User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
wow. i must have been on one when i first read this because i was waxing all kinds of poetic. but i still feel the same after a reread, so i will allow it. lol.
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every once in a while, there are books where it feels as if your hands are simply not strong enough to hold the immense weight of it on their own. and so your heart steps in and with every beat, every pulse, you begin to feel that pressure. because its the kind of weight that stays with you for a long time, a particular kind of density that makes a home inside your chest.
i can feel how my heart now carries the heaviness of this book. and oh, what a privilege that is.
because this book is a beautiful reminder that sometimes the best story is the story of your life, the best characters are the people you love, and the best writing are the words that come from your heart. this confirms that not all endings have to be filled with grief, and sometimes there doesnt have to be an ending at all. this shows how courage often just means turning one page, making it through just one more day. this promises that life is worth more than an abridgement.
this is a book i will recommend until the end of my days with the hope that maybe, just maybe, others can carry this story in their hearts, as well.
my eternal gratitude to st. martins press/wednesday books for the ARC.↠ 5 stars
Rating: really liked it
Smiling from ear to ear, feeling the warmness in my heart, I could truly say: this is fascinating! The author’s way of telling how great novels can be life anchors to save us from great tragedies of life and how fill our hearts with true happiness. And the magically beautiful romance in this book, the innocence, genuineness of pure hearts of the characters widened my big smile. I’m absolutely happy to say this book is secret gem and I’m giving my five gazillion magical orman(forest)stars without thinking. I loved it so much!
Let me give you a short summary to inform you what’s happening in this promising, feel-good, heart warming, lovely story:
Amelia Griffin’s life has changed the day her father left the house for living with his young girlfriend and her mother cut her bonds with real life and turned into couch potato, giving full attention on TV reality shows instead of caring her daughter’s well being. The same day she befriends Jenna and slowly she becomes the fourth member of her caring, protective family. The girls form intimate and special bound and Amelia is saved by Orman Chronicles, getting lost in magical world of two sisters who are competing with each other winning the right to wear the crown. Jenna also shared her love of the series and both of them start finding similarities between them and those little sisters.
After their graduation, Jenna makes a big surprise to Amelia with book festival tickets where N.E.Endsley, young author (only 19) of Orman Chronicles will be attending as speaker of one of the panels. But the panel results in big disappointment for Amelia because her favorite author cancel his participation and during their travel to airport she finds out Jenna met with him and helped him relax throughout his panic attack process which pisses Amelia off. She feels like she’s been betrayed by her best friend. They had a big fight and as Jenna and she say goodbyes for Jenna’s Irish trip, they both feel sorry and startled. And yes, Jenna dies in a car accident in Ireland which completely breaks Amelia’s heart. She stop reading because she feels like if she opens a book she may betray the memory of her best friend.
She tries to heal her wounds till one day she gets a fateful post: a special addition of Orman Chronicles sent to her name. She thinks Jenna is involved with this surprise and she traces the bookstore where the book has been sent which takes her life changing journey and helps her meet with her favorite author. This special trip will help her discover herself, learn to deal with grief and find her soulmate but she needs to decide between realizing the wishes of death friend and taking risk and listening to her heart for seeing flying dolphins moving around the forest.
Overall: Well developed characters, fantasy and fairy tales vibes merging with emotional grief and second chances story stole my heart. I smiled and I cried at the same time. No more words: genuinely loved it! I love Nolan as a broken and poignant hero and I love loyalty and pure heart of Amelia! I loved their bookish, nerdish souls!
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this fantastic ARC with me in exchange my honest opinions.
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Rating: really liked it
What.....
Chapter Three..... you broke my heart.....
This effing book chewed me up and spit me out. The book was perfect for me; but wasn’t. I fell in love, I cried, I empathized. Another debut novel that blew me away in its own special way.
I love, love, love these characters. Amelia, Jenna, Nolan, Alex, Val, Wally, Jenna’s parents and all of the minor characters.
