This is a hard one to rate. It was beautifully written, really a love letter to books and book lovers and authors. There's a lot to feel in this book. The friendship between Amelia and Jenna felt like those instalove romance stories; otherwise, I loved their friendship, especially how Jenna's family treated Amelia as one of their own. Speaking of instalove, I found it hard to believe the romance in this story but it was YA sweet, although somewhat problematic if that was in real life. This book was largely depressing but the friendships and the bookshop owner were strong parts of the plot. 3.5 stars.

Let me begin by saying that I absolutely adored this book! Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher has it all: friendship, love, grief, and coming of age. It’s a beautifully written story that had me mesmerized from the beginning.

The story begins with Amelia and her best friend, Jennifer, attending a book festival to meet their favorite author, a young writer by the name of N.E. Endsley. Things go wrong, and only Jennifer gets the opportunity to meet him. Not long after, Jennifer dies in an accident, and a mysterious copy of Endsley’s book arrives in the mail. Amelia feels that this is connected to Jennifer in some way, so she takes a trip to the bookstore that sent the package to find out the true story of the mysterious book and why she received it.

There was so much I enjoyed about this book! I loved that most of the story took place in a bookstore, with its quirky layout, shop owner, and customers. The main characters, Amelia and Endsley, are well-developed, with their grief and insecurities laid bare for the reader to see, and I loved how their stories unfold throughout the novel. I felt that Schumacher did an excellent job showing us the importance of Jennifer and Amelia’s friendship through the various flashbacks, and these also helped amplify her grief and helped explain why Amelia felt so torn and obligated to keep their plans alive.

I would definitely recommend this book to my students and will be adding it to my classroom library. I believe it will connect with so many young adults and adults alike.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

<i>Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for providing me with an eArc in exchange for an honest review <i>
Amelia Unbridged is a beautifully tragic book, which I couldn't get enough of. The characters are amazingly developed and the author's storytelling was mesmerizing. There was never a moment where I felt the story was rushed or poorly written. I am glad to have read this great book. I highly recommend this book to fans of YA contemporary.

This is a beautiful book about love and loss. Amelia experiences tragedy at home when she meets Jenna, who will become her best friend, standing outside of a bookstore. The girls bond over books, particularly Amelia's favorite reads and quickly plan a future that allows them to remain side by side. This book shows a rare glimpse into the different facets of grief. It's not linear and everyone's experiences are different. It shows that we need to heal ourselves but sometimes we need a little help from those that loves us, especially those who show up unexpectedly.

This book was heavy for me with its themes. It wasn't exactly what I was thinking it would be. I wish the characters were more fleshed out.

Amelia Unabridged was a book I wasn’t really sure how I would feel about it when I started it. It was a mix of friendship and common interest. But it was also a story about grief and being left behind. It’s about how you gone on after a part of you is gone. And in the end I really enjoyed about 93% of it. I loved the story and the writing. And I loved how the fictional books were woven in to tell the story. I did struggle some with the love story and am not 100% sure it was needed. I also HATED the parents in this book so much I hurt. But all that aside this was just a wonderful story of losing your best friend and what that means about your dreams and plans.

3.5 stars
Amelia Unabridged is a love letter to all book lovers alike. This book deals with grief, loss, love and friendship. My heart broke for the characters and mended itself soon after.

I appreciated the messages throughout the novel. Amelia and Nolan each had to deal with their pasts and the uncertainty of the future. So many teenagers (and adults) alike will be able to relate.

The writing was readable and flowed easily from page to page. It felt almost fairytale-like, which is fitting considering the Orman Chronicles was the focal point throughout the whole series. Schumacher is definitely a talented writer!

Amelia was a great protagonist. I related to her and her struggles with not knowing what you want in the future. Her passion for reading reminded me how much I love reading myself and I understood her need for escapism.
Amelia's friendship with Jenna brought tears to my eyes. Her love for Jenna and the grief that she had to deal with resonated deeply with me.

Nolan unfortunately was not a memorable love interest. I definitely connected with him and his struggles but I felt that his characterization was not explored in depth. I appreciated Schumacher highlighting Nolan’s struggles with anxiety. This was handled really well!

In terms of the romance, it was insta-love and I wasn’t a fan of that. I would have appreciated it if Amelia and Nolan took the time to get to know each other as friends before jumping straight into the romance. For me personally, I would have preferred their relationship to be purely platonic. But their romance was really sweet regardless.

Overall, this was a solid debut that will resonate with all book lovers alike!

I read this book in one sitting. I haven’t done that in a long time and I desperately needed a book that reached out and refused to let go until I finished it.

This is a beautiful story about grief. As someone who has been grateful enough to have never experienced personal loss, I think this book portrays it in a way that helps me understand it-to the extent anyone who hasn’t can.

I loved Amelia so much. We have a kinship in how much we both love books and stories. This is definitely a book for book lovers. There’s even a magical bookstore that I desperately wish was real.

I hope you decide to pick this one up. I’m glad I did.

