i think my students will love this book. Just enough sadness combined with a love story - something that they are always asking for.

How am I supposed to go on living life normally after this book? How am I supposed to continue on knowing that this book didn’t get the marketing it deserves and I’ll (most likely) never get five different special editions of this book?

Amelia Unabridged is best going into mostly blind. Just don’t read the synopsis. The book is about grief, and the main character using her understanding of her own grief to help someone else deal with their grief and anxiety. The book is also a love letter to the all of the books that helped us through our traumas and hard spots in life, and to the authors who wrote them.

It’s hard to describe how much this book means to me, and personal too. I really loved Amelia as the main character who we saw a bit before the incident, and then we got to see how she responded after the incident. What I love so much about this book was the importance it put on a strong support system. And how sometimes your biggest supporters can be found families.

I truly love this book with all my heart, and I can’t wait for someone else to pick this up and love it too.

Full review to be posted soonish.

I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

So here is Amelia, a high school girl who has all the chips stacked against her. Her father left, her mother is a depressed shell of herself but at least she has her bestie and her super supportive parents. Oh and she loves this book series about sisters who move between this world and a mythical one.

Lots of promising set up. The beginning of the book was easy to get into.

But her bestie dies. And she decides that she’s going to stop reading because the love of reading and that particular book series is something that they shared. Hmm...

Then, she gets a mysterious copy of the book and even though she calls them and they say they have no record of anyone sending her the book, she decides to take a plane BY HERSELF for a week to track down the bookstore. For real life?! Oh and did I mention that she’s a senior in high school?

So she gets on a plane, rents a car (is that even possible?) and drives herself to this bookstore without making any hotel or lodging arrangements. And what does she find there? An big dog and insta-love. Ugh.

Kids, don’t try this at home. Please.

The rest of the book felt like a love story written by a middle schooler with an idealized version of love. And a big dog.

Am I too old for this book? Too jaded? Too parental? Perhaps. This is the kind of book I read when I was young and impressionable and led me to anxiously await my very own hot insta-love. Take one young girl, add sulky misunderstood boy, simmer for five days and POOF! Lifelong happiness! *sigh*

—-

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

I would like to extend my thanks to the author, #NetGalley and publisher for sending me this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I absolutely adored this book. It is beautifully written, and the characters so well described I felt like I was on their whimsical journey together. There is nothing bad to say about this book. I cried. I laughed. I held my breath. I am not giving anything away about this book as I would hate to make anyone miss the magic written in these pages.

This book broke me! I cried so hard with this one. I could not put it down and I read it so fast and I just died while reading this. If you need an amazing read that will break you in the best possible way then read this one now!

Love, love, love!! Amelia Unabridged is a FANTSTIC novel that I fell in deep with. A book about books, friendship, and life. What more could I want?

Amelia's dad has run off with a younger woman. Her mom ignores her. All she has are her books. Until the day she befriends Jenna. Soon, she is enmeshed in Jenna's family and finally feels a part of something. For graduation, Jenna gets tickets for a book convention where Amelia's FAVORITE author will be speaking. Say what? How amazing is that, right? Well, unfortunately he cancels, which really disappoints Amelia. However, she gets outraged when she finds out that her BFF, Jenna, actually met the author. Yep, turns out she met him at the airport when he was having a panic attack. Suffice it to say, Amelia is not happy and the two wind up having a MASSIVE argument. They don't get the chance to really make up, because Jenna winds up passing away in an accident in Ireland. Devastated by the loss of her best friend, Amelia stops reading and questions everything about life. And then, she receives a book in the mail. A book by her favorite author. Could this be from Jenna? Convinced her best friend is behind this happy mail, Amelia decides to track the book down - where did it come from? She winds up tracing it to a bookshop in Michigan where she meets her favorite author. Say what? Yep, Amelia finally comes face to face with him. And, her journey to the bookshop and what happens after wind up opening Amelia up to the her future and the possibilities it can bring.

Talk about a fascinating and gripping story. I just loved getting to know Amelia and Jenna. And I absolutely LOVED reading about their love of books. This story was so much fun to read. I would happily recommend Amelia Unabridged to anyone and everyone looking for their next great read - you will LOVE this book to bits!!