Amelia is devastated when her best friend Jenna is killed. They had their whole lives planned out. But things change, they always change.
Amelia receives a special edition book in the mail of her favorite authors first book. Why? Who? What? In going on a search of where the book came from, Amelia finds herself and all the things she never knew she needed.
This book is definitely going to have a home on my bookshelf.
Happy Reading My Lovelies. 😘
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
*Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a digital copy of this book.
BLOG: https://melissa413readsalot.blogspot....
Rating: really liked it
Be sure to visit Bantering Books to read all my latest reviews.Maybe it’s middle-aged grumpiness. Maybe it’s cynicism and jadedness. Maybe it’s the book.
But
Amelia Unabridged left me cross. Annoyed. And while I wish I had only wonderful things to say about Ashley Schumacher’s debut Young Adult contemporary novel, I just don’t.
Eighteen-year-old Amelia Griffin is infatuated with N. E. Endsley’s best-selling novels,
The Orman Chronicles. They have been her lifeline, her anchor, ever since she first discovered them years ago, on the same day she met her best friend, Jenna.
As a high school graduation gift from Jenna’s parents, the girls attend a book festival with Endsley as the headliner. But when Jenna meets the author without Amelia, the two friends have a horrible fight. And then shortly thereafter, Jenna is killed in a tragic car accident, without Amelia ever having an opportunity to patch their relationship. Lost and drowning in grief, Amelia begins to doubt her future plans – the future that Jenna so perfectly mapped out for her.
But then a rare edition of
The Orman Chronicles mysteriously arrives for Amelia. With no sender listed, she is convinced it somehow came from Jenna. After tracking the book to a small bookstore in Michigan, she hops on a plane, determined to learn exactly how the rare edition came to be in her possession.
Inside the bookstore, however, Amelia finds much more than she expected – none other than Endsley himself. And she instantly knows that he is the keeper of all the answers for which she has been searching.
So that I may first give credit where it is due, allow me to set aside my annoyance with
Amelia Unabridged for a minute. Because the novel is certainly not horrible. It’s far from it.
At times, it is a beautiful story of grief, guilt, and regret. The first few chapters are especially sharp and poignant, as we are given great insight into the sisterly nature of Amelia and Jenna’s friendship. Jenna’s death hits hard. It’s a gut punch.
And for the most part, the novel is also an effective and empowering coming-of-age tale. Amelia has spent most of her teenage years allowing others to set her path. To control her course. And Amelia now knows she must stand up and decide, for herself, the direction of her life.
But then Amelia meets Endsley. And quite abruptly,
Amelia Unabridged loses sight of its own beauty and becomes nothing more than an
insta-love romance. The googly eyes, the tender face caresses, the sunshine smiles – I couldn’t buy into any of it.
It is at this point, too, that Schumacher’s writing takes a disappointing turn. Suddenly, her previously spare and lovely prose feels weighted down with overdone, sometimes nonsensical metaphors. Clever winds blow, invisible threads pull, and whales swim in the air –
constantly. It’s as if the same awful joke is being repeated, time and time again.
Of particular irritation were the whales. I never got the point of them, no matter how many times I reread the passages in which they appeared. And Schumacher’s brief explanation of their meaning at novel’s end did nothing to soothe my exasperation.
Sigh. I was
so over the whales.
Even more irritating than the
insta love and whales, though, is the slightly off-kilter message that the ending of
Amelia Unabridged sends. From a feministic perspective, it is not as progressive as I had hoped it would be, and I’m unsure as to whether Amelia truly accomplishes what she originally sets out to do. Instead of totally breaking free from the influence of others, it seems to me she simply trades control and manipulation for more control and manipulation, only wrapped in a prettier bow.
But again, this is my annoyed, middle-aged, grumpy opinion. Take it for what little it is likely worth.
If you’re a fan of YA contemporaries, by all means, still give
Amelia Unabridged a go. My crankiness with the novel makes me a lonely outlier.
