TW: death, grief

I was expecting a story about grief and loss. And yes, this novel does have that. Initially, I felt very emotionally invested in this story, and in Amelia’s struggle to cope with her grief. But after a few chapters, the story suddenly shifts and becomes a romance. This bothered me because it made it seem like the cure for grief and depression is romance – which is not true. Not only was that a problematic message for me, but I also didn’t like the romance in the story. It was very much insta-love and it felt so rushed that I couldn’t believe in it. So whilst this novel does have its poignant moments, its romance arc ruined the execution for me.

"There's nothing in the world a good book can't cure." A true gem of a book that exceeded my expectations.

Amelia Unabridged was such a lovely experience. That’s not to say that it was a fun read - it was heart-wrenching, to say the least, but so good. It was written really wonderfully, but made me sadder than I’d typically like to be. And it dives into that sadness pretty straight off the rip.

But I really enjoyed that the book is really a commentary on the things and people we lose, and those we gain in return. How we’ve got to find ways to get through the pain, and there are others who can help us through it, people we’d never expect.

The book itself if quite poetic, and the fact that this is a debut novel is mindboggling because it’s so beautiful.

The biggest thing for me was that while this book is more realistic contemporary fiction, there were times where the story would toe the line into magical realism, which got confusing for me sometimes. I couldn’t figure out if there was a magical element or if it was worlds within worlds. It was really all part of that larger poetic piece of the story, but it made for some confusion which led me to rereading certain sections and lines a few times.

Either way, it’s a beautifully written, wonderful story that will nest itself deep within your heartstrings. So if you’re ready for some big feels, this book is one for you.

I loved the concept and the book just read so quickly. Amelia struggles with knowing what to do and who she is, like many teens. She has faced major trauma and tries to work her way through it. This journey takes her places she never would have guessed and is a book lover's delight.

“It’s never too late to start a new chapter.”

I love books about books and Ashley Schumacher did not disappoint in this heartbreaking debut.

After Jenna’s unexpected death, best friend Amelia is left alone to deal with her grief. When an unmarked package arrives the only explanation is that it is from Jenna. Desperate for answers, Amelia travels to a charming bookstore in Michigan. This is where she meets the moody Nolan Endsley. Despite their initial issues, the pair soon form a strong bond based on loss and grief and must help one another learn to embrace life and move forward from one's grief.

In this heartbreaking coming of age debut, Ashley Schumacher displays a beautifully fresh writing style. The world building is magical and poetic, and it is hard not to imagine the world coming alive before your eyes. Amelia Unabridged displays heartwarming messages of love and loss and will leave you wanting more. Overall I am rating this adorable book 3.5 stars and would highly recommend it to someone looking for a book that will bring tears to their eyes while also putting a smile on their face.

I received a complementary copy of this book courtesy of St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

I am kicking myself for waiting so long to read Amelia Unabridged. However, once I started reading it, I couldn't stop and fell absolutely in love with this magical book.

If you are looking for a special, unexpected love story that centers around friendship, grief, and a beloved magical book series then you'll definitely want to pick this one up. Bonus is that parts of it take place in the cutest small town book store. I loved it so much and did not want it to end. I'm hoping we will get more of Amelia and Nolan in the future!

A heartwarming story about loss, but then finding someone through books. Amelia found her best friend over a love of reading, but when she dies in an accident, she has to find away to carry out their plan, though her heart isn't in it. She follows the trail of a special book she receives in the mail and learns to love and trust herself.

(actual rating: 4.5/5)

Truly, I'm not sure where to begin with this one.

To say that I loved this book would be an understatement. I lived a lifetime with this book. I cried over this book. I felt just about every emotion you could ever possibly feel with this book, and I loved every second of it.

'Amelia Unabridged' is an emotionally resonant young-adult novel that follows Amelia, the main character, after the death of her best friend, who was like a sister to her. The two met when Amelia's father left her and her mother, and both got into the same book series, the Orman Chronicles, written by a young prodigy. Following the loss of her friend, Amelia receives a special edition of her favorite book, and thinking that it was sent to her from her best friend, decides to seek out the reclusive author.

I've been delibirating on what to write about this book for a while now. I read this incredible book in March. It's August now. No matter what I say, no matter how many times I try to review this book, I can't seem to quite capture what exactly I experienced while reading this book.

For starters, this is Ashley Schumacher's debut novel, and I am beyond blown away - she's officially a favorite author of mine. The characters, including not just Amelia and Nolan but also Alex and Valerie, were so realistic, so lifelike - a testament to how deliberate and well-written this book is. Over the course of the story they grew into people with their own personalities, rather than just being the characters of a book.

The plot is, for the most part, character-driven. It's about Amelia and Nolan and how they make connections and flourish in the midst of all the grief they've experienced, but most of all, it's about their resilliance and how they still love despite what they've gone through. And that's exactly what had me sobbing into my pillow at 4 in the morning as I read this beautiful masterpiece.

