I loved this! This is a book all about friendship, love, loss, and living after a loss. Throw in good character development, reading fangirl stuff (like enchanting book stores), and tortured love interest -- you are sure to have a hit.

This was such a treat to read! I fell in love with this book from page one and it tugged at my heart the whole way through.

Amelia hasn’t had the best life growing up. Her dad left for a younger woman and her mom never says much. Through all the heartache, she finds a new life in books, which any reader can relate to. She also finds a friend, Jenna.

Everything in life doesn’t always go as planned and Amelia is faced with more heartache when her friend, Jenna, is killed in a car accident. This is really where her journey begins.

The plot is filled with heartache, a journey of self-discovery, learning to stand on your own, and finding love. It is also a book about books and as a bookworm, I found myself relating to her and all of the stories that she mentioned throughout. There is even a comparison to how she treats books versus her friend because all readers are different.

When it came to the romance, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I didn’t want it to be instant-love but when you meet someone you have admired for so long, I figured that is what would happen. It definitely goes much deeper than that because he is shy and filled with a hurt that Amelia can understand. Little did she know that when she went on this trip she wouldn’t be the only one who needed to heal. They help each other and it was just the best thing to ever read.

As for the characters, I loved every single one, which is honestly surprising because it doesn’t happen often. Val, Alex, Nola, Wally, Mr. Larson, and Amelia were all just so wonderful to get to know, even if a couple didn’t have as big of a role. Even though Jenna’s life is cut short in the book, Amelia shares memories of them together and it helps to understand the bond she shared with her.

The epilogue at the end wrapped everything up nicely and left me in tears. (Well, a lot of the book did actually, haha.)

Overall, this book is just everything and hopefully I have convinced you all to read this precious book. You definitely can’t say no to that cover!

You may not know who Ashley Schumacher is, but I have a feeling this won't be the last time we hear her name. Her debut young adult novel, Amelia Unabridged, is so painstakingly beautiful that it will stay with you long after you’ve finished the story and solidify Schumacher as a new name in the world of YA fiction.
This book is full of grief, love, and finding yourself amidst both emotions. Amelia’s story is touching and readers will be able to empathize with her in her struggles to not only figure out what she wants out of life, but also how to honor Jenna in doing so. The way each emotion and feeling is expressed and the way Schumacher used “whales” to convey Amelia’s highs and lows is beautifully written and unique. The descriptive language is comprehensible and heightens each emotion felt by Amelia from her own grief and Nolan’s.
Getting to know each of the characters in this book is so enjoyable and seeing how they interact with one another makes you wish you could join them in Lochbrook, Michigan. The way the world of Orman is interwoven into the story makes this book-within-a-book even more whimsical and magical. It will make you wish The Orman Chronicles was an actual book series just so you could experience the same joy Amelia feels when reading, thinking, or talking about it. Anyone who loves books will appreciate the way this novel emphasizes the magic behind reading.
The story leaves you hopeful that even if bad things happen in your life, the good will come as well and there will always be someone there to keep you grounded in living life instead of running from it. Additionally, Amelia’s story reminds us that the best way to remember those we’ve lost is by living our lives to the fullest and experiencing joy in it. That while grief is normal and necessary, it should not consume us and force us to follow a path we don't want to go down.
Brimming with meaningful storytelling, purposeful characters, and a little bit of mystery, Amelia Unabridged is a must-read for both YA and non-YA readers alike. I cannot recommend enough that you check this book out when it’s released on February 16th.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

TW: death

This book is so amazing. Starting out with a book convention, bonding over a favorite book, and meeting the author, this book I s a dream come true. And don’t even get me started on how lovely the writing is!
Please check out my quotes for my favorites
This is such a lovely romance read it made my heart almost burst with love and made my eyes tear up with sadness

My heart has been ripped out, sewn back together with love, ripped out a few more times, and mended with tears. So many tears. I don't think I've cried like this since I read Code Name Verity. I just ached for these characters, and yet so many of the tears were out of love for how they were growing and blossoming and becoming amazing human beings. I cannot wait to read more by Ashley!

Amelia Griffin has a special connection to the Orman Chronicles – they’re the books that brought her and her best friend, Jenna, together after Amelia’s father left for good and her family imploded. Years later, they have the chance to meet young, reclusive, and enigmatic author N.E. Endsley at a convention, Amelia is beyond excited to start off the summer before college right. But things don’t exactly go as planned – Jenna meets him, Amelia doesn’t, and it leads to the biggest fight of their friendship. A few weeks later, Jenna is gone, and Amelia struggles to grapple with a future that was mapped out for two. When a book that shouldn’t exist lands in Amelia’s hands, it leads her to a bookstore in Michigan where she might find exactly what she needs – a clue to what Jenna wanted to tell her all along.

