Holy crap

Is it too soon to call this my favorite book of the year?

I’m going to be honest. I had zero idea what this book was even going to be about until I began reading it. But it barged in and demanded my attention, and I gobbled it up within hours.

This book EASILY has some of the best prose I’ve read in years. The author has such a way of bringing her descriptive writing to life in a way that is still full of imagery and emotion without coming off as trying too hard, which is a delicate tightrope that a lot of authors fall off of.

At its heart, this story is about the bond between best friends. But it has so much more to give in the way of healing together with someone through grieving together.

Amelia and her best friend Jenna are more like sisters, and their friendship began as kids when they bonded over a shared love of a fantasy series by young author NE Endsley. As teens they have a chance to meet him at a convention, but only Jenna does. Leading to some tension in their friendship. Unfortunately, Jenna tragically dies shortly after her fight and Amelia is wracked with guilt. And then, a signed copy of Endsley’s book magically shows up on Amelias doorstep. She thinks it’s a sign, a leftover gift from Jenna, and she sets off on one last adventure before college to find the origin of this mysterious gift.

I’m simply out of words to describe how much I loved this. It perfectly encapsulates the love a bookworm has for her favorite series. It also perfectly encapsulates the immeasurable amount of grief and sadness one body can hold after experiencing death up close for the first time. And in the midst of all that, there’s a lonely boy with a ragtag mutt of a dog, looking for someone to finally see him. And friend, that is my weakness.

Thank you so much to the publishers for a gifted copy to review.

TW: loss of a loved one and grief that comes with it

How much did I love this book? I went out on publication day to purchase.

The writing is beautiful and lyrical. All of the characters are well developed. The story will make a rollercoaster of your emotions.

This book RUINED me. I cried so much that by the time I finished reading, I gave myself a migraine. The entire book is such an exploration of grief. So much happened in the first 50 pages or so, it kind of felt like you were punched in the face. All of a sudden you're left with a grief-stricken Amelia questioning everything in her life. Jenna was the one who planned out everything for the two girls, down to what college they would attend, their major, and future professions. Amelia went along with it because she didn't know what else she would do and she was just so happy to be included. Once she's left on her own, Amelia is completely lost.

When she receives a special edition of her favorite book in the mail from a small bookstore in Michigan, Amelia is convinced it is somehow connected to Jenna. With Jenna's parents's blessing, Amelia flies to Michigan to get some answers, not only getting in good with the owner of the bookstore, but also meeting the author of her favorite book series and making a serious connection.

This was beautifully written with some incredible imagery. I was so wrapped up into the prose that at times it felt even magical as Amelia described the water on Lake Michigan or the colors and sounds coming from the wind. I got such a vivid look at the bookstore that all I wanted was to live there. The little nooks and crannies of the store sound so cool!

Despite only being in such a small part of the book, you still get a really great sense of who Jenna was as a character and as a friend. I loved all the relationships in this book: romantic, platonic, and familial. Found family was a really strong trope in the story. Jenna's parents really treated Amelia like she was their daughter, before and after Jenna was gone. I never wanted the story to end.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love when covers match the book’s contents, don’t you? That gorgeous cover is basically what the book is about, complete with flying whales, late nights reading in a bookstore, and a lost-looking young adult trying to figure out life. It’s heart-wrenching and lovely and I cried way more times than I want to admit.

“Do you want to talk about it?”
I would have been less surprised if the stone lion sitting outside the fancy restaurant across the street had opened its massive jaws and made the same offer, but I managed to mumble, “No, thank you.”
“Good,” Jenna said. “There are too many books and not enough time as it is.”


Amelia met her best friend Jenna the day her father left to start a new family. Her mom struggled to cope, so Amelia basically became folded in to Jenna’s family and they became as close as sisters. They bonded over their love of the Orman book series, where each girl picked one of the protagonists – sisters who are warring over who’s the rightful queen to Orman, a fairytale land somewhat like Narnia – to identify with. As their high school graduation present, they’re going to a con to meet the reclusive N. E. Endsley, the author of the Orman books. At the convention, they separate temporarily before the panel where he will be speaking. When Amelia returns, it’s to find out that the author’s cancelled his appearance. She’s devastated, and even more so when Jenna tells her that she spoke to him before he left. Amelia’s mad, but they partially reconcile before Jenna leaves for a trip to Ireland. And then, she dies in a car accident. Amelia’s left unmoored, until she receives a package from a bookstore she’s never heard of before: a mysterious special edition of the first Orman book. Convinced it’s some sort of sign from Jenna, Amelia hatches a plan to visit the bookstore. But what she finds there is even more unexpected.

