Amelia and her best friend Jenna are superfans of the Orman Chronicles, authored by a boy just a little older than they are, N.E. Endsley. It's not surprising that Amelia is so taken with the fantasy series, given her absentee parents. Her dad divorced her mom and moved on. The one interaction I remember between Amelia and her dad is devastating to Amelia. Her mom is so depressed she's barely a presence in Amelia's life. One day, she looks in a bookstore window, the girl looking out the window, Jenna, befriends Amelia. Jenna's family is generous and well-off. The two girls become inseparable for the rest of high school, though Amelia does occasionally resist Jenna's family's endless generosity. She does accept their graduation gift, which is a trip to a book convention at which Endsley is schedule to speak.

The book con is a misadventure, after which other bad things happen, and Amelia finds herself alone again. What started as a story of fandom and friendship moves into the realm of love story. Surprisingly, I was there for it, rooting for two broken kids to find their way to happiness.

Bonus for book lovers, lots of bibliophile characters.

Amelia Unabridged is the story of Amelia, an avid reader who is totally entrenched in a fictional series of novels. The story of her trauma and how the power of narrative heals is engaging and interesting. The small town she visits and important person she meets there are complex and nuanced.

I loved this book, Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher. It was a look at young adults dealing with the trauma of death and struggling to move on in their lives while hanging on to the magical connection they still feel with the people who died. The characters here were rather quirky, but that's the way I like them to be. I think both of the main characters had to struggle with mental health issues and were somehow able to gain strength from each other.
I really enjoyed the book and feel that many students, both male and female, will also enjoy reading this story.

Wow. Reading this book was like curling up with a warm cup of tea.

This book tells the story of a young woman named Amelia, who has wrapped herself around her friend Jenna because Jenna feels safe to her. Jenna is her knight in shining armor after Amelia's father leaves their family and Amelia feels alone. They bond over a book series they both love (think Eragon by Christopher Paolini - a fantasy series by a young author). But when Jenna dies, and a mysterious book is sent to Amelia, Amelia goes off on an adventure of her own to Michigan to figure out if Jenna sent her this book before she died, or if it was someone else.

The writing in this book was so lovely. I love books within books and this one was no exception. I did find some aspects of the book unbelievable (particularly dealing with anxiety & healing), but overall I sank into this book like a blanket with a warm cup of tea. I couldn't stop reading. I loved the descriptions and the voice, and Amelia felt *real* to me. I look forward to adding it to our collection & giving it to teens who are (im)patiently waiting for the next Jandy Nelson book (me, included!! hello Jandy?), as well as fans of Jennifer Niven and Melissa Albert.

This book is delightful, and such a touching story about friendship(s) and learning to live with grief. Ms. Schumacher is a gifted writer, her prose is magical (particularly with the book within the book), and she has created a cast of very memorable characters.

I hesitate to deduct a star, but I felt like the novel demanded more of a surprise outcome for Amelia than a perfectly rote happy ending. All along, I thought perhaps Alex was going to be a dark horse love interest, or that maybe Nolan and Alex had written the books together, or that maybe there would be a real mystery in who had sent the first edition imprint of the Orman book, or a bigger secret in what Jenna imparted to Nolan at the book fair. I guess I thought Amelia would come away from her summer, determined not to follow Jenna nor Nolan (there's ample time for the latter!!!), but to forge her own path; explore the world as she goes off into adulthood for the first time! It's hard to be disappointed by a happy ending, but I guess I envisioned more for Amelia.

This book is why I read. Because out of the hundreds of books I read a year, I will stumble across 2 MAYBE 3 books like this one.

I selected this book because I really liked the cover, I skimmed over the synopsis and it sounded interesting enough, and because of this I did not know what was going to happen, so when things happened... I was able to feel the full impact of it.
And I felt it.
I felt every heartbreak, every ounce of joy, every loss.
I was floored by how beautiful and often poetic this book was, it had its moments of teen angst, but I could not get enough. This is the kind of book you will force yourself to put down because you don't want to rush it.
But then who are you kidding, and you pick it back up immediately.

I looked up this author and I see this is her first novel. (I'm shocked) I also saw that her next book is about competitive marching band (?) Which sounds like the most random book of nonsense... but I bet its amazing. And I can't wait to read it.

I want to thank Ashley Schumacher, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for an advanced readers' copy of Amelia Unbridged in exchange for an honest review. This book was absolutely riveting and breathtaking. If this is Schumacher's first novel, I can't wait to read more from her in the future and see just what she can accomplish! This book will leave an everlasting impact on me.