And just because I found fault with it doesn’t mean you will.
My sincerest appreciation to Ashley Schumacher, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy. All opinions included herein are my own. Bantering Books Instagram Twitter Facebook
Rating: really liked it
A very emotional read. I loved all the imaginary off page characters!
I've been wanting to use the words "richly imagined" in one of my reviews, and now I finally have my chance to do it for Ashley Schumacher's
Amelia Unabridged.
Flying whales, a personal storm cloud that rains on Amelia invisibly during her darkest moments, spirit-infested winds that (usually) push her in the right direction, and the enchanted forest of Ormon: Amelia's world is no ordinary place. Amelia's best friend, Jenna Williams, is the star in her universe - the undeniable force of Nature that makes all things possible. As Amelia so aptly puts it:
"If (Jenna) was a star in the galaxy, I was one of those astronauts that gets disconnected from their ship and floats through space until they run out of oxygen."
Jenna brings magic and possibility into Amelia's dreary, difficult life. Amelia's father has left,and her mother has retreated into herself. Jenna's irrepressible zest for life brightens Amelia's world when she is unofficially adopted into the Williams family as Jenna's Bestie and Soul Sister.
When tragedy strikes and Jenna is killed in a car accident, Amelia is bereft, unable to move on with her own life. Jenna had so many plans for them both - she'd mapped it all out on a chart. How could she leave for college and fulfill Jenna's plans for them without her?
One day, shortly after Jenna's funeral, Amelia receives a rare edition of a book from her favourite author, N.E. Endsley.
Her decision to travel to Michigan and seek out the identity of the person who mailed her the book is one of many decisions that eventually lead Amelia on the path to autonomy and self-fulfillment. (Note: Jenna had plotted out an academic career for Amelia, totally disregarding Amelia's gift as a photographer.)
I enjoyed this vividly written story: I was always eager to get back to it. The Epilogue was sadly sweet, as summing ups will sometimes be. I highly recommend this superbly written Young/New Adult novel to everyone. A solid 5 out of 5! My thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
(Just saw on NetGalley that Ashley Shumacher has a new book coming out soon!!! Going to stock up on some tissues! I can't wait!!!)
Rating: really liked it
I am livid. The suspension of disbelief this book asks from me is just
monumental, and
the way it treats (insta-) love as a magical cure for trauma, anxiety and grief - all in the span of a week - makes my skin crawl. As someone who lived through all three, it feels wrong and harmful and I'm so pissed right now. Having the characters acknowledge how unbelievable it all feels doesn't make it right, because it's still there, and it's not cute. Unpopular opinion for sure, but I can't get behind this kind :
"He squeezes my hand. "I'll always be okay when I'm with you, Amelia."
... of manufactured bullshit. I just can't. And I know most people won't get it. I
know, and it's okay. They'll talk about how we can enjoy things and that it doesn't matter if it's not believable, that love does conquer all after all. But what happens when love isn't enough?
Do you understand how utterly bleak and unlovable we feel when whole swathes of popular culture repeatedly shove down our throats that real love should "cure" us when we know it will never be that simple? When we know we're in love, but that doesn't mean that we're magically transformed into some neurotypical perfect fantasy? That's why I can't ever enjoy this kind of novels, and I won't apologize for that.
For more of my reviews, please visit: 
Rating: really liked it
"There's nothing in the world a good book can't cure." First off, how about that cover!?!
A book about a girl with the love of books. A girl whose life changed when her father. A girl who was saved by books, and a girl who was lost when her best friend, Jenna died. Amelia is obsessed with the Orman Chronicles written by N.E. Endsley. Amelia and Jenna attend a book festival where Endsley will be present, things go wrong when Jenna gets to meet the author and Amelia does not. The two friends fight and never get the opportunity to make things right between them.
