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!

Amelia Unabridged is everything beautiful and wonderful that a reader hopes for. The writing is flawless, especially the complexity and imagery although intended for a YA audience. It can be happily read by either the intended age group or adults, such as myself, and be enjoyed wither way. The characters are beautifully and realistically flawed making them seem so relatable, despite being such a magical and dreamy plot. Speaking of the plot, the pacing is perfect with not one dull moment in the novel. Every word and every line are purposeful to the development of the story, without filler descriptions, flashbacks, or dialog. I promise that you will not find yourself skimming or your mind drifting while reading this one.

I adored every single character in this novel, but there just are not enough words for me to describe how amazing and special both Amelia and Nolan are. These two damaged souls come together and just bring the other one a peace they thought was no longer attainable. This isn’t a romance novel, it’s truly more important than that. However, you will find yourself noticing a fast-forming connection and spark between Amelia and Nolan, as well as, find yourself hoping, praying, and cheering for them to be together. Alex, Nolan’s best friend, is also such in incredible and thoughtful character. I actually stopped to think about it a few times that I never knew 18-19 year old boys like that when I was that age. Where were they?? And Alex’s mom and bookstore owner Valerie is such a huge character there could have been a book written just about her, which would be fascinating, I’m sure.

To summarize, this book comes with my highest recommendation regardless of your typical preferred genre. Whether you are navigating through your early teen years or enjoying your retirement years, this is book that any reader can relate to and enjoy. I especially recommend this novel to anyone that has been thinking of making a change, pursuing a new hobby or career, or just thinking of going somewhere different. There is such beauty in taking the unknown path. Thank you to the author for writing such a touching novel!

*Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

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.

Amelia met her best friend Jenna and discovered the Orman Chronicles books at the same time. They both love the series, and go to meet the author N.E. Endsley at a book festival after they graduate high school. Amelia is devastated when the author has to cancel his appearance, after Jenna has secretly talked him through a panic attack. They return home and Jenna goes on a trip with her family, but she’s killed in a car accident. Amelia can’t deal with the grief, and spends time with Jenna’s parents who treat her like their own child. Then, Amelia receives a special edition of N.E. Endsley’s book in the mail, and she’s sure that Jenna somehow sent it to her. Amelia goes to the bookstore listed on the return address to find some closure after Jenna’s death, but instead she finds N.E. Endsley himself.

This story explores different stages of grief. Amelia has lost her family, since her father left when she was a teen and her mom checked out of their lives. She found Jenna and was included in her family, but then Jenna died suddenly. Amelia felt like she had to fill the gap left from Jenna’s life for Jenna’s parents. Nolan, the author, also experienced devastating losses, which fueled his writing. Art became an outlet for Jenna and Nolan to express their grief and find closure.

There were some upsetting things that happened in the first couple of chapters. I even contemplated putting the book down because I thought this was going to be a tear jerker. However, I became very invested in finding out why Amelia received that book so I couldn’t put it down. The tone of the story lifted after the first few chapters and made this an easy read.

I could relate to both Amelia and Nolan. I have felt strong connections to my favourite authors, like Amelia felt when she read Nolan’s stories. I am also a fiction writer, so I could relate to Nolan. There’s a special connection between an author and a reader, which was an important part of this story.

I loved the ending of this story so I’m very glad that I read it. This is a beautiful story.

Thank you Wednesday Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is really just a great book. The weight of the sorrow, the strength of the love, and the overall coming of age story is really well woven together.

Amelia is an eighteen-year-old who is obsessed with the book series that changed her life and built an incredible bond with her friend Jenna years before. Right before she’s able to meet her dream author at an event he cancels. Soon after Amelia finds out Jenna met him and it causes a rift between the two. But before Amelia and Jenna can fix their friendship, Jenna is killed in a car accident. While Amelia is still grieving from Jenna’s death, she receives a rare edition of the first book in the series.
Amelia then starts a journey to discover who sent the book and a trip to the book store it came from. Little does she know that this trip will change her life and answer some of the questions that Jenna was no longer able to answer for her.

I don’t even know how to describe this story. It pulled me in from the first page and is so unforgettable. Amelia’s using books as an escape is something a lot of book lover can relate to. Her character is written in such a way that you fully feel her love of these books but also her grief when she loses Jenna.
The story itself is written in a very flowy way and doesn’t have a cliff-hanger ending. It goes through the events well. The progression is done very nicely as well. Overall, it’s a very enjoyable story. I highly recommend it.

5/5 stars

This book, y'all. I didn't expect to be as moved by it as I was? It's a beautifully-written, intricately-layered, fantastical yet realistic tale of grief and mourning and coming to terms with the darker side of life. It's sad in parts yet ultimately hopeful and lovely.

Ashley Schumacher did double duty in this book, creating both a realistic, contemporary setting (Lochbrook) that I would die to visit, and also worldbuilding for a secondary fantastical world that I honestly wish to read about now.

So much of this book is about grief, especially the ways in which it affects young people, and I think Schumacher handled it with a gentle, loving hand.

I don't think there's a character in this book that I don't love -- some of them pissed me off at points, because they're all humans who are flawed, but that's the beauty of it, I think.

Overall, this is one of those books that feels like it's just going to sink into your soul and live there for a while. I would highly recommend you give it the chance to do so.