“I’ve lived in books. I’ve eaten and breathed books 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.
But Jenna is gone, and the words stay on the page in their neat, orderly rows. The pages don’t rise up to meet me like old friends, and the characters are marionettes pulled by visible strings.”


I loved what we saw of Jenna, at both the beginning of the book and through Amelia’s recollections of her, and it was achingly clear how much of a loss this was for Amelia. Jenna was closer to a sister than a best friend, and Amelia was content to follow along with Jenna’s plans. Jenna always had a plan, and she even made a giant spreadsheet to figure out what college would be best for both of them to attend. But with Jenna gone, Amelia’s stuck – Jenna’s parents seem to expect that she’ll continue with the life Jenna planned out for them, but Amelia is less sure. The trip to mysterious bookstore is a chance for her to temporarily escape their expectations and try to figure out what she wants to do. As for the bookstore and the people there, it’s hard to talk too much about that without spoiling too much of the book. I loved Nolan and Alex’s friendship, I loved Wally and his insane enthusiasm, and I loved Val and her absolutely magical bookstore. They each felt like real people, by turns suspicious and then gradually accepting of Amelia’s presence.

“And, like that, the stories have come back to me. They are sitting in my throat, working their way into my bones, my blood, the tips of my hair. They are altered, like me. Parts I skimmed before now seem desperately important, and parts I thought were vital, less so.
I am different, but like the stories, I will hold up to more readings, even if those readings are drastically changed in my after.”


The writing is lyrical and at times whimsical, but it doesn’t shy away from the hard bits either. It’s an absolutely heart wrenching exploration of life-changing grief, about navigating your path as you go from the Before to the After, and reuniting your life around a missing piece. There’s a definite emphasis on good things coming from bad things: that this doesn’t make those things wrong, that how you honor those missing pieces can be different for each person. It’s also deeply passionate about how important stories are to people and how stories help us work through our own lives. I wish I’d had this book when I was a teen.

“There are a hundred thousand ways to tell a story,” he begins. “Medical students help people live longer and continue their own stories. Engineering majors tell a story of technology that goes back to cavemen with rocks and sticks. Marine biologists piece together shreds of plot until they know where whales sleep at night and where fish live in coral reefs. Everything is a story, not just writing. You need to find the story that means something to you, a story you like telling.”


As for cons, the worst I can say is that it’s a bit fantastical, in terms of some of the events and how quickly the romantic relationship progresses. But the perfection of the writing and the emotions on the page is hard to argue with, and I think any reader will be able to see themselves, at least a little, in Amelia’s love of books.

Overall, this is an easy 4.5 stars, and possibly one that I’ll bump up to 5 after a reread, because this is definitely a book I expect to reread.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my rating**

Happy pub day to Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher! I honestly was floored this was a debut novel. Amelia Unabridged was so moving and emotional. I loved it so much!

Amelia Griffin goes to a book con with her best friend, Jenna, to meet their favorite author, N.E. Endsley, who is known for being elusive and mysterious. But when Jenna meets him and Amelia doesn’t, they fight. And before they can fully make up, Jenna dies in a car accident.

Suddenly, Amelia’s life is unmoored. And a special edition of her favorite book shows up mysteriously. Convinced that it’s somehow from Jenna, Amelia heads cross country to the book store only to come face to face with N.E. Endsley.

Schumacher does a beautiful job guiding Amelia through her grief, often using books as a way to describe her feelings and how books have helped her through her life. As a reader, I related to that and really appreciated the beauty of that.

The writing was also very beautiful. The relationships Amelia builds and the ones she’s lost are both explored so thoroughly. It was really hard to put it down!