"I've lived in books. I've eaten and breathed books for so long that I took it for granted. I assumed that, if they saved me once, they would always be there to pick me up, even if Jenna wasn't." When Amelia receives a rare edition of the Orman Chronicles she believes her deceased friend is behind it. A gift arranged before Jenna died. The book is sent from an obscure bookstore in Michigan. Amelia decides to go to Michigan and visit the bookstore. She has questions and is looking for answers but what she finds is N. E. Endsley.
I was not exactly sure what I thought of this book when I first started it. I loved the lyrical and beautiful writing. There are many beautiful passages. Once I got a little more into the book it won me over. The beautiful writing helped as it often does. This book is about love in many forms: love of books, love of a friend, love for a child. It is also about grief and how one processes grief. It is about regret, quilt and sorrow. It is about how your plans for the future can change on a dime. It is about being found when you did not know you were lost. It is about taking chances and starting over. It is about hope and a book about growth.
I used to read a lot of YA and for no particular reason stopped for some time. I am glad the beautiful cover and description grabbed my attention. This was a solid debut novel for an author who shows promise. Her writing is beautiful and poignant at the same time.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
Rating: really liked it
"What will we do?" Emmeline asked, watching as the storm clouds gathered into menacing darkness.
"We'll do the only thing we can," Ainsley answered. "Endure."WAHHHH. This book was the most beautifully tragic thing I have ever read. It was heartbreaking, yet hopeful; relatable, yet maintained a fairytale quality about it. The exposition on regret, grief, and regaining control of your life when you feel it is spiraling into the abyss was so well done; it was powerful, yet didn't feel overdone or for show. I don't really want to touch on the plot at all, because you know all that you need to from the synopsis, but if you enjoy books that make you feel and convince you to think about things you'd rather not, but should, then this is the book for you. Highly, HIGHLY recommended.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
Rating: really liked it
Truly wonderful story about grief. I didn’t realize that’s what this story was going into it, and often times I struggle with books about grief. Beyond heartbreak, I haven’t truly experiences loss. It’s something I can only speculate about, but Amelia Unabridged made the topic really approachable and it made me cry on the plane I was on multiple times. Gorgeously written and will stick with me for a long time.
Rating: really liked it
4.5 stars I was not expecting to love this book. Normally I wouldn’t pick up a book that sounds this heavy, but I saw lots of glowing reviews about it from my Goodreads friends and placed a hold on the audio from my local library. I could have devoured this book in one day I enjoyed it so much. While this book is about tough subjects yes, I never felt completely devasted when reading this book, there was always this little tinge of hope underlining most of what happened.
Amelia Unabridged is about two best friends, Amelia and Jenna, who just graduated from high school who travel to meet their favorite author. Not everything goes to plan and when one of the girls meets the author and the other doesn’t, they get into a fight. Jenna leaves for the summer but dies in a tragic accident, and Amelia is left devastated. When she receives a surprise special edition of their favorite book, she decides to investigate.
I thought this was a beautiful story. Was it the most realistic in terms of how everything ended, no. But nevertheless what worked for me was the story of two people who lost so much, working to navigate the world through their loss. I loved the book within the book, it sounded really interesting and like something I’d want to read in real life. But again, mostly I loved the story of two people with great loss connecting and helping each other heal themselves as best as they could. I’m giving this five stars because while I checked this book out from the library, I want to purchase my own copy to reread in the future. That’s the mark of a book you loved.
Rating: really liked it
Blog: https://www.booktasticallymazing.com/
Actual Rating: 4.1
~Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of AMELIA UNABRIDGED by Ashley Schumacher in exchange for my honest review.~
First thoughts when receiving the ARC: *silence* MOTHER OF HOLY WATER DROPS, I CANNOT BREATHE, I CANNOT. MY LUNGS. MAMAAAAA, I HAVE AN ARC. I GOT IT. I GOT IT. NOW HOW THE HECK DO YOU OPEN THI-
First thoughts when opening the book: *joker like smile* I am going to enjoy this so MUCH.
First thoughts when a certain character died: What--How did that--Oh my goat. I cannot feel my face. I cannot feel my heart.
