Amelia Unabridged was one of my favorite, favorite reads of 2021. It’s a book that randomly pops in my head late at night, and out of more than 300 books read last year, one that really stuck with me. I was fully prepared to be equally devastated by Full Flight. In fact, I feel like I put up some pretty strong walls around my heart, and almost felt on the edge of my seat just waiting for tragedy to strike here. The amazing thing about Ashley Schumacher is, even though she breaks your little heart into a million and one pieces, her beautiful words are also the healing balm to patch it back up.

Anna James and Weston Ryan have nothing in common except being part of a small Texas town’s robust marching band. When the two are tasked with performing a duet together, they quickly find out they have much more in common than they think. Weston’s parents recently divorced, and he’s still reeling from the pain the split has caused in his life. He spends most of his days alone, holed up in his room playing video games. While Anna has a strong family unit and several close friends, she still feels an emptiness in her soul that she can’t seem to fill. The two start hanging out secretly outside of school–Anna to learn her part of the duet, and to also catch Weston up on schoolwork he’s neglected this year. While they’re getting to know each other, they’re also learning about truer versions of themselves. When her parents find out, shit hits the fan and it’s v dramatic, as most teenager vs. parents scenarios are.

Then the very bad thing happens and I was left sobbing for the last 45 minutes of the book. I’m getting weepy just thinking about it. I won’t get too deep into the v bad thing, but I’ll say Ashley can write the hell out of grief. There’s almost a lyrical quality to her words that just put you so deep in your feelings that you’ll just layer on a cozy blanket, grab a cup of tea and stay awhile. Thanks much to Wednesday books and NetGalley for a digital ARC of Full Flight.

3.5 rounded up.

I definitely recommend NOT reading the blurb before reading this book. I'm not sure if you are reading this review if you've read the blurb or not but I read it and spent most of the book waiting for something in the book to happen and I feel like it took away from the book some.

This is the story of Anna, who lives in a tiny town in Texas. She is a saxophonist and gets a big part for her marching band and doesn't want to lose it. With the help of Weston, she is able to improve dramatically but her parents don't know that he has been helping her. He has a sort of infamous reputation and her parents don't want her to see him.

I felt like the book dragged for most of it but I think that's because I was waiting for the big thing to happen. Once it did, I felt like the book really came together and I loved the ending but it was a good like 80% until that happened.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

I went into this book with zero expectations, and I’m walking away with a fond yet bittersweet smile. Because I did not go into this book thinking I’d get hurt. Alas, here I am. Nevertheless, I loved it. I’ve personally never felt the way our main characters did, in regards to loneliness or in regards to love. And yet that didn’t stop me from being moved by them. I don’t read a lot of contemporary, but books like these make me feel like I should.

I enjoyed Ashley Schumacher’s Amelia Unabridged and I loved this just as much! Schumacher is almost one of my favorite authors! Can’t wait to read more from her.

Enfield, Texas, is much like any other town in Texas: there, football is practically a religion. But for some students at Enfield’s small high school, marching band is king in the fall. Anna James has been playing saxophone for just a few years, not nearly as long as most of the other kids in the band, and when she gets a chance to play a duet in the field show, she is determined to get it right so she won’t lose out to another student. That leads her to ask her duet partner, a mellophone player named Weston Ryan, to help her practice.

Weston is inclined to say no. He’s mostly a loner, except for a couple of close friends, and many people in school and the town think he’s trouble or at least just weird. He doesn’t want to rub off on Anna, who is perfect, a Happening. But he says yes.

The two form a friendship and more. Weston’s musical talent helps Anna to be a better musician; she helps him feel a little more accepted and comfortable. But just as their relationship is truly blossoming and he’s feeling accepted even by Anna’s strict parents, a tragedy happens, and Anna has to move on without him.

I immediately decided to read Full Flight because I so thoroughly enjoyed the author’s debut novel, Amelia Unabridged. This is a bit more grounded in reality, without the bookish fantasy threads going through AU. But they both have themes of friendship, loss and grief, and feeling lonely and separate. Both are lovely and real and struck at my heart. And as a band member in high school myself, and a mom to three marching band kids, it was fun to be so immersed in marching band in a novel. I immediately handed it over to my youngest, currently in band, who enjoyed all the band geek references. Even as fun as it is for readers who have been or are in marching band, it still will ring true for others, as band is just a construct where the important themes can play out.