That being said, as much as I enjoyed the relationship that blossomed between Amelia and Nolan, and the way they were able to help each other with their mutual love of books, I felt that the insta-love was quite serious with this one. And while they were both quite cute together, I can't see how this relationship is a realistic "solution" to grief either is experiencing. Dealing with grief is a long, painful process, so I suppose that despite how charming and tearjerker this book is, some willing suspension of disbelief is needed to really enjoy it.

I'm not sure what more I can say about this book. I love it with everything I have in me, and even now, just thinking about this book makes me smile.

Ashley Schumacher gives book-loving teens a meta fantastical experience in Amelia Unabridged. This story will put you on a roller coaster of emotion softened only by Schumacher's brilliant prose. These days are so filled with grief, and it's nice to have a book that both takes us away from it and helps us process it all at once.

I have avoided reading this book on my list because it sounded really depressing, and I didn't think I was in the right mental state. While it was about a difficult subject (a close friend dying in a car accident), the author writes so beautifully that it felt much less depressing than I thought. I wanted to both speed through this book and savor every page. I'm so sad that it's over and can't wait to read what the author writes next. Also, I seriously want to read a book about Orman now!

4.5 out of 5 stars. I really enjoyed this young adult contemporary. It tackles hard topics in a beautiful way and the writing was stunning.

What a debut! This book had me ugly crying. Be prepared for all the feels. Don’t let the fact that it’s YA fool you!

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced e-reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This title is very heartwarming and insightful. It brought up a lot of feelings (not sure I liked that so much! haha) but it gave me a good cry. It was beautiful and tragic and brings to the forefront a lot of questions that we are afraid to face.

This was my first book by the author and I was unprepared for how much I would enjoy it!

It's such a beautiful story of loss, heartache and friendship. It was such a wonderful coming of age story and I truly loved how it dealt with all kinds of different emotions. A very heart felt exploration of grief and learning to live for oneself I'm sure it will resonate with a lot of young readers.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC!

I adored this story of heartache, loss and love! I listened to this on audio and couldn't put it down. It's beautifully written and imaginative. The way Schumacher weaves this fantastical tale is wonderfully heartfelt and descriptive.

This is the tale of Amelia, who has lost her best friend and her favorite author who becomes so much more to her. My heart was so happy, sad and every sort of emotion as I read this story. A coming of age story while also working through the loss of loved ones and finding your inner strength through story. I'm not ashamed to say that I did in fact tear up at parts of this one.

If this is a Debut, I can't wait to see what else comes from this author!

This book was good. This was my first book by this author.
While it kept me interested I'm wasn't running back to pick it up.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

This was such an enjoyable book. I procrastinated reading it when I realized it was YA and I really regret that. I loved reading about Amelia and her BFF Jenna and their mutual love of books. I was heartbroken with Jenna’s tragedy. This was extremely well written and such a beautiful book about Amelia and how she tries to carryon without Jenna.

Ahhh, I cannot believe I forgot to review this one! I loved it. Every single page! Amelia was a character I just found myself rooting for! Thanks Wednesday Books for bringing this full of emotions book into my life.

Admittedly, it’s taken me forever to write a review of this book, because I still don’t have the words for how much I love it. Amelia Unabridged is a love letter to the delightful and unexpected ways that books connected us and is brimming with a nostalgia for fictional places that I think most bookish folks will relate to. This book captures grief and the grieving process without making it the entire story and gives Amelia the chance to redefine herself and move forward.

If you like bookish mysteries, many many feelings, books within books, supportive romances, and of course whales, this might be the book for you.

From a Librarian’s perspective I can say that since we purchased physical and ebook copies of Amelia Unabridged, they’ve been constantly checked out, so I’d say it’s a hit with patrons. I also had the pleasure of interviewing the author on one of our library’s virtual author panels this year and she brought such a fun and insightful perspective to the group, we will absolutely be inviting her back again.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an advance copy of this audiobook.

Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher is a young adult novel that is mostly contemporary but with a bit of mystery and romance. I have to admit it was the cover that got me with this one and wasn’t sure it would be one I’d like but I’m glad I took the chance after picking it up.

Amelia Griffin has recently lost her best friend in the world, Jenna, when she was killed in a car accident. Amelia and Jenna shared so much in life but one thing was their love for the Orman Chronicles which caused a riff between them right before the accident took place. When a rare edition of the chronicles arrives for Amelia she can’t help but think somehow Jenna is responsible so she decides to pack up and head to Michigan where the book came from to investigate.

Amelia Unabridged was an absolutely beautiful story to match the absolutely beautiful cover. The writing drew me into the world immediately and the emotion involved came across the pages amazingly. I really enjoyed all of the characters in the book and felt a pull to learn more about them and couldn’t help but turn the pages faster to find out how it would all turn out in the end for them all.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.