First thoughts when meeting the love interest: ... Okay. *nodding* Alright, I can deal.
First thoughts when I finished the book: Um, why do I feel a bit broken inside. *swallows waterfalls* I-
*a week later, because yes, I needed time.*
Okay...this was
slightly disappointing. One sentence. Well, two (because I need the rest for the full review that will approximately
obliterate kindly ask for a vital part of me).
1.) Less than a week
2.) A connecting rope between characters (I think I just threw up a little)
Will not spoil, so if you know what I mean. Then you know what I mean.
ALSO, THE LOVE INTEREST WAS ANO--as I was saying, no spoilers present, and I hope that if you have requested this ARC, that you shall receive it. BECAUSE I NEED TO SAY SOME STUFF THAT MAY OR MAY NOT, EXPRESS MY ANGER TOWARDS THE--
*goes into hermit mode for the time being*
I'M BACK. Alright, being completely honest here, I have never reviewed an ARC (if it's not already completely obvious) therefore, this might be a complete mess. But really, when isn't it a complete mess? Don't answer that. Even though my bookish soul is craving to throw spoilers and rant against some well deserved stuff, I will be slightly unable to do so (ugh). Here it is, my friends. A completely glossed over ~spoiler free~ review of Amelia Unabridged. (bear in mind I had to redo it at least 3 times, since yes, spoilers were included.)
Well, you see, let's start with the charact-*realizes she cannot do so, because that would be considered spoilerific* YOU KNOW WHAT? FINE. I'LL STOOP TO THIS LEVEL.
The writing in this lushly imaginative novel, truly inspired my tear ducts to go for a run, amidst the pandemic. Since we all know who dies (considering the SYNOPSIS, publishers please don't come after me) I can truly say...that I felt something. Maybe not as much as I could've, SINCE said character was in the story for less time than one of my pimples (those things are basically people, I've even named some of those. Example: YOU BLOODY DISGUSTING FAT NUISANCE. Or my personal favorite: WHY IN THE PECKING WORLD DO YOU EXIST). As I was saying, the writing was so heart-wrenching and outstandingly painful to read, and that truly added a lot more to the story than some might think.
(A second try) The characters. Some made me conflicted, some annoyed me to the end of my patience limit, and some used the word 'please' definitely too much. Like, too much. Apart from that, I absolutely adored the dynamic and friendship (FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN A FEMALE AND A MALE, WHO WOULD'VE ThOUght?!). The utterly magnanimous foundation that was constructed between each one of them. And I cannot express how thankful I am, that said characters actually had LIVES, apart from being the main character's friends, family, etc.
The romance~ ... I actually, well. Um...it wasn't as good as it could've been. (reference to the two sentences written at the beginning, but shhhh, don't tell) Also, seriously?
The overall cryability (yes, that's a thing) of this story: A solid 7 and a half. I wish I would've felt it more, alas, I'm a heartless witch. Thank you, brain, for commanding such grandiousness to spew from my vocal facility. Now, my loves, my ducklings, my CoNeCTioN (uh-huh, you KNOW), this shall be the end of this horrifically spoiler free ✨masterpiece✨. Also, I want to forget the dang epilogue. I NEED to forget it. Like, it is for my well-being.
Can you tell I have to do a million things but instead I am laying in bed, writing this review and watching You of the Tube?
P.S: I am TOTALLY doing something productive, right?
Also, yes, I would totally recommend this book to people in search for a story that will be as cute as it is pungent in its very core. Want romance? It has it. Want drama? Oh yes, it has a LOT.
Rating: really liked it
WOW what a book! A true gem! This book absolutely exceeded my expectations. I’m not certain what I was anticipating but I wasn’t expecting such a beautiful story that pulled on my heartstrings. Amelia and Jenna are BFFs who bonded over their love of books. For their graduation trip the friends go to a book festival with the hopes of meeting the author of their favorite fantasy series. When Jenna happens to meet the enigmatic Author and Amelia doesn’t it causes a rift in the friendship. Jenna is killed in a car accident while visiting Ireland and Amelia is heartbroken that they never really set their friendship right. When Amelia received a mysterious book in the mail from their favorite author she goes on a quest to Michigan to find out how Jenna sent her this book. And more importantly what is the message behind this unexpected gift.