Go ahead and slap “Ashley Schumacher’s #1 Fan” on my forehead because I’ll never get enough of her almost poetic writing style. I can’t wait to get my copy tonight so that I can sit it next to her first book on my shelves, which is still my favorite. Just a little warning should you pick up this book (which you should, duh!), maybe don’t read the end of the book during your lunch break at work unless you have no problem blubbering in public. Learn from my mistakes.

Anna is fresh blood; she’s newer to band than all the lifer members. All the same, she is determined to work hard and do well now that her parents can financially support this hobby she’s been dreaming of, but she can’t seem to get this freaking duet right. Recognizing that Weston Ryan’s talents far surpass his lower social status, Anna begs their teacher to make Weston her duet partner/tutor, not caring what other people at the school or her parents think. He can help her get to where she needs to be. Plus, his private little smile, just for her, doesn’t hurt either.

Weston has had so many rumors started about him, he doesn’t even care. He doesn’t care that everyone, except his best friend, only sees his leather jacket he wears every day or the fact that he went to their rival school for a year. Honestly, he just has too much going on to care.
When Anna forces her friendship on him during a tumultuous time of his life, his is forced to recognize his loneliness, as well as his hurt from dealing with the breaking point of his family. Anna gives him somewhere he can finally feel like he belongs, but his fear of messing it up is fighting for the upper hand.

Schumacher is amazing at writing first love: so all consuming, so important. Weston teaches Anna the magic of music and the beauty of the perfect duet, of something created as two being made perfect in belonging. Anna teaches Weston how to find happiness in the very things that make them quirky. Even when her parents try to separate them, the two learn what it means to fight for each other. After the unthinkable happens (HOW DARE YOU, ASHLEY SCHUMACHER), Weston teaches Anna how to take the things she’s learned from being fully, completely, incandescently in love with a passionately musical boy on with her as she grieves and reorients her life.

Two things to highlight that I took away from this book. I am not a musician, I’ve never been in band, I have no experience with this topic. But the passion Weston has for music is so deeply engrained in the emotion-filled writing that I wanted to learn just as much as Anna. I wanted to hear everything about why and how music can be so incredibly special. Secondly, the book ends with unanswered questions about a specific character (trying not to be spoilery here), but it doesn’t feel incomplete. It works. So often we are touched by people in our lives even when we don’t have the whole picture of who they are.

Schumacher writes a beautiful portrait of a deep longing to belong somewhere painted on a backdrop of a perfect duet. I seriously can NOT get enough of her magical, emotional writing style, even as heartbreaking as her stories can be. Can we hurry up to her next book release please? Asking for a friend.

I could relate to this book like you wouldn't believe! It may be 30+ years since I was in high school, but I was in the band and in a small Texas town and understood the dynamics of Friday night football, band competition, and small-town life.

Anna and Weston are destined to be together once they get past their hangups and controlling parents (at least on Anna's side). However, these two are good for each other as they bring out the best in each other and push each other to strive for more than they thought they could achieve.

This novel encompassed many aspects of life from the teen perspective and I felt like these were spot on with what kids might experience in high school from friendship, bullying, pressure, and so much more. While the synopsis hints at what happens at the end, it still broke my heart and I admit to having a few tears running down my face. It was hard to imagine how I might have felt in the same situation.

I did feel like Anna's parents were overbearing and while I know they were just trying to protect her, she also had given them no reason to go overboard with their judgments of Weston. It was a shame they took so long to get to know him because, in the end, that time wasn't enough.

Make sure to have some tissue on hand for the last 15-20% of the book. You will need it.

We give this book 5 paws up.

Marching band is taken very seriously in the small town of Enfield, Texas. Okay, more like for the select number of kids in the music program at Enfield High School. While most kids started their instruments in elementary or middle school, Anna has a lot to prove as a newbie to the music world. When she convinces Weston, town weirdo and genius musician to help her with their duet, she doesn't expect to fall so hard and so quickly. As much as Weston tries to keep this girl and arms length, she manages to worm her way into his heart.

Ashley Schumacher's debut, Amelia Unabridged, was one of my favorite books I read last year. She has an incredible way with words and writes just beautifully. She also loves to hit you were it hurts, writing emotions so vividly, I had a hangover the next morning from all my tears. Her lyrical sophomore release is no different. Through dual perspective, she tells the heartbreaking story of first love between quirky sunshine Anna and mysterious quiet Weston. Even though they fall for each other really fast, it didn't feel that way when reading it—as if they've known each other all their lives. Every glance, every gesture jumps off the page. It's really a testament to Schumacher's writing that she can evoke readers ro feel so much, from so little.