Amelia is struggling with the sudden death of her best friend Jenna. While she deals with the grief and her inability to say goodbye to the one person that has always been there for her, she finds growth in herself. Amelia is the type of character that you would want to be your friend if she were real. It was beautiful seeing how Amelia had to learn to let go not only of her grief, but of the past life in which Jenna held so much influence.

Her connection with Nolan was also perfect. While he is dealing with his own issues, they are able to come together to figure out their complication emotions. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who is dealing with loss in their own lives when they feel like there is no way out. I will also be reading more from Ashley Schumacher in the future!

This is a book for any lover of books, especially those who grew up with a certain fantasy series about magic school. Imagine not only meeting your favorite author, but falling in love with them.

Amelia Unabridged
A Novel
by Ashley Schumacher


St. Martin's Press
Wednesday Books
Teens & YA
Pub Date 16 Feb 2021



I am reviewing a copy of Amelia Unabridged through St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books and Netgalley:



Amelia Griffin is eighteen and obsessed with the Orman Chronicles. The series of books written by the young and reclusive prodigy N. E. Endsley. These are the books that brought Amelia and her best friend Jenna together after Amelia’s father left and her family imploded. When Amelia and Jenna are given the chance to attend attend a book festival with Endsley in attendance, Amelia is beyond excited about the opportunity. She feels this is the perfect way to spend the summer before she starts college.






In an instant though everything goes horribly wrong. Jenna gets to meet N.E Endsley and Jenna doesn’t , causing them to have a fight unlike any they had before. Before Amelia can mend things, Amelia receives a call from Jenna’s Mother telling her that Jenna was killed in a car accident. Amelia finds herself feeling guilty, grief stricken and questioning everything she had planned for college. Life looks different with her best friend.






After receiving a mysterious rare edition of the Orman Chronicles Amelia is convinced it somehow came from Jenna. After tracking the books to an obscure but enchanting bookstore in Michigan, Amelia is shocked to find herself face-to-face with the enigmatic and handsome N. E. Endsley himself, the reason for her fight with Jenna and perhaps the clue to tell Jenna all along.



In her beautiful debut Amelia Unabridged, by Amelia Schumacher, we learn about finding hope within ourselves and perhaps falling in love while you do it.



I give Amelia Unabridged Five out of five stars!



Happy Reading!

This is an amazing book and a joy to read. I don't want to give any spoilers and ruin the experience for anyone. It's a love letter to people who love books and one of the best explorations of grief I’ve ever read. The ending was wonderful and the last line was perfect!


Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3294462629

Amelia Unabridged || Ashley Schumacher
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A heart felt thank you for an ARC of Amelia Unabridged thanks to the publisher Wednesday Books through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

Amelia Unabridged is the story every teen bibliophile craves. Schumacher writes with a style that truly amplifies a love of books, literature, series, and all bookish things. I can see so much or myself and my students in Amelia who loves books, seeks them for comfort, finds her best friend Jenna thanks to books, is content in friendship being a simple lounge and read in the company of each other, a way to travel to places without hurt and divorces, and a way to find love.

Amelia and Jenna meet at the local bookstore and become instant best friends bonding over their favorite book that takes them to the land of Orman. Amelia’s family has recently broken and Jenna’s family forever takes Amelia in. Their friendship blossoms to sisterhood and a second family for Amelia. During a book event Jenna accidentally meets their favorite author N.E. Endsley while Amelia is in the bathroom line. A week later Jenna dies in a tragic car crash before she can ever tell Amelia what her and Endsley talked about.

During her grief, Amelia cannot even pick up books let alone read them anymore. Reading and all things Orman are to harsh reminders of the glue that held her friendship to Jenna together. Then a book shows up at the local bookstore that Amelia knows has to be from Jenna. She decides to go to the bookshop that shipped it and see if she can learn what Jenna knew of this town and how she sent this book.

In Lou of giving out spoilers, let’s say that the rest of the story wraps you in Amelias journey of learning to live without Jenna by following whales, visiting the creation of the land of Orman, in snow globes, learning about finding yourself and your true purpose, dealing with grief and loss, and maybe even finding someone in her hardship of reading stories who says, “Let me give you stories.”

Amelia Unabridged made me fall in love with language and books again, excited to share literature with my students again, and crying conflicted tears of joy and sorrow.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of AMELIA UNABRIDGED by Ashley Schumacher in exchange for my honest review.***

It's hard to begin when my heart is so full I feel like an over stuffed bear. I read this in two sittings throughout one day and the only reason I had to set it down was because apparently, children need dinner and snuggles.