It's so hard for me to review this book. After reading, I was just a blur of feelings and I couldn't pick them apart enough to write! Amelia Unabridged is a rare gem--a book about grief that isn't sad. There's tragedy, and some chapters were incredibly hard to read because of how much depth Amelia's relationship with Jenna had, but there's also so much light and hope for her journey. I think I've said this before but Wednesday is killing it with their 2021 season!! I'm so hyped for every title on their list.

Death books always hit me differently, especially ones like Amelia's. She uses stories the same way I do--as a lifeline when everything else seems too much. Watching her find her way back to reading after Jenna's death, and grow into the person she wants to be apart from her friend is a true joy. Amelia and Jenna were closer to sisters than friends, but Amelia isn't sure she wants to follow through on the elaborate life plan Jenna had set out for her. She has to choose between staying loyal to Jenna's wishes and following a more uncertain path. I'd call Amelia Unabridged a mix of contemporary, recovery, coming of age, and romance. Altogether it's pretty perfect.

Not gonna lie, a big attraction point of this book is the romance. Who doesn't love a good reclusive author? (Morgan Matson's The Unexpected Everything is one of my favorite books ever) N.E. Endsley is Amelia's favorite author, and when she gets to meet him, of course there ends up being more to the story. Their relationship is surprisingly healthy for two people who met during complex emotional circumstances--I was expecting a bit of codependency there and pleasantly surprised I didn't find it. They share some incredibly sweet moments that had me genuinely squealing, especially in the bookstore.

Absurdly pleased by the magical bookstore setting! That always gets me, and I loved the concept of themed rooms in the store. I've made it my mission to visit as many bookstores as possible in my life, and though I love my local indies (shoutout Porter Square Books! I miss you!) I've yet to find one that captures a sense of storybook magic as well as the ones in... well... stories. If someone could just fly me to Michigan, I'd be more than happy to build A Measure of Prose for myself.

How could I give Amelia Unabridged anything but five stars? Happy to say I've found one of my new favorite books of 2021. You should definitely pick up this new release--I promise no reader could regret it.

What an emotional and touching novel this was. This was my first read by this author and it was greatly enjoyed.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for fair and honest review.

Amelia and Jenna have been best friends since the day they met. They are inseparable and pretty much family even being from two different worlds. They grow up bonding over the Orman Chronicles, which Amelia uses to escape her hardships in life.After graduation they go to a convention to meet the Orman Chronicles author N. E. Endsley. When Jenna gets the opportunity and Amelia doesn’t, its the first real fight. They have and its a doozy. When they halfhartedly make up and tragedy strikes, Amelia receives an unexpected delivery that sends her to a Michigan bookstore. There she meets Norman, who may be the key to finding her true self.

Yes, this is a YA book, Yes there is romance, yes it happens quickly. But this is not a romance book. This is not an easy book. This is a book about depression and loss and grief and anxiety and finding your real place in the world. It’s about a girl who loses her parents (metaphorically), finds a best friend, loses her and has to try and find who she is without them. This book will tug at you and boy will you have all the feels. It’s about what you do when all the plans you think you have in life are now gone. It’s sad and oh so lyrical in its writing. And its beautiful. I highly recommend it.
While we are early in 2021, this is in my top books of the year so far. 4.5/5 stars

Thank you to St.MartinsPress/Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the review copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

I do not want to give away any spoilers but wow, this book was wonderful! Well written, loved the characters and there is a lot that anyone can relate to. Highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Amelia and Jenna are best friends. Held together by their love for Orman, the book series that began their friendship. Jenna and Amelia have everything mapped out for after they graduate high school. While at a book festival the summer before college, Jenna gets the chance to meet N.E. Endsley, the creator of Orman, while he’s having a panic attack about headlining the festival. Endsley ends up leaving the festival before it’s time for his panel. When Jenna tells Amelia that she talked to him and she didn’t even get to see him Amelia is mad.

Tragedy strikes their friendship only a week later leaving Amelia friendless, she gets this strange 101st copy of their favorite book that shouldn’t exist. She decides to travel all the way across the country to figure out who sent it and why.

Let me first say that this book is now one of my absolute favorites. It’s a book about books and book lovers. I don’t want to get too into it because I don’t want to spoil it for you, but there are some definite things in this book that all book lovers wish they could have (or maybe its just me, who knows).

I’m so glad I was invited to be a part of this blog tour because this book was SO good. The writing was great, the story was great, it all was great. I felt like I could really relate with Amelia and her love for books and the pain Jenna’s death altering that for her.

I really enjoyed following Amelia on her journey to healing and finding her love for books again.

Thank you, NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this arc and the opportunity to be a part of this blog tour.

Amelia, a voracious reader is particularly fond of a series of fantasy books known as the Orman Chronicles. She and her best friend, Jenna attend a book convention hoping to meet the books' reclusive author, N.E. Endsley. When Jenna gets to meet Endsley and Amelia doesn't, Amelia doesn't even have time to process and get over her hurt and anger, and Jenna is killed in a car accident. Then, Amelia unexpectedly receives a package containing a signed copy of the latest Orman book and she is sure Jenna sent it so she travels to Michigan to find out and eventually finds herself face to face with the young reclusive author of the books. This is an incredibly moving story about hope and healing. It is about learning how to face whatever hand life has dealt you and persevere. Amelia and Nolan are both truly good-hearted but damaged characters that you can't help rooting for. This book will both break your heart, and it will make your heart soar.