My biggest complaint is that the big emotional turning point is pretty much spoiled in the synopsis, making me anxiously on the lookout for the inevitable, kind of taking me out of the story. Now, not everyone will read the synopsis before a book, but I am not that person. Another thing that bothers me is the qualities that make Weston "weird" in their small town: a leather jacket and divorced parents. That's it? Give me something else that would warrant this guy to be a loner and constantly gossiped about. Despite all of that, I guarantee this intense and heartbreakingly beautiful story will make you cry, so bring on the tissues.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a thank you to @netgalley and @wednesdaybooks for an advanced readers copy of this novel by @ashwritesbooks I write this review. @ashwritesbooks reflects on the moments in high school where everything is heightened . The choices you made feel as if your whole world could change and for Anna and Weston they were. This novel explores common experiences in Anna and Weston’s life ex. Marching band, familial expectations, first love,ambition, and hope for the future. This novel will touch you and give you space to reflect either for the first time or after the uncertainty that comes with being a high school junior or senior. I highly recommend this novel and give it five out of five stars on @goodreads

Terrific, emotional book! It’s a YA love story with depth and characters that will make you feel your feels. Thank you to the publisher, this was just what I needed at the moment with a romance that makes you cry!

"𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺."

𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝗨𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗱 was one of my top books of 2021 and I couldn't wait to get my hands on 𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗙𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧. I wasn't disappointed.

"𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘰𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵, 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘢𝘳."

Seriously, no one writes YA romance like Ashley Schumacher. Her characters are quirky and sweet and they fall in love with all the awkwardness and hope that teens really do. Anna and Weston find each other through music (they're both members of the high school marching band) and Schumacher's writing is just as lyrical, but what really pulled me in was how authentic their relationship felt.

"𝘛𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦."

I highly suggest you go into this one blind (the synopsis gives too much away) but know it will put you through an emotional wringer. There's almost always heartbreak with first loves but this one... oof. I'll leave it at that.

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the copy to review.

Let me start this off by saying that I loved Amelia Unabridged and had high expectations for Full Flight. This might be a long review, but here we go. I'm generous with my reviews and ratings so even though I rage read this book just so I could write this review, despite not enjoying it, I didn't give it the one star I thought I would.

I wish that Full Flight would have been marketed more appropriately for what it is, which is Christian literature, which is something that I'm not a fan of. I think that there is a way to include things such as discussions of purity and religion in a way that doesn't perpetuate negative and harmful views. This is one hundred percent a result of my experiences, but I would not recommend young adults read this book if they're struggling with thoughts on purity. This book did nothing to address any of the casual religious trauma and harmful views it posited. I had to ask myself constantly what year this book was written in because I felt like so many of the views were old-school and harmful. Weston, the male lead is a "bad kid" because his parents divorced, he wore a leather jacket, and there were rumors about him cutting down a tree. Somehow all of this led to him internalizing that he was a bad kid as well. It never made sense to me and again, I think it's harmful to not just peers but ALSO ADULTS (parents/teachers) to believe that somehow he's bad because of his parents getting divorced. I actually asked a number of people if I missed something because I didn't get it.

This is straight-up instalove (which I hate) that went from 0 to 100 real quick. I never felt like the relationship progressed and I had no investment in either character. BECAUSE WHAT DID I LEARN ABOUT EITHER CHARACTER? NOTHING. There was not nearly enough character development for Anna or Weston. All we knew about Anna was that she went to church, braided her hair, liked to write, and was mean to her little sister. All we knew about Weston was that he loved music, his parents were divorced, he wore a leather jacket, and he didn't cut down the tree. I also am a synopsis avoided sometimes, and in this case, it was better that I didn't read the synopsis because it gives away what happens (something that accidentally got spoiled for me in a chat). But because of this lack of character development I, who cries easily, felt nothing when I read this book or got to the 80% mark. I hate books that have no point to a tragedy and that was what this book had. The grief was never explored in a meaningful or helpful way.

This book was just full of privileged white kids acting like they weren't privileged. I can't stand that and I know what rural white America is like because I grew up in it, but it's 2022. Let’s not act like your life is horrible because you can’t go on family vacations or eat out multiple times a week.

The only slightly redeeming thing for me was how Schumacher attempted to explore loneliness.

I wish I could recommend this book, but I really can’t.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ashley Schumacher has solidified herself as an auto-read author for me. Her writing is lyrical as she navigates teen angst, romance, and grief while simultaneously creating characters who feel wise beyond their years.