It's a crummy feeling when, rather than enjoying a well written YA romance, I brood over how it isn't logically possible to fall instantly and insanely in love with someone you've just met. Maybe the younger me would have immensely liked this book, the present me wasn't floored while reading it. It's cute and everything else a book on young love should be like but I am such a cynic. The premise was intriguing and it started off quite well too but after a bit, there were some aspects in the story that I just can't shakeoff. As in how Valerie openly welcomes a person ( Amelia ) she just met, into her home or even how all the characters bond so well together over such a short time and yet Amelia doesn't make an effort to reconnect with her mom.
Too bad it turned out this way for me because I did try hard to like reading this book but I found very little in it to connect with. I still recommend this book because maybe you will find the magic in it that alludes me.

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Rating: 10/10
Steam:🔥/4

This is a stunning debut novel written by Ashley Schumacher. It has so much depth and quotable moments. I want to read this book every year. I’ve lost many close family members and the grief never leaves but transforms as life my continues. I continue to get little signs and messages from my angels in Heaven. I am grateful for the gift of this book and the message it shares.

This book, to put it plainly, is incredible. The characters are raw and genuine and believable and the setting is so whimsical and somehow hyper realistic at the same time.

It is very clear that the author has experienced grief because the way it is tackled in this book is so accurate. I was torn between wanting to devour it all in one setting and spacing it out over time to savor it so it wouldn’t end too quickly.

This will absolutely be on my top books of the year list and is getting recommended to everyone I know.

5 ⭐️

Everything is a story, not just writing. You need to find the story that means something to you, a story you like telling."

Title: Amelia Unabridged
Author: Ashley Schumacher
Type: Standalone
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Amelia Unabridged is a very "YA" book, a genre that lately I haven't been falling in love with, hence although the story might be brilliant for me it fell a little flat in comparison to my expectations. Amelia and Jenna are best friends, I loved their meeting story and felt it resonated throughout the whole story. However, I didn't really feel the connection between them, apart from that first scene that stuck in my mind all the other scenes between them felt really inconsequential. Jenna's death, which is not a spoiler but the force that drives the whole story, felt very rapid and I never really felt sadness because I didn't connect with them or at least her relationship with Amelia.

The story quickly turns into a coming of age story. After Jenna's death, Amelia has to figure out how to live without her friend and how to live in reality not in her daydreams or books. This turns out to be hard as she receives a book from her favorite author, a one of a kind edition that she knows was sent by Jenna. Before embarking into the journey to college she knows she has to figure out why Jenna sent her the book this way, if it even was Jenna. She travels alone to this strange library where she meets her favorite author who happens to also be going through the motions of grief and has not been able to finish the glorious books Amelia holds so close to her heart.

The story is one that comes alive, and the writing speaks by itself. However, I was never able to connect with the characters which made it really hard to be amazed or proud or every happy for them. The romance was super cute but very PG. I think my biggest issue was that at times I felt I was reading about Middle Schoolers, not almost college students. Amelia sounded very immature and distant. Overall the story is not forgettable due to the great writing, but the characters definitely are.

The feelings that the story evokes are marvelous and I feel the book would be great for another audience that is not me. Thus I still recommend it 100% if you're looking for a one of a kind YA story, but not if you like things to be darker and steamier like I have been recently in the mood for.

--- 2.5 stars ---

After the sudden and tragic death of her best friend Jenna, Amelia receives a special edition copy of the first book of the fantasy series that brought them together. Grappling with her grief and the looming future they had meticulously planned together, Amelia seeks to find answers about the gift in hopes that it can shed new light on some of the last days of her friend’s life. Days which they had largely spent in anger at each other after a fight at a book convention where Jenna met the famous author Amelia had been dying to see for years without her. 

An exploration of a young girl’s grief through a romantic coming-of-age story centering around a love for literature, Amelia Unabridged will be adored by book lovers, especially those looking for a love story. 

With Bridge to Terabithia vibes, the book weaves picture-perfect prose with hard-hitting topics, sprinkling a touch of magic and whimsy into a classic YA contemporary. 

This story had all the ingredients to be a spectacular and special treat but ended up making something very vanilla. Part of this was certainly preference, as the plot was much more romance-centered than hard-hitting like I had anticipated and the focus on fame and fan culture much more prominent. 