To have a best friend who loves reading as much as you do is a very special thing. To lose that best friend especially after an argument is heartbreaking and Amelia has not been the same since. She and her best friend Jenna even had a favorite series called the Orman Chronicles were written by the famously reclusive author N.E. Endsley.

Sometime after Jenna’s death, Amelia receives a rare edition of the Orman chronicles with next to no information as to who it was from, etc other than the address of a bookstore somewhere in Michigan. So, Amelia makes the impulsive decision to travel to this bookstore (with the blessing of Jenna’s parents) to see if she can unravel the mystery of this mysterious copy.

Whether your a book lover or not you should read this novel. Losing someone close to you isn’t easy but sometimes taking a chance opens you up to new experiences, and new friends that you never would have considered before. The story is heartwarming and healing at the same time. It shows that even famous people have issues and that not everybody is who or what they seem to be at first glance.

I highly suggest you pick up this novel. I do not give my rare 5-star ratings out very easily!

This was a book about friendships, love and loss. It was really good and I loved it.
Ive often imagined meeting my favorite author and thinking I’d literally die of shock if it actually happened! Can you imagine? Well it happens in this story and so much more. This is definitely for book nerds. I loved the romance and chemistry between these two.
It’s sort of hard to explain this story but it full of interesting people and I highly recommend it. You won’t be sorry.
Thank you Wednesday Books and St. Martin Press via Netgalley for this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Wow--what a sparkling debut, from the deep character development, to the magical world-building, to the swoony romance, to the gorgeous line-level prose. This story was a love letter to books and the ways they connect and heal us, and it spoke to something so deeply meaningful in my reading life. A total triumph, and I can't wait for Ashley's next book!

Oh. My. Gosh.

Okay, you know those stories that you get so invested in that you’re almost scared to read the last few chapters? You don’t want the book to end, but more than that, you really NEED things to go a certain way, and you’re afraid of the crushing awful possibility that they won’t?

That was completely how I felt reading this book. I loved it. Loved Jenna and Amelia’s relationship and the way Jenna’s family adopted her right in. I loved the friendship between Alex and Nolan, too, and the way their crew interacted with Amelia.

I loved the stuff about the book by N. E. Endsley and his created world of Orman and the sisters in the book. I loved the small lakeside town in Michigan with its stormy weather and town bazaar and quirky bookstore. And the whales!!! I love the whales.

I. Loved. This. Book. I feel like AMELIA UNABRIDGED is the book that I wanted so many other books to be. It punched me straight in the face with its grief and bewitched me with its found family. Honestly, I loved it so much that I’m scared to start another book until this one fades a little bit.

It’s so so good. If you like deep, messy contemporary stories with fabulous friendships and banter, then you seriously need to read this book.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The author was very well able to maintain a balance between the grief, romance and all the events that were taking place in the book. After finishing the book I made my mind that I’ll be reading more books by Ashley Schumacher but later I realized that this was her debut novel. And if this is her debut novel then we can expect great things coming from her side.

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

“There’s nothing in the world a good book can’t cure.”

“I’ve lived in books. I’ve eaten and breathed book for so long that I took it for granted. I assumed that, if they saved me once, they would always be there to pick me up, even if Jenna wasn’t.”

Let’s start with this cover! It’s absolutely beautiful and I feel that it grasps the concept of the book perfectly! I honestly can’t get over how stunning it is!

The writing was very lyrical, beautiful, and had an ethereal effect on the story as we follow Amelia, who’s grieving over the death of her best friend. When a rare edition of the Orman Chronicles is mailed to Amelia, she thinks Jenna had something to do with it. Amelia travels to Michigan to figure out the truth behind the book and the mysterious bookstore is came from, but ends up with even more questions when she ends up meeting N. E. Endsley himself.

I felt that this book moved very fast in the beginning. One chapter the girls were meeting, the next they were at the book event, and the next Jenna was dead. All of this happens within the first three chapters and I would’ve liked to see it dragged out a little bit more. It does slow down after those chapters but it would’ve been nice to see a little bit more.

I did like that Amelia retreated into fictional worlds to cope with her grief as she showed how much books meant to her and how they helped her throughout her life. Books obviously play a huge role in Amelia’s life and it’s show really well throughout the story - her dependence on them when her father leaves and when her best friend dies.

Amelia’s and Nolan’s relationship was adorable as they both struggled with getting to know each other. Two book nerds who usually choose reading books over talking to people usually make the cutest couples and they live up to that assumption. Both characters are broken and struggle with moving forward in life but with the help of each other, they are able to overcome their grief together.

I ended up enjoying this book more than I thought I would. There’s a lot of heartbreak and regret in this story but there’s also a lot hope and reflection and I loved that about it.

I highly recommend checking this one out!