If you are interested in a really good contemporary, a beautiful book about grief, or a sweet romance, or a STUNNING debut book, this is the book for you. I loved it and can’t wait to see what else Ashley Schumacher had in store for us.

4.5/5 stars

I could not get enough of this book. I mean I was 40% in and preordered it before I even finished because I was already in love. Is this going to be one of my favorite books this year? All I know is that it lives rent free in my head right now.

The funny thing is I can't even tell you why I love it so much. It just really worked for me. Schumacher's writing had me feeling 5 million emotions at once. Pen game unmatched. There were paragraphs where I just had to reread it because it hit so much.

"His insides are a carnival full of possibility and wonder and intelligent machines that do not detract from the quaintness of his old-fashioned bizarre...Encircling the carnival are tall walls decorated with murals of smiling children and hot air balloons--bright and joyous, but walls nonetheless. They are meant to keep the bad things out."

I forgot what the book description was when I started reading, so when the accident happened I was so hurt. But reading Endsley and Amelia's interactions was everything and made me so happy. Like my heart is so full just thinking about how cute they were. Two hurt people trying to overcome their grief together. So yes I did tear up reading (okay I cried), but how could I not. Jenna is truly the MVP of the story though. Alex is a close second. Also, the whole writing/book/bookstore element was great and added such a beautiful layer to the story.

In conclusion, read this book. Sit with it. Feel it. "Astra inclinant, sed non obligant."

This book was phenomenal. What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said? AMELIA UNABRIDGED depicts how different people deal with grief and death with a closer examination of how children and teens deal with it. In no way did I think this book glorified the loss of a loved one and I think that's one of the reasons why I appreciated this book so much. Furthermore, the romance between Amelia and Nolan was so tender--probably one of my favorite YA romance storylines I've ever read, but I also loved how their relationship didn't overshadow the grief storyline. They both grew to love each other and accept each other for all their secrets and their trauma. It was so beautiful to read about and I would love a sequel of this for more of them!

Schumacher's imagery and prose are fantastic. I googled Orman Chronicles to see if they were real so that I could read them because the snippets we got as readers were inciting! The descriptions of Michigan and Val's also made me long to be there or at least take a long road trip to a bookstore/cafe that I could get lost in. I liked how the fictional world of Orman was whimsical and inciting but didn't take away from where the characters actually were.

5 stars ⭐

Me alone in my bedroom crying my eyes out in the middle of the night on Valentine's day. That's what this book did to me. And damn it, did I love it.

✦ ✧ ✦ ✧

Amelia Griffin is an eighteen-year-old girl who, along with her best friend Jenna, is obsessed with a book series named the Orman Chronicles. When they get the opportunity to meet N. E. Endsley, the author of these fantastical tales, Amelia is elated. However, things don't go as planned. Only Jenna is able to have this once in a lifetime experience, which results in their first real fight.

But then her friend dies in a freaky car accident, and Amelia is left with a mysterious copy of a special edition of the Orman Chronicles. Convinced that it is somehow Jenna's doing, Amelia tracks down its origin and finds herself face to face with N. E. Endsley himself in a dream-like bookstore. Coping with her grief and grappling with her uncertainty for the future, she finds more there than she could have ever imagined.

✦ ✧ ✦ ✧

The cast of characters couldn't have been better. I loved everyone from the protagonist Amelia to Wally, the dog. I really resonated with the main character and her experience with grief, especially when she stated how her vision of death in books shifted after Jenna's passing. She talks about how it used to be something so abstract but now it's the complete opposite since she has been forced to confront it first hand. Amelia sees the world in such an interesting way, I especially liked how she imagines whales and uses them to describe how she feels.

To one’s surprise, I fell absolutely in love with Nolan. He is the sweetest cinnamon roll, I just wanted to hug him and tell him everything would be alright. I loved Orman and the story behind its origin and I wish that it was a real series because after reading this book, I desperately want to immerse myself in that world.

I adored Alex, Nolan’s best friend, too. I have come to realise that one of my favourite tropes is the funny side character, usually a close friend of the protagonist or love interest, that simply brings joy to the story, including when it’s needed in the darker moments. Alex is sarcastic, witty as well as hard-working and caring, which is shown by how much he is afraid of Nolan getting hurt.