Such a gorgeously told story filled with grief, hope, resilience, and love. Amelia was such a wonderful character I was completely captivated by her story. The bookshop that she travels to in Michigan was serious book heaven. I just loved all the vivid descriptions of the shop I felt like I was right there alongside Amelia. The Romance in the Story was so touching it hit me right in the feels. The connection between Amelia and Nolan was emotional and real. I could go on and on but I will spare you all. If you are looking for a stunning story that will make you smile, swoon, sigh and cry, then this is the book for you!
This book in emojis 📚🐶 🐋 🌊 📸
*** Big thank you to Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
Rating: really liked it
This is the kind of book that sneaks up on your heart when you’re least expecting it.
Full RTC within a month of publication, ARC courtesy of NetGalley.
Rating: really liked it
4 stars “Everything is a story, not just writing. You need to find the story that means something to you, a story you like telling.”
Amelia Unabridged is my first book by Amy Shumacher and I'll be honest, I had never heard of her or this book until my friend (thanks, Rachel!) recommended it to me. I love a book that will give me the feels and a good romance, and this was a win for me.
Jenna and Amelia are two best friends who have just graduated high school. They have plans to go to college together, but first, they go to a signing to meet their favorite author. It doesn't go quite as planned. Shortly after that, Jenna passes away and Amelia takes a trip to find answers and ends up meeting said author. I loved the healing, the romance, and seeing the friendship both of our main characters have(had).
This book definitely was heavy at times, but I honestly thought it would be more emotional and heavy than it was based on the blurb, so don't that the heavy content sway you. This was such a beautiful story of friendship, family, and love. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook and will pick up more from this author in the future.
Audio book source: Libby (library borrow)
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Lesa Wilson
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Length: 7 hours 45 minutes
Rating: really liked it
Amelia Unabridged is a heartwarming and emotional story of the power of books, friendship and love.
It follows Amelia, who is obsessed with a book series called the
'Orman Chronicles'. After a tragic event (which the synopsis spoils, but I would suggest going in blind), Amelia goes on an adventure to an obscure bookshop in Michigan. There, she meets the author of the series, and in the process finds herself along the way.
On paper, this sounds like a
perfect book. A quiet contemporary about books, love and grief with some beautiful prose to go along with it. Unfortunately the execution was a little lacking for me and it ended up being pretty forgettable.
Just a warning, my opinion is definitely not that of the majority. In fact, considering all of the five star reviews I think I can put myself clearly in the
outlier category. Usually with books like that I can understand why people love them so much, but with this I honestly can't. Its almost like I read a
different book to everyone else, or missed something- which is entirely possible considering I started skimming the book toward the middle/end.
The thing is, I thought this book was objectively good- but just
nothing special. The characters were fine but they didn't stand out for me. The romance was ok but definitely a case of insta love and didn't feel very believable to me. The dialogue was pretty ordinary for me. The writing was standard to me, not the beautiful lyrical prose I was promised.
But that is all my person opinion- if you loved this I am
truly so happy for you!
A small thing that rubbed me the wrong way is something that I have come across in older YA books quite a bit, but not so much recently. It is when one of the main characters has a mental illness or phobia- but gets magically healed by their love interest. I personally find that plot point cheap and
possibly even harmful. Along a similar vein, I found the instant idolisation and adoration from both people to be unrealistic and inauthentic. It meant that I never really ended up believing the romance.
I think this book would be perfect for readers on the younger side of YA, or who enjoy those style stories. I would also recommend checking out some other reviews to get a better idea about what others loved about the story- and if you might too!
Thank you to St Martin's Press for this ARCRelease Date: 16 February 2021