Wow, ok, I guess I have to try and articulate all my thoughts about this book. I absolutely loved it. Hard-hitting contemporary novels have become some of my favorites this year. Amelia Unabridged is able to explore the topic of grief from so many angles – losing a friend, a daughter, siblings, and even trying to comfort a loved one through their own grief. Each of the characters deal with their individual struggles, and understanding how those struggles affect the ones around them. While I can see how readers may find issue with both Amelia and Nolan’s “outbursts,” I felt that their emotions were consistent with the stage of grief they were at. I found the contrast between Amelia’s parents (primarily her mother), and Jenna’s parents (Mr. and Mrs. Williams) showed a contrast between guardians that provide too much guidance and those whose guidance proves to be inadequate. I will say I wish that I had hoped the relationship between Amelia and Nolan would progress more platonically instead of romantically, however, I found the bond between them lovely to read about, and I didn’t mind that it occurred over a short period of time.

“There is a photo of a girl with tears of various emotions in her eyes as they scan the last lines of the epilogue of Amelia Unabridged. It’s the first day of fall with a chill in the air, and she’s wearing her pajamas and an oversized red sweatshirt after a long day working from home. She knows that when those lines are done, she will go back to read the last chapter again, as she does with every one of her favorite books, and mourn the fact that she has to wait until next February to have a finished copy in her hands. She will cherish the copy she has for now, and think about how many people she will try to convince to read this book. She’s smiling sadly, as she knows that every book must come to an end, but knows that the best stories will live on inside you long after the covers are closed.”

In conclusion, if you need a hard-hitting young adult contemporary centering around books, grief, and small-town vibes, I highly recommend picking up Amelia Unabridged when it is released. Ashley Schumacher has fully captured the essence of figuring out your future while living in the present and trying to learn from your past. **Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Wednesday Books, for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher is an amazing novel - I absolutely loved it!

Amelia is a high school graduate who is trying to handle the grief of suddenly losing her best friend Jenna. When she receives a gift with no indication of who it is from, it starts an adventure that will change the course of her life forever.

This book is warm, heartfelt, moving, and full of beautiful and whimsical imagination. Amelia Unabridged has been added to my favorites list - and I can tell you, I am picky when it comes to my favorites (I have not added one to my favorites list in over a year and a half!). Read this novel - it will not disappoint.

Amelia Unabridged was a sweet read. I know I will most certainly be suggesting this one to my daughter to read when she gets a little older.

This story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. With such strong messages about friendships, family, grief and being true to your own self it's such a perfect read for young adults.

I definitely consider myself a true book worm so loved the main characters love of books and the majority of the story taking place in a whimsical, small town bookstore. The ending of this book left my heart feeling all warm and fuzzy.

Definitely recommend!

There have already been so many wonderful reviews of this book and they definitely stand up to what this book holds! I loved this book! I loved the imagery, I loved the characters, just a beautifully and well done book.
Amelia is dealing with the death of her best friend Jenna after a fight they had at a book festival about their favorite author N. E. Endsley. Amelia receives a special edition copy of one of her favorite books from a bookshop in Michigan and she sees it as a sign from Jenna and goes to find out where it came from and what they might know about her friend. She finds a beautiful bookshop, some new friends, and a new place to call home.
I loved the connection between her and Nolan. I loved how she spoke of it like a tether between them. I liked that they had this telepathic connection and really took the time to learn each other and feel each other.
I loved the imagery of the whales and the waves in dealing with grief.
The bookshop is beautiful and I liked how Alex and Val welcomed Amelia in! The lighthouse room, I could just picture it and picture being there. This is a bookshop that I would love to visit if it were real!
Such a beautiful, wonderful story about grief, friendships, growing up, and finding what you really want along the way. I will be thinking about this one for a long time to come!
I can't wait for this book to be out in the world and to share it with so many people!

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC!

Book: Amelia Unabridged
Author: Ashely Schumacher
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Wednesday Books, for sending me an ARC.

I know, I know, I am one of the very few people who did not give this book a five star rating. It’s just the simple fact that this was not a five star read for me. It was a very good read and a very strong read, but it just didn’t hit me in the same way that a five star read hits me. You know? It was just missing a little bit of something for me and I honestly do not know what that was.