I know for a fact that many people who read this novel will critique it for Nolan and Amelia’s relationship. They will say it’s unrealistic, that it doesn’t make any sense, because how could two people who have only known each other for a bit more than a couple of days, have already formed such a strong bond? Especially if you take into account that Amelia is supposedly a huge fan of Nolan’s work. And you know what, usually I would see eye to eye with these people, but this story is one of those very rare exceptions where I really did not give a damn about the insta-love. That’s because it’s more than just Amelia and Nolan romantically loving each other. In fact, I would argue that’s not the point of their connection at all. It’s about finding someone who sees you for who you are, who understands your pain like no one else has ever been able to. It’s about finding a connecting with someone who just gets you, who won’t judge you despite your flaws, who won’t compare you to who you used to be because they don’t know who that person was. That’s what Amelia and Nolan are to each other and to me that’s something so precious and beautiful to see that I couldn’t care less that it isn’t necessarily true to real life.

In addition, I really enjoyed the setting as I found it fit perfectly into the story. This novel is a love letter to all book lovers and the town it takes place in definitely highlights that, especially the bookstore which I believe is every bookworm’s dream. On a similar note, the writing is spectacular which enriches the already enchanting story.

I really had no clue what I was getting myself into when I started this book, but that just made my reading experience even better. Amelia Unabridged is a poignant and powerful story which I would particularly recommend to those who know all too well the pain of losing someone you love and who are, therefore, in dire need of solace.

Since you're reading a review, I assume you haven't read it yet. If not, go and read it. This book is everything sad and wonderful (and everything in between) in the world. Be warned - you will need a box of tissues while you read it (no spoilers!). This book is about Amelia who, with her best friend and basically adopted sister Jenna, goes to a book fest to see the author who wrote the Orman series - not only are these Amelia's favorite books, they hold a lot of meaning for her. After Jenna gets to meet the recluse author N. E. Endsley but Amelia does not, they have a fight and not long afterwards, Jenna tragically dies. The book follows Amelia learning to live in a post-Jenna world and finding herself. This book has so much feeling and heart - although it sometimes feels overwhelming reading it, the book gives the reader so much hope and love that you can't stop reading and have to keep going. Although this is a YA book, I would encourage everyone to read it (with a box of tissues).

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

Amelia Unabridged is a beautiful story about friendship, love, loss and finding yourself. Throughout it's pages it will take you through a journey that will have your emotions running wild. Beautifully written and emotionally engaging Amelia Unabridged is a book that belongs on every contemporary lovers shelf. 

Amelia isn't a bold, outgoing character, she is more quiet and just goes with the flow of things. When she suffers an unexpected tragedy Amelia starts to question everything, including what she actually wants out of life and if she is willing to put what others want for her before what she wants for herself. One day she receives a very special book from an unknown sender. Believing Jenna had something to do with this it sends her on a trip to the bookstore that was used as the sender address. Once she arrives at the bookstore some unexpected things happen that may just help Amelia get the closure she desperately needs. 

To say this book is a tear jerker would be an understatement. Instead of just causing a few tears Amelia Unabridged breaks your heart and puts it back together again. This isn't a book you can walk away from without feeling something. The characters are all extremely well done, from the main characters to the smallest side characters. Each one of them is memorable for their own reasons. 

The writing is beautiful and engaging. The pacing is perfect for the story. There's a lot to love about this book. If you are a fan of YA contemporary that tangles with your emotions I strongly suggest giving this one a shot.

Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher is a delightful YA novel that is perfect for book lovers. Amelia and Jenna are best friends brought together by their love of books, specifically the Orman Chronicles. The summer before they start college together, tragedy happens. Jenna dies, and Amelia doesn't know what she wants to do any more. She ends up going to an enchanting bookstore in Michigan where she meets N. E. Endsley, the author of the Orman Chronicles. Together, they are able to find hope and love. This book was so magical and heartwarming to read, and I loved it! Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Such a great story! Amazing characters. I’m speechless. I wouldn’t change a thing about this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy, in return for my honest opinion. Grab your copy February 16, 2021.

