Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC digital copy. I have not been compensated for my opinion and this is an honest review.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish reading this ARC digital copy before needing to switch to other books that were being archived. The book remains on my Goodreads "want to read" list, and I will update my review to reflect an updated opinion when I finish it at a later date..

* Thank you to Wednesday book for the advanced copy for my honest review*

Wow, what a magical heartfelt book this was. I went into it blindly and came out feeling different towards the way I look at life.

Amelia’s home life isn’t normal. Her father leaves and in turn her mother becomes a zombie. To escape she runs and hides in books. On the day he leaves, she meets Jenna, a girl more beautiful and popular than her. Jenna invites Amelia into her life and they become the best of friends, like sisters. Jenna’s family even treats her as their own; inviting her on trips and paying for luxury meals. The girls decide to take a trip to a book event to meet and author they instantly bonded over, but sadly the author declines the event and afterwards tragedy happens. A book is sent to Amelia a couple weeks after and she takes a journey to find the magic again and to find a purpose for what’s happened. Along the way she meets people who change her life and make her realize that it isn’t always as mapped out as other make it for you. That you have the will to make yourself something in this world.

I didn’t think I’d love this book like I did. Like I said I didn’t set out knowing what to make of it or the impact it would have, but I love this book! The characters and the emotions that came with Amelia were exactly what I needed. Amelia is this not so perfect bookworm, who’s had to read to escape pain but then finds herself in people. She doesn’t want to disappoint, but she also needs to learn that not all things in life can be controlled and she just follow along, but that she needs to find herself for herself. That tragedies don’t make the world stop, if anything they make you want to keep on living. I also loved the complexity of Nolan and the things he’s been through that made the world more scary for him until Amelia makes him see there’s nothing to be afraid of.

This book is perfect for a bookworm or someone who’s gone through grief, to see it in a different light!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the creative plot, the character development and the relationship dynamics. Great read!

I was honestly surprised by how much I liked this. I think my enjoyment can largely be attributed to the absolutely magical bookstore that most of this story takes place in (seriously, can I go??), but I loved the rest of the book a lot too.

I wasn't really sure what I was getting into when I started this book, but this book was so much more than I could have ever expected. It's a tale laden with grief and heartbreak, but also deals with so much more than that. Amelia is stuck on a path in life she's not sure if she wants, but it's the path she created together with her best friend, who has just died tragically. This story explores Amelia's grief, her final moments of anger with her best friend, and the immense guilt she feels at not wanting the future they were planning to share together anymore. This guilt is what the book explores the most, as another character is introduced that struggles with this same mixture of guilt and grief.

My favorite part of this book had to be the lyrical writing, especially when describing the bookstore and some of Amelia's dreams/imagined scenes. Often, when books move too close to magical realism, or involve a lot of daydreaming on the part of the MC, I usually get put off if it doesn't well. It can easily feel cringy or too out-there. This book didn't have that issue at all, largely thanks to the gorgeous writing and descriptions that accompanied it, and I found myself enjoying the shared daydreams between the two main characters a lot instead. I also liked how the writing was able to carry the heavy aspects and discussions of this book, conveying the deep and tough emotions of the moment without feeling too dreary or hopeless.

Overall, I ended up really enjoying this, and will definitely be trying other books by this author!

This started off slow but after a bit it picks up pace and then not much goes on but a girl trying to figure her life out an a writer trying to face his problems. With that said I did enjoy most of the book it light hearted and what i need after a month of horror.

Amelia Unabridged is a book that takes you on an emotional roller coaster. It is beautifully written. You can feel the sadness, anger, and love from the characters through the writing. You can see the transformation that comes from grieving loss yet learning to love.

There are a few fantasy or magical elements to this story that caught me off guard at first. For being such a realistic book, this part didn’t seem to fit. As you get further into the book, these fantasy moments become poetic and blend right into the realism.

I am amazed by this debut novel. So well done.

5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Amelia Unabridged tore at my heartstrings. I loved the book and the narrator was an excellent choice as well.

Schumacher managed to make me cry, laugh, and just FEEL!

I will recommend this book to everyone who wants the emotional connection that Ashley gave me to a set of characters that I just wasn't expecting.

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.