So, this book does deal with some tough stuff. We start out with the day that Amelia’s life changed for the first time. Her father leaves and we find Amelia trying to deal with this. I mean, this is a pretty big change for her and we get to see how it affects her life. When she gets to her lowest point, we see Jenn come into her life and really kind of build her up. We actually see Jenn almost become her life planner and she kind of goes along with whatever Jenn wants her to. Jenn in fact seems to have their whole lives planned out. They are going to meet their favourite author and all of that good stuff.

Of course, things really don’t go according to plan. The author journey falls apart and, then, we see things go dark. Jenn is killed in a car accident and Amelia finds herself on her own again. This little event completely sets her off. Then, she gets a package in the mail and it’s a limited edition of her favourite book. The problem is that she didn’t order it.

Amelia sees this as a sign from Jenna and goes to Michigan, which is where the package is from. From there, we get to Amelia take chances and do things that she would have never done. We also see her really start to question the life that Jenn had set up for them and really wondering if that is the life that she wanted. I personally enjoyed getting to see Amelia transform from a follower into her own person. I mean, she was her own person, but this really allowed her to branch out and just create her own life. It’s not always smooth, but seeing this transform unfold was really solid.

The writing was also great and really brought the point home. I think it was also kind of what kept me from giving this a five star rating. It was good, but I think it was kind of missing a little bit of the punch that it didn’t. I honestly did not feel all that much when Jenn died. I know I was supposed to, but I just didn’t. I guess, I wasn’t all that attached to her character I guess. None of this is spoilers if you are wondering why I’m not using the spoiler tag. It’s mentioned in the summary.

Did I enjoy this? Yes. Again, it was just missing a little something to make it a five star rating.

Now, the publication date is a bit off. It doesn’t come out until February 16, 2021.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/vI_lRDEd7M4

<b>4.5 stars </b>

This book was so sweet. When I started reading it, I knew that this book would deal with grief as pretty early on Amelia's best friend dies in a car accident. (It's in the synopsis so it's not a spoiler) Anyway, I was expecting something really sad and heartbreaking. I was bracing for the impact but I'm glad that I didn't find myself crying like I thought I would. Yes, there were sad moments but overall I feel like this book gave us hope and the romance with our reclusive author Nolan was so cute, I loved every single moment of it! When they started to like each other (because it wasn't love at first sight when they actually met), I was so happy for them. Alex (Nolan's best friend) was also fun and protective and I loved that about him. This story was compelling and quick to read. I really don't have anything bad to say about this book. If you like YA contemporary, this one should definitely go in your TBR pile!

<i>(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

Amelia Unabridged is an interesting read, it is about Amelia and Jenna two best friends who like the same book written by a unique teen. When things get rocky and one of them dies the book takes a turn, and the real story goes on. This book is about so much more then i was expecting. A wonderful read.

Holy cow did I love this book. Schumacher creates an achingly beautiful story, with vibrant characters of such depth it took my breath away. This book gave me all the feels, and I can't tell you how many times I cried. It shows us grief and heartache and loss and healing and love so, so well. But as much as I cried, I know I smiled more.

Amelia's home life is falling apart when she meets Jenna at the local bookstore. The two become inseparable best friends quickly. They have everything planned out after graduation – go to a book festival to meet their favorite author N.E. Endsley and then go off to college together as roommates. That all changes in an instant when Jenna dies while away on a trip. Amelia is unmoored, and alone. She decides to travel to Michigan to track down the mysterious sender of a special edition of one of Endsley's books. There, she comes face to face to Ednsley himself. Will she be able to come back to herself and learn to risk her heart again?

Amelia Unabridged moved me from its first pages. It's lyrical and lovely. I read it in about two sittings. Ashley Schumacher does an outstanding job of showing us the magic of words and how books really are magic. I don't know how any bibliophile would be able to resist this one.

Do yourself a favor and pick this one up. It's a gorgeous contemporary with a sweet romance.

This is a book that will forever be on my comfort reading list. It has friendship, romance, a small town bookstore, heartache, healing, and finding family. It has a classic romance plot but the characters have depth and stories to share. You’ll want to move to Lachbrook and spend your weekends hanging out at Val’s.
I can’t wait to see what Amy Schumacher writes next!