A beautifully told story of a young woman's journey through so many of life's worst moments that you'd wonder how she could face each morning, and yet she does. Told in layers of time beginning when Amelia's father left their home and her mother drew into herself, the one saving grace in each tragedy is Amelia's love of books, specifically the Ormon Chronicles. Most readers will tell you of a book where they were pulled into the story and managed to lose time, this is Amelia's journey into the series. Her feelings and thoughts are so well written, you know her. Amelia's life will take some drastic, tragic and surprising turns where her love of books will help her through.

Amelia Unabridged is an excellent story. It's hard to imagine this is Ashley Schumacher's debut, how will she ever write another book as good as this one? I guess we will wait and see.

This book is quite possibly one of the most gut-wrenching, painful books I've ever read. I spent the entire book crying. It's a beautiful book about hope and how grief varies by person and how we all cope differently. But it's also the only book I've ever read that has accurately described what it's like to live in a world where the person you love no longer exists. When Amelia constantly thinks to herself "Jenna is dead" and how that relates to her being alive, I felt each and every instance. I don't know that it's a book I"ll ever be able to read again, because it hit home so closely with my own experiences with grief that I"m not sure I can physically take the pain another time. But my god was it beautifully written.. I have had book-hangovers before, but never one that has left me physically drained and completely unable to function for a full day post-read. Until now. I think that can only say good things about the power this novel has.

A book mystery that’s heartwarming!

One of the best YA books I’ve read in a long time. It’s perfect for book lovers and friends as that’s what most of the book centers on. Amelia is such a sweet, innocent girl. Her grief is overwhelming. I was crying so early in this book. I barely got to know these characters but I was there with them in their grief. It felt so real and consuming.

Parts of this book reminded me of Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore or one of the many books Rainbow Rowel has written. I felt an instant kinship with Amelia and rooted for her page after page.

Story: 4 stars
Character Development: 5 stars
Writing: 4 stars

I just turned the last page of Amelia Unabridged and my heart feels so full, and light, and heavy. This book is a beautiful work of art. It shows the strength and love in a friendship, and in a chosen family. The devastation and loss of yourself and beliefs when someone you love dies. But doesnt focus solely on the sadness of it. It shows us the intense almost immediate connection you can have with someone as a person wether its a romantic relationship and or friendship. And this book shows us the deep love a bookworm holds for books, as a book person I love the way the author describes this love of books and book stores.

Our main character was so relatable, and real, I love her. I loved Noland, his brokenness his love and his heart. Alex deserves his own story after this, he is the perfect friend for both Noland and Amelia and I need to see more of him. And Val is that Molly Weasley like, loving, caring and supportive character that we all need in our lives, with her own amazing back story. And any book is made better with a goofy sweet dog, Im so glad we had Wally in this book!

Amelia Unabridged is a new favourite book that I will be highly recommending to so many people. I love this book and every single thing about it. I truly hope to see more by Ashley again soon.

Thank you NetGalley and Ashley for the chance to read this amazing story early.

Amelia Unabridged is the best book I've read in a long time. Amelia walks out of her house after her father leaves she and her mother for a college cheerleader. Amelia's mother shuts down and Amelia is at a loss. She heads to a bookstore in town and is staring, dumbfounded, in the window when she meets the popular and kind Jenna. The two become best friends and Jenna's wealthy lawyer parents take Amelia into their family not just as their daughter's friend, but as their honorary daughter. The girls discover the Orman Chronicles, a series of fantasy novels that allows them to escape their problems and the stresses of growing up. As a graduation present, Jenna's parents send the girls to a book event where they can finally meet the reclusive youngauthor of their favorite books. In a random series of events, Jenna meets him before he cancels his panel and Amelia misses her chance. What follows is their first and only big fight that is barely settled before Jenna travels to Ireland for a botany class. Tragically, Jenna is killed in a car accident and Amelia must find a way to go on with the plans Jenna made for their lives. When a rare edition of the first Orman Chronicles novel arrives at the bookstore addressed to Amelia, she finds herself questioning her goals and the life path Jenna had mapped out for them. Searching for a way to deal with her grief for her friend, Amelia embarks on her own quest to find the origin of the book and uncover the secrets of the Orman Chronicles.
This book was so well written I sat for about an hour after I finished it, unwilling to return to real life. Ashley Schumacher deals with Amelia and her grief with compassion and kindness. She's created a place so welcoming and fascinating I felt bad that Amelia had to go through such trauma to get there. I plan on buying several copies for our library, as well as for friend I know will love this. This would make a great book for discussion and for anyone who enjoys an excellent read.