The story follows Anna and Weston, members of the high school marching band, as they get to know one another while working on a duet. Weston is the town outcast and quirky Anna is the only person who gives him a chance. Their emotional connection quickly draws you in and I love their commitment to telling each other the truth, even if it's hard to admit. Even as high schoolers, they are relatable as they struggle to navigate loneliness and family drama in the midst of their demanding high school extracurriculars.

I recommend going in fairly blind to best enjoy the story. It's an unforgettable story that is full of love and will tug at your heartstrings.

Also shoutout to whoever creates Shumacher's covers—they are stunning and the details are perfect.

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have mixed feeling about this one.

First I have to say Ashley Schumacher’s writing is beautiful. I picked this one up because I loved her debut, Amelia Unabridged, so much. The writing in this novel is just as lyrical and she has a way of putting human emotion to words that is true and genuine.

This story is about two high school students that meet in the marching band. Anna comes from a great family with two parents in the home and a little sister she’s finally learning to appreciate. Weston is figuring things out after his parents divorce. He’s a little socially awkward but, more than that, he’s really just misunderstood. He’s quiet, partial to a black leather jacket and prefers the solace of music over company. When Anna needs help learning a piece of music for a duet their band director volunteers Weston to help her out. Once Anna gets to know Weston it’s clear everyone has been wrong about him and she falls in love. Weston finally allows enough walls around his wounded heart to crumble and lets Anna in.

I loved the marching band setting. I was in band before society convinced me it was uncool and it was some of the best years of my childhood. One of my biggest regrets is not sticking with it through high school.

Weston and Anna’s love is sweet and innocent but they deal with temptation like every other human. One thing that bothered me is the author’s handling of this. I felt like she was critical of parents who encourage their children to wait for marriage to have sex and this soured my reading experience. The characters are around 15-16 years old and, as the mother of a 15-year-old myself, I felt uncomfortable with an intimate scene(it’s not open door) and how the author specifically criticized the Christian view on abstinence until marriage.

I want to give this book 4 stars for its beautiful writing, the sweetness of first love and the genuine characters. But I just can’t give a high rating to a book that seems to discourage abstinence and treats teen sex almost casually.

2.5/5 ⭐️ - some parts amazing, some parts I really disliked.

I really wanted to like this book, but I think it’s just not for me. The two main characters fell in love/like wayyyyyyy too quickly for me, and while they had some cute chemistry, it wasn’t enough for me. A lot of things were also just dropped into the story with no explanation, like band “lore” and Weston’s like school issues/past.

honestly, i think one of the things that really annoyed me was the way that anna's and weston's relationship. like, for so much of them they really feel in love in a matter of three days, like it was just so annoying how they just met and they kissed maybe like one time and than decided that they loved each other, when they had no emotional connection or literally anything in the relationship, besides how they both are in band. and like it was just so annoying how their relationship progressed, but i mean i guess they are in high school so they're dumb as shit when it comes to relationships.

with the grief aspect of this, i didn't like it. like i do appreciate how they did write the whole part of this book, but i feel like it didn't just fit in with the story. like, i think it was just kind of boring and i think that so much of this felt kind of off compared to everything, and that it just didn't work for me. like, i do think that it did have decent parts, and that it was cool to see how all the different characters got affected by it, but other than that, i think it didn't really work out. plus, i think the emotions of some of these characters just didn't have enough emotion as a character might have, especially anna.

but, one thing i really didn't like was how the band crap was talked about. like, i think so much of this book literally didn't make sense, and like they went into to much detail about all the band and how they play their instruments. and like being frank, literally nobody is going to read this book for the band stuff and the band stuff alone. like, yeah you might like band or be in band, but you are not going into this book just to read the band stuff. so, like i think the whole band details didn't make sense to someone that isn't in band. and honestly probably should have just been cut. and like i really didn't understand all the urgency for the band and how they needed to do everything so quickly and so soon, like it's literally just band, calm the fuck down.

for the characters, i think anna was just super annoying. like, i do think so much of it was just to much, and i think she just got to be on my nerves after awhile. like, i feel like all she did was complain about band and her family and how she can't do anything right, which was this never ending circle. with the whole band thing, i honestly have no clue how she even got into band and didn't get cut or something yet cause literally this whole book was just talking about how she doesn't know how to do anything related to playing her instrument, and like she would complain about not knowing, but not do anything by herself to fix it, which was just annoying. and i also think that they tried way to hard to make her not like other main characters, that they had her like christmas in like september, and all of this, that it really didn't make sense and follow.