First of all, I love how best friends is one of the key elements in this story. But not your normal run-of-the-mill variety. No. I'm talking about the preordained destiny kind. Where you forge something stronger and deeper than friendship by constantly choosing that person over and over no matter what. Deciding they are part of your make up and permanently take up residence in your soul. I have one of those myself. She is a rare treasure that I will forever love unconditionally and I haven't found a friendship even close to ours in a long time. But Jenna and Amelia along with Nolan and Alex give us a run for our money. It was heart warming and felt like coming home. And this is just ONE SMALL SPECK of why I loved this book.

Having lived in both TX and MI I thoroughly enjoyed the setting of this story. I could relate to every adjective describing these places and felt it poke my nostalgic heartstrings. It felt like a walk down memory lane, especially the MI setting.

I'm no stranger to grief and loss so this delicately written story about the sweetest most poignant decisions when staring down the rest of your life made me feel seen. Like everything I've ever felt and gone through is valid. I love how intricately detailed Schumacher becomes when reminding us that stories and books are more valuable than we could ever imagine. They are gateways to worlds that can change us quite indefinitely.

There are so many quotable pages in this book, but I don't want to spoil it for you. This is a story that will sit with me forever and I'll reread it for many years to come. I can't wait to hand it to my children and let them find the wonder hiding within these pages. This is one of my top 5 favorite books I've ever read and that tells me that Schumacher will be forever an auto-buy author for me.

This book is for every girl who’s dreamed of meeting and falling in love with their favorite author. Hopefully that wasn’t just me!

When Amelia’s family falls apart, she’s staring into a bookstore window when Jenna sees her. Jenna pulls her into her happy life and family, and the two girls bond over their favorite books: The Orman Chronicles. The two girls plan to best friends forever, and sign up to be roommates at the same college.

As a graduation present, they travel to a convention to meet the legendary, reclusive author, N.E. Endsley. But only Jenna meets him when she bumps into him shortly before he cancels his scheduled appearance. Amelia is bitter, but when Jenna dies two weeks later in a car accident, Amelia’s world is ripped apart again.

When a mysterious limited-edition copy of the book arrives in the mail, Amelia is sure it’s a sign from Jenna. Following a clever wind, she tracks down the sender, finding the damaged N.E. Endsley himself. Do they recognize kindred hurting souls in each other? As Amelia learns more about him and how he built the world of Orman, she begins to doubt everything. Does Amelia still want to follow Jenna’s plan for her life or forge her own way?

This left me with tears in my eyes (the good kind) and a smile on my face. This book is like one giant hug for everyone who’s ever fallen in love with the world of a book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing this advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read a copy of this digital book. What a wonderful debut of a book with a gorgeous cover. The entire book's pacing and storyline was perfect. I found myself reading faster to find out more details and slowing down to take in and enjoy the moments/scenery being written. This definitely is a keeper in my digital & physical library to revisit again & again during those times you need a comfort read. I will be hand-selling to everyone of my family and friends who read to not miss this book.

This story starts simply, in a quiet tone punctuated with sudden breathtaking jolts. I found myself wanting to write a review about a quarter of the way through just to talk about the author’s deft use of language which made me feel as though I had plopped myself into the most comfortable chair in which I’d ever sat. The characters are well-drawn and the imagery is stunning. This story is the most beautiful ode to moving through grief I’ve read in YA fiction and I found tears streaming down my face not only for the characters but for the realizations we all face when confronted with loss. Highly recommend for upper middle and high school.

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this truly inspiring YA release. From the whimsical cover with its title that mirrors my own name for my book blog to the plot synopsis that left me breathless-- I had so many reasons to be deliriously excited about this debut. What I wasn't prepared for was exactly how much the story would mean to me. All through my life, books have been my escape. I know that, comparatively, my life has been very privileged and easy, but growing up is always painful to some degree. Losing myself in a story lessened that, as well as helped me form bonds with like-minded individuals. So too did this narrative begin; with a novel that formed the groundwork of the friendship that would change Amelia's life.

Our protagonist was looking for a way to leave her broken home behind for a bit as she stood in front of her local bookstore. A classmate of hers, Jenna, saw her through the window and recognized something in her. The two girls meandered the shop as Jenna picked up Amelia's broken pieces and handed her the gift of literature. They returned to Jenna's house that night physically, but the girls spent the night with their minds firmly planted in alternate universes spectacularly crafted by masters of the pen and page. This is when Amelia first visited Orman. 'The Forest Between the Sea and the Sky' resonated with Amelia in the way I'm sure any reader will recognize. We all have a book or a series that made us feel like anything was possible, like we were the heroes, and like we were seen and heard. The girls found their counterparts in the sisters written into the plot, and as their friendship blossomed throughout the years, so too did their fascination with the novel and its author, N. E. Endsley. When a plan to meet him goes awry, Amelia is left devastated, but soon learns the true meaning of the word. Jenna passes away, possibly leaving behind a mysterious copy of a book that shouldn't exist, and Amelia follows the trail to put her friend to rest. What she doesn't count on, however, is finding herself in the process. Against all odds this search leads her to Nolan, the boy behind N. E. Endsley. He is quiet, scared, and broken like her. The more she finds out about him and the Michigan town she's spirited herself away to, the more alive she feels for the first time since Jenna left her side.

