on that chase turns out to be Nolan, the reclusive author, his best friend Alex, his crazy dog Wally, and bookstore owner Val. Amelia fits in with them in a way she doesn't feel anywhere anymore.

The character arc for Amelia is very heartfelt and well mapped out. She grows from a follower into someone who's not scared to march into the unknown at the beat of her own drum.

The secondary characters aren't quite as fleshed out, not even Nolan who should have been better rounded out since he's the love interest. His own grief makes him and Amelia a compelling pairing, but the way Ashley Schumacher glosses over the very real work that goes into processing grief and trauma by making him all better through romance is not satisfying, realistic, or healthy. Hence the one star deduction.

The setting was well developed, Val's bookstore felt like another character in the book, and the language had an elegant simplicity to it.

This is a great quiet novel with a kind heart and a very solid debut from Ashley Schumacher.

Quiet and heartfelt, Ashley Schumacher's writing takes you gently by the hand and leads you alongside Amelia Griffin through grief and uncertainty into hope and possibility. Absolutely loved it, and I could not put it down until I had finished.

“Everything is a story, not just writing. You need to find the story that means something to you, a story you like telling.”
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This book is so out of my comfort zone and still I adored it. It made me laugh and cry at the same time and it felt like a caress directly to my soul. Amelia is a very fragile girl who has two points of reference: her best friend Jenna and her books. When Jenna dies not only she feels left without an anchor, but she cannot even read because it is as if she is not allowed to enjoy anything in a Jennaless world. This book is about finding yourself even when the world destroys you and puts you on a path you would have never imagined. Thanks to Jenna’s last gift, Amelia is able to meet her favorite author, who is really just a boy haunted by his own ghosts. Together they will start a healing process that will help both finding happiness. Even if it doesn’t mean they’ll live happily ever after.. life is harsh and the people you have lost are really gone forever, but even with a huge hole in your heart you can learn to find moments of peace. Having lost a very important person in my life I know what Amelia feels and it is so true when she says that until you lose someone you live death as something that happens to someone else.. when your turn comes, you are not ready, no matter what! Amelia and Endsley are really cute and perfect for each other after what they have endured.. if they had met before, they may have missed the chance to know each other so deeply. Sometimes it is worth to believe in something like fate, something that makes you be in the perfect place at the right time. Thanks to NetGalley for the ecopy.

This book begins with how Amelia met and became best friends with Jenna, after Amelia's father walked out on his family. I didn't read the summary before I began to read, so my emotions were all over the place when we got the news that Jenna died in a car accident. To prevent the unnecessary anguish, read the summary!

WHAT I LOVED

If I had to sum up what I loved about the book in one word, it would be everything. The way Schumacher writes pulled me in immediately (when I grow up, I want to write like she does!) as I immediately became invested in her relationship with Jenna. Hence the absolute shock at her life being cut short. When Amelia set off on her adventure to Michigan, I found myself jealous at times, wishing I could pick up and have an adventure of my own.

The chemistry between Endsley and Amelia jumped off the pages, as they navigated each others lives. I tried swiping the pages as fast as I could to find out who sent her the book, and why. Watching Amelia not only navigate meeting her favorite author, but also trying to figure out what message Jenna was trying to send her and determine what she wants to do with her life made me swipe the pages even faster!

There was no part of this book I did not enjoy. I have read so many bookos about characters who live and breathe books. Who become lost in stories and tout how much of a bibliophile they are. I feel like this is one of the rare books that I truly felt it.

WHAT SURPRISED ME

Fantasy books are not ones I naturally gravitate to. I will dabble from time to time, but I prefer books that are more in line with women's fiction. Imagine my surprise when I am reading this book, and within the story are details of Endsley's book series The Orman Chronicles. I was even more surprised to find that after hearing what The Orman Chronicles was about, I found myself wanting to read it! I wonder if the author will make that a side series she writes (I'm thinking like how the author of Younger had a character on the TV show that wrote a book, so she wrote it). I would be one of the first in line to give it a try!

I highly recommend this young adult fiction book - out now! As the cover states - it's never too late to start a second chapter!

This book completely blew me away. It was such a good feel good story. Grief and love. This book was hands down one of my favorites so far this year. This book pulls you in from the first page and never let's you go. An absolute page turner. A masterpiece. I highly recommend this book and will be rereading again!

Eighteen-year-old Amelia Griffin is obsessed with the famous Orman Chronicles, written by the young and reclusive prodigy N. E. Endsley. They’re the books that brought her and her best friend Jenna together after Amelia’s father left and her family imploded. When tragedy hits again and Jenna dies in a car accident, Amelia's world is thrown off-kilter. When she receives a first edition of one of the Orman books, she is convinced Jenna has somehow sent it to her. She takes a crosscountry trip to try to discover the book's origins.

This is a book for book lovers. The Orman Chronicles reminds me of the Narnia series. Amelia is obsessed with the book series, similar to the Harry Potter craze. I loved this book.