with her family, i think that they were super annoying. like, i can understand what her parents were saying at certain points, and it generally made sense with some of their actions. but, they were also like complete helicopter parents, which just to be on my nerves after awhile. like, i get being protective over your teenage daughter, especially when she lied to you for a while, but other times their actions just didn't make sense. and like they just jumped to conclusion after conclusion which was just so annoying. and for her sister, i really didn't like her cause half of the time she acted like a whiny toddler and than the other time she acted like a full ass adult, which was like once, when she was really like 12.

then for weston, i feel like he was a ghost in his own story. like all we know about him is a few small things about his family, that in the grand scheme of things literally mean nothing to me, and that he's this apparent 'bad boy.' like, he doesn't even give a reason for his 'bad boy' status, its literally that he wears a leather jacket or some shit. and like also the whole thing about switching schools was also kind of a mess, since like it all might have been because he wrecked a tree?? like they didn't even go into detail about it, just that he knocked over some small ass tree and the whole town had a heart attack over.

and this might just be because we already knows that someone is going to die, and it's not even a hidden fact, but i feel with that it took so much away from the story. like i'm all find with tragic love stories like the fault in our stars, but i feel like this would have been such a better love story if they didn't put it in the description that he dies. like, i think that took away some of the emotional punch and that you couldn't really get invested in him / his plot line cause we already knew what was going to happen.

then kind of overall for both anna and weston, i feel like they both were kind of a mess. like, they really didn't have depth or anything, just two characters that don't necessarily fit in with how society views teenagers, and that's it. like, i think so much of them is just left unexplained and that their character development was non existent for so much of this book. and like i also think that this whole book had some riverdale feel to it, since it's just boring ass teenagers doing boring ass stuff in a small town.

I finished Full Flight by @ashwritesbooks over the weekend. I was eager to get my hands on this book since I LOVED Amelia Unabridged! And let me tell you, I devoured this.

This is a beautiful, musical, tender, heartbreaking story of two teenagers finding a connection in a small town. Weston is the boy in the shadows that everyone thinks they know everything about, but they don’t. And Miss Anna James is the only one who truly sees him. Both have struggles, both love the music, both have lives intertwined in a lovely duet. 

Yes I did cry. Yes I was sad. Yes I was moved. Yes this book tugged on my heart strings multiple times. The writing is just phenomenal, just like Amelia’s book. I was IN the story the whole time. I love the little details too- music, marching band, Christmas, the bus ride, four wheeling, glow in the dark stars…

I would say the only thing I would want more of is the ending. I didn’t get the closure I needed. I would love to know what happened say five years later. Hey, maybe we will.

My friends, this author knows how to write. She can give you so much back story in so few words. And she has such a way with writing deep character arcs. I will pick up every one of her books. 

Though my heart is still with Amelia’s book, Amelia Unabridged, I still loved Anna and Weston’s story. Check this one out! Full Flight comes out tomorrow February 22nd!

Thank you @wednesdaybooks and @netgalley for the early copy.

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Fall may be football season for most residents of Enfield, Texas, but for the members of the Fighting Enfield Marching Band, it's contest season. And for Anna James, junior and new sexophonist, it's a chance to prove herself as the great musician who deserves to be there as much as anyone else. She's having a hard time finding the right notes when assigned her first duet, so she turns to her piece partner, Weston Ryan, mellophone player, for help. Weston is the boy her small town has deemed nothing but trouble, but as the two spend hours practicing and the notes slowly fall into place, they both find there is more than meets the eye. As Weston and Anna spend more time together, they have to deal with other people's misconceptions and learn what it truly means to fight for something they love. But when the unthinkable happens and tragedy strikes, one is left to deal with picking up the pieces of shattered hearts.