But for something that was so clearly written by a talented author who can certainly write a well-articulated and poetic passage, the characters seemed too familiar, the set-up to unbelievable, and the messages too obvious. Maybe it’s just me and my hardened heart after years of grim literature, but this novel was supposed to be truly tragic...and I just didn’t feel that sad. The characters may have felt relatable on the surface but there was a certain level of incredulity beneath about many of their circumstances. And I just couldn’t grasp the grief they felt about others, having not spent enough time getting to know those they had lost.

Meanwhile, the not-quite-magical-realism element seemed oddly placed and used too obviously as a metaphor in a way that I felt should have either been leaned into more or entirely skipped over. Not to mention that the ending tied up many loose ends while completely forgetting about answering the initial mystery. 

A beautifully adorned novel but bland within, Amelia will be a forgettable read for me despite its strengths; 3 out of 5. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the early copy in exchange for an honest review!

"Amelia Unabridged" is a treat for bibliophiles who likes a kiss at the end. This book is an homage to books, book lovers, and lovers. It's one of those books that makes you believe in fate and destiny and everything good. I'm not usually one for "sad" books so I was wary of the description, but the wonderful cover drew me in. I adored the chemistry between Alex and Nolan, Nolan and Amelia. And, honestly, quirky dogs really do make a book! I hope to be reading so much more of Schumacher's exceptional prose.

I absolutely loved this book! The characters were so dynamic and relatable. I loved watching them grow throughout the course of this book.

Amelia is devastated when her best friend Jenna is killed. They had their whole lives planned out. But things change. Amelia receives a special edition book in the mail of her favorite author's first book. Why? What? In going on a search of where the book came from, Amelia finds herself and all the things she never knew she needed.

Amelia Unabridged is a heartwarming and emotional story of the power of books, friendship, and love.

*Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a digital copy of this book" My first reading from this author and was heartfelt, I really enjoyed and I think you would too. I would not want to give it all, just some points.

Amelia Unabridged was a book that took me by surprise with the emotional depth it offered. I feel like the tortured writer trope has been done, but Ashley Schumacher adds nuance through her depiction of leads Amelia Griffin and Nolan Endsley.

It's a book that tackles themes of grief and recovery and creativity and finding one's place in the world. I'll definitely look to read more from this author.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing a copy of this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Amelia and Jenna, her best friend, have both been lifelong fans of a series called the Orman Chronicles; so, it is only fitting that they attend a literary festival in California as a graduation present. When the author, N. E. Endsley, fails to make an appearance at said festival, the two girls have somewhat of a falling out about it; Amelia saw Jenna talking to Endsley before he decided to cancel, so she blames her for everything. Shortly after that Jenna dies, and Amelia is grief-stricken. When Amelia receives a rare copy of a limited edition from the series, she follows the address of the package it came in searching for answers surrounding Jenna's death, and incidentally ends up on Endsley's doorstep. The two of them end up bonding over loss and shared family trauma. Despite the fact that this book deals with death and divorce; it is an overall gentle and cozy read.

This didn't really do it for me. The cover is dull and doesn't stand out. The story feels like every other YA out there on the same topic. Nothing special sorry.

3.5 stars! I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. I thought it would have been an easy 5 star read for me. The storyline had a lot of potential but the execution fell a little flat for me. I loved the characters and loved the bookish aspect of this book.

I do think there was definitely an element that was problematic where a mental illness was “magically” cured by love.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher is the story of a 18 year old girl named Amelia Griffin, who lives in many universes at a times and is a lover of books just like us. I'm sure many of us can relate with her on this level.

She is obsessed with the famous Orman Chronicles, written by the young and reclusive prodigy N. E. Endsley. These books bought her and her best friend, Jenna close and helped her in grieving the loss of her father.

Things happen and her best friend, Jenna meets with an accident. Amelia finds a rare edition of her favourite book Orman Chronicles, at her doorstep, she tracks where did the book come from and ends up in a small bookshop in Michigan.

Over there she finds nonother than, the author Endsley himself. The author is not who and how she had imagined. I just felt that the first half and the second half were written by two different people. The headspace and the rhythm completely changed.

It's just another insta-love story between the two. The things starting to get very abrupt and nothing makes sense once she meets Amelia. With a powerful start and not to quite good ending, the book is a one time okay read for me.
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Thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for the eARC