There are so many things that I love about this book that I don't know where to start. Amelia is such a strong and relatable character, and I felt her pain as my own while she is suddenly loosened from the bonds that held her firmly to earth and seems to be floating aimlessly. Jenna was her rock; having taken Amelia into her family and planning both of their lives. It's mostly the latter that haunts Amelia; and the look at just how damaging others' expectations of you can be is so sobering. Not only does she want to honor the memory of her friend, but she doesn't want to upset Jenna's grieving parents even more than they already are, even if it means losing herself in the process. Nolan shows us how trauma effects someone long term, and it is painful, unpredictable, and easier when shared with others. The town of Lochbrook is incredibly charming, housing an exciting array of personalities from Wally, the bumbling horse of a dog to the spitfire piano teacher, Valerie. It would be a fairytale setting if not for the air of tragedy that surrounds it. Despite that, you can feel a clear change between the crowded and memory-ridden streets of Dallas and the whale-streaked skies of Lochbrook. It's like the world goes from grey to technicolor as Amelia realizes she may have reached Orman after all.

Speaking of Orman, I always admire authors for creating a book within a book, and the lore included for this fictional narrative is intriguing and lovely; something I can see myself picking up in real life. I am head over heels for how the story was a vehicle for so much positive change in this world. Ashley Schumacher really shows off how much magic a novel holds. It has the power to bring you to tears, to mend your heart, to make you smile-- all from words on a page. She knows that it is up to the readers to use those words, and that they will interpret them however they need them at that moment. So, as Amelia's life turns from the fantasy she imagined, she begins to write an autobiography instead. It's hard work, but she finds her way to living for herself, which I think is a huge message for readers of all ages. This book will remind you to keep that spark alive within yourself; the one that says 'I am, I am, I am' with beautiful imagery and chapters that are so easily devoured I could have finished it in one night. However, like Nolan, I despise endings, so I was loathe to let this one go. Just like in life, though, all things come to an end, and I am a more hopeful soul after having been touched by this poignant story of love and life.

I received an ARC of AMELIA UNABRIDGED thanks to the publisher through NetGalley.

I just finished reading the epilogue and I’m still teary-eyed. Amelia and Nolan’s story was a pure pleasure to read that I couldn’t put it down. I ended up succumbing to exhaustion reading it at 2 AM and I can’t tell if I happy to have had more time living without completing this book or wishing I had a late night cup of coffee with Wally to finish it. I guess both and neither at the same time.

AMELIA UNABRIDGED follows Amelia on her journey of grieving and finding herself after the death of someone she was incredibly close to. One thing leads to another and the ‘ghost’ sends her on an emotion packed adventure to a bookstore in Michigan where she discovers her idol. But because life isn’t simple, he is infuriating and broken and so much like her.

I cannot say enough about how wonderful this story is! It is bookish and fantastical and swoony. The cover should absolutely be the entrance to Orman because it is the only thing that could represent this book in one image. The current cover is wonderful, but gives an air of 13 Reasons Why rather than A Light Between Worlds meets Starry Eyes. Although that really doesn’t capture it.

Tackles mental illness and grief in a wonderfully heartwarming way. Definitely going to have a book hangover! If I could give 6 stars I would!

This book is an emotional coming of age story that follows amazing characters thought their adulthood. Although I didn't enjoy quite as much as I wish I would have, this YA novel is beautifully written and I would highly recommend it.

Amelia Unabridged is a delight for book lovers. I felt an instant connection to Amelia. She is bookish, a photographer, and lost in a sea of grief after losing her best friend in a tragic accident. Serendipity takes her on a life-altering trip that begins in the most magical bookstore I’ve ever had the delight of imagining. I want Val’s to be a real place!

I loved this novel and can’t wait to purchase a copy for my teen daughter once it’s released,

A beautiful and heart warming coming of age story that travels through the pushes and pulls of friendship, through grief and guilt and out into the revelation of incipient adulthood. With a nod towards novels that act as lifelines during difficult times of life, this is one of those rare contemporary YA novels which I highly recommend.