I'm so glad that the writing style and character development that I loved so much in Amelia Unabridged made its way into Schumacher's sophomore novel. A difference I noted pretty early on was that this book is told in dual perscpective, with chapters alternating between Weston and Anna's points of view. I think this really helped the reader get inside the heads of the two main characters. I really appreciated the portrayal of loneliness that is present in both points of view - both Weston and Anna feel ostracized at some point, whether from their family, school, town, or band, and handle it in different ways, with Anna putting on a smile and acting as if nothing is wrong and trying her best to fit in while Weston embraces his loner status and keeps to himself, letting everyone else form opinions about him. Also, the musical descriptions and marching band elements are done so well, that every band geek is going to be laughing at the relatability (while some readers a lit more unfamiliar may find it a bit much at times, but that's ok, marching band kids can be extra sometimes). I played flute in my middle school orchestra, and while I was never in marching band, I was around plenty of people who were in college and I can definitely see where the inspiration came from. I really enjoyed delving into Weston and Anna's family lives to see some comparasions when they're pretty vastly different - Weston is an only child, the son of divorced parents who aren't present for much of the novel, while Anna has a younger sister and stricter parents who are more involved in her life, even if to a detriment sometimes. There is certainly some discussion as to whether there is a balance between "too present" and "not present enough" when it comes to parenting, and trying to do what you think is best for your kids while also taking into account what they think is best for themselves. I knew to expect tragedy, and I could almost see it coming, but even that didn't stop me from feeling all the emotions when it happened. I was there, right alongside the characters, grappling with the aftermath, and that, truly, is what I'd constitute as good writing.

I'll be honest, I think a chapter might have been missing from my review copy which may have affected my reading experience. If it's intentionally left out, I think we some context and I hope it's just an error, so I'll check this with the finished copy and update this post if it is, indeed, missing unintentionally. From the synopsis we know that something tragic occurs in this book. I tried to make my description a bit vague, because some listings give more detail that, I feel, may make the moment less impactful. And I want to talk briefly about the ending, without giving too much away, because I have some pretty interesting thoughts. Lately I've been picking up books that center grief and loss, and how someone (a person or a fictional character) goes through the grieving process. Sometimes, when loss happens unexpectantly, your brain does not fully process the events that have transpired, so you can go through the motions of attending the funeral, dealing with arrangements, etc. while it's all a blur. But in moments of solitude, when you're truly alone with your thoughts, that's when sadness can creep in and take over, giving way to a variety of emotions. While initially I thought the ending was a bit rushed, reading it through a second time solidified how well, in my opinion, this book portrays that process. *I will note that all individuals can process grief differently, and all emotions felt during this time are valid*

In conclusion, Ashley Schumacher has a way of making me care about her characters and breaking my heart when they come into harm's warm or are dealing with the effects of loss. I cannot wait to reread this book upon release and feel those emotions all over again. *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Wednesday Books, for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Ashley Schumacher writes book that break your soul and it is a requirement to have a box of tissues next to you while you read. And I love every minute of it and will continue to read all of her books no matter what. Told in dual POV, Full Flight follows Weston and Anna, two high school band kids in rural Texas just trying to survive small town life. Paired together on a duet for bad, they spark a romance so beautiful it hurts. It helps that Ashley's writing is the most enchanting and ethereal I've ever come across.

Firstly, dual POV's are my favorites. Reading both character's thoughts and reactions just adds another level and depth to the storyline in my opinion. I adored the small town setting, even though it was clearly a judgmental town with nosy busybodies - but that the two main characters were unique stars in a town of sameness. Weston was by far my favorite though. That boy deserves 100 hugs because he truly believed he wasn't worth anything because he was different and his parent's got a divorce. Like this boy was bullied and ridiculed because he wore a leather jacket. My guy needed Anna and her acceptance.

I made the mistake of not reading the synopsis before jumping into this book (it's Ashley Schumacher, it doesn't matter what it's about I know I will love it). The heartbreaking moment, which isn't a spoiler because it is in fact in the synopsis, smacked me across the face at 2am and made my face rain. I wish I was joking. I liked that the story continued past the event to show the grief process and growth that comes from an experience like this.

Read this book, read Amelia Unabridged, read Ashley's grocery lists. You won't be disappointed.

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

I was equally excited and nervous to read this book. I knew from the synopsis this would end with my heartbroken, which is why I waited a bit before reading it. I wasn’t ready for the inevitable moment when my heart would shatter into a million pieces.

That being said, I strongly encourage you to not read the synopsis. The synopsis spoils a HUGE part of the story. Since I read the synopsis, I knew what was going to happen, so I was waiting for it to happen the whole time. As a result, the end of the book didn’t hit me as hard as it would have otherwise.

Besides the synopsis spoiling the book, I really enjoyed Schumacher’s writing. She has a gift for crafting incredibly loveable characters. I fell for these characters almost instantly. I laughed when they laughed and cried when they cried.

If you’re looking for an emotional story about first loves, growing up, and finding yourself, then give this book a chance!