I absolutely loved this novel and I can't believe it is a debut. I started it worrying that it may be too sad at first because of the blurb, but got so sucked in that I couldn't stop reading and stayed up half the night reading the entire thing in one sitting. This story is so true to the characters' grief and mourning without being weighed down by it. Despite the lead characters working through their trauma everything still feels so warm and cozy and like it is always moving in a positive direction no matter what it takes to get there. It is so whimsical and shows the magic that can be found in letting our imaginations run wild as well as in the real things in life. Love and friendship and knowing you have made decisions true to who you are so that you end up exactly where you should be in the moment - that is magical. The invisible tether of connection Amelia feels to Nolan is another beautiful way to infuse an air of magic to the story, and can be interpreted in various ways by the reader. I see it as a metaphor for the intuition we develop for those that we love and how sometimes our connections can feel almost tangible, or as a tie of fate as Alex claims. The way Amelia's imaginings are overlayed with reality is a brilliant way to depict daydreaming and a creative imagination. The prose is quirky and poetic while still being very easy to read and rooted in relatable struggles and choices in life. This book is also such a love letter to being a reader. When Amelia steps into Val's bookstore and describes it you can't help but give an dreamy sigh - it is the ideal bookstore. The Orman Chronicles are described as having a Harry Potter-like fandom and the novel explores how the series that we read during our formative years and during pivotal times in our lives become etched into our hearts and histories unlike anything else in life. Amelia and Nolan are so right and healthy for each other and their relationship is written in such a way that how quickly they fall in love makes total sense because they understand each other so deeply. The friendships in this story are so precious because they are quality over quantity and show that it isn't the family you are born with that matters. Everybody cares about each other and wants the best for each other even when it takes growing pains and arguments and mistakes for them all to get there. This story is about how hope and happiness can grow out of pain and loss and I know it is one I will come back to time and again.

A debut novel that had me fall in love with this author. If there is a book that I can't put down, makes me cry happy and sad tears, and requires that I devour it in as little time as possible... it gets 5 stars from me. I LOVED this book. I loved all the book/library references and scenes. I adored the characters, I loved the introspection, I loved it all.

Amelia Griffin had a rough time as a teenager. When her life felt like it was falling apart, she found solace in a new best friend and a fantasy world called Orman. As a high school graduation gift she and her bestie, Jenna, go to a book signing where she is going to meet the author. Through tragedy, their world is turned upside down and Amelia is forced to face her future without the support system she had come to love.

There is grief, there is love, there is beauty, there is anxiety, there is humor, but overall there is true friendship. Again. Loved. Wish there was more by this author!!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this was a poignant book that gripped me from the first page. It isn't the fastest book in terms of pace, but the writing and development of the plot hooked me in a different way. This may not be the easiest book to read in terms of content, but it was worthwhile and memorable,

Wow, I loved this book!
This was so compelling and I was sucked in from the start. I read this all in one sitting and couldn't get enough. The characters were well developed and there was a great balance of romance, grief, drama, and sweet moments. This flows so well and kept my interest throughout the book.

Amelia suffers an unexpected tragedy and is struggling to move forward. A book mysteriously arrives in the mail and spurs her to take a trip to a little bookstore in Michigan. There Amelia makes connections that help her process her grief and learn how to live her life without feeling guilty. First Val, the bookstore owner, shows her kindness and pushes her just enough to break out of her comfort zone. Then Alex, Val's son, befriends her and is a positive light shining bright.

Nolan, the reclusive author of Amelia's favorite book series, is also struggling with his past trauma. They fit together so well and help each other heal. I loved how their relationship developed and went through ups and downs. So much happens in just the week Amelia is there, yet it doesn't feel like insta-love. Their feelings seem natural and their shared bond makes things realistic.

I thought this was so well written and the ending was so perfectly done. A sweet, slightly sad, hopeful book is just what I needed.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Honestly, my heart hurts after reading this. It was so good! Amelia, Unabridged was something I probably would not have picked up on my own just because I tend to shy away from a YA Romance, but after reading this I have come to find that it is much more than that! I felt that Amelia was really relatable and her relationship with her best friend is something I feel that many people can relate to. If you're ready for a good cry, just do yourself a favor and pick this up. This may be a book that turns into a 5 star once it's published, so we'll see. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I will definitely be picking this up once it's published!

the premise of this book seemed very heartwarming and i was RIGHT. this book broke my heart and put it back together. the cover is what stood out the most to me and it being a book about BOOKS? SIGN ME UP!

i loved the complexity of everything amelia and nolan were going through and how they managed to find each other in the midst of their grieving. i had a few questions that were thankfully answered quickly and it made me understand the characters even more.

i adored every single character. i loved that amelia had a found family and that she was never truly alone. i liked how the author made the grief, and how they dealt with it, the main point but still made space for the romance to blossom.

amelia's struggle of figuring out her life is something everyone can relate to and i'm glad it was touched upon. life doesn't always turn out the way you hope/plan and that's okay.

nolan has my entire heart. i can't wait for everyone to fall in love with this beautiful story.