4.5 stars

Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher is a lovely YA story, beautifully written and deeply touching. It's about a girl named Amelia whose world is turned upside down when her best friend dies unexpectedly. Shortly after, Amelia mysteriously receives a one of a kind copy of her most favorite book written by her most favorite author. She sets out on a quest to find out who sent the book and ends up on a journey filled with grief and self-discovery with an unexpected new friend.

This novel shares a very simple story about two teens who find each other while dealing with grief, but it is the simplicity of the story that makes it so poignant. Amelia has a vivid imagination and a very unique way of viewing the world, and seeing the world through her imaginative eyes was a treat. I loved the way that her imaginative world blended with the real world in her mind, and it was just so well-written. Nolan is dealing with grief and mental illness, and he is in a bad place when he first meets Amelia. Their connection and relationship helps him to overcome some of his struggles, and I thought their relationship was very sweet if a bit sudden.

I have read some critique that this story portrays the idea that love is a cure to mentail illness. And while I understand the critique, I did not walk away from this story with that idea. I thought that Amelia and Nolan's relationship perhaps did make their struggles with grief and mental illness a bit less painful, however I did not feel like their relationship made the struggles disappear altogether.

This is a very sad story, but I also found it to be surprisingly uplifting. A gorgeous and imaginative portrait of grief that I think will resonate with both teens and adults alike.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Amelia unabridged is such a good book! I love reading YA contemporary books. I do kind of wish that Amelia wasn’t so trusting of strangers though. She does some pretty stupid stuff considering how dangerous people are nowadays. Despite that the book is very well paced. I can’t wait to get my own copy of the book!

What an unexpected book. I started this, not knowing what to expect (and I didn't go back and read the synopsis) and I was drawn in from the start and had a hard time putting the book down. It was only when my eyes were drooping did I put the book down. Something woke me early this morning and so of course I picked up the book and finished reading it because I had to know how the book ended.

This book is heavier than what you might expect, it deals with death/dying, grief, and guilt. But it also has wonderment, friendship, and hope for the future.

I loved the friendship between Jenna and Amelia. While it might have seemed one sided, you could see how Jenna and her family cared about Amelia by taking her in and treating her like one of the family. However, part of that friendship did cause Amelia to feel like she had to do certain things because it was what Jenna wanted and because she died, Amelia feels obligated to keep those dreams alive.  But at what cost?  That is part of the journey for Amelia to discover her dreams and passions without Jenna.

I really enjoyed Amelia's trip to Michigan to discover where this book came from and who sent it to her. In her wildest dreams, she never expects to meet the author herself in this quaint little town. But he has some secrets of his own that keep him from living a full life. The interaction between these two is heart-wrenchingly good. (ok that is probably not a word but how I felt reading the book).

There are a few other characters (Alex and Val) that bring some levity to the story, but they are only looking out for Nolan. You can see the love for each other that has spanned many years.

These are a few of my favorite lines:

"What have you done with my devil-may-care friend?" I grin, "I canoodled him."

Jenna ordered informational pamphlets from the top three contenders on what I had come to call her College Deathmatch Spreadsheet.

This is beyond bizarre The mighty N.E. Endsley is showing me phone pictures? A fever dream, that's what this is. I'm dying and this is apparently all my brain can manage to give me in my final moments.

"You must choose, Amelia, what you want your life to be. Only you can provide the courage necessary to tirelessly pursue your choices, and therefore it must be you who decides the path before you."

"What I wrote made somebody light up from the inside and made her fearsome to behold without her having to move a muscle."

This book really spoke to my soul and we have to give it 5 paws ups.