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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
This book is 290 pages long and I have 30 annotations. They’re broken up into categories: angst, favorite scenes, quotes I want to remember, and the love story. While the love story is almost my favorite part, it’s not the most important part. Not really. I found this book by chance alone when browsing Amazon and I ordered it right after it was released, but it took me two months to get around to reading it. (A tragedy, truly.)
Amelia lives in books, and her friend, Jenna, ventures into all of these worlds with her. They’re thick as thieves, the best of friends, and they’re on the cusp of beginning college when Amelia is left bereft in a sea of loss when Jenna is killed. I did not expect to get choked up when Jenna died because I knew it was coming. Yet, it hurt so badly. I lost a friend that was incredibly important to me a few years ago in what can only be called a freak accident involving car, and maybe that’s why I felt this so clearly. It’s like a lance through my heart, the best kind. The reminder that I can still feel, which I believe Amelia is partially in search of through this story.
When a rare edition of the first novel written by N. E. Endsley arrives after Jenna’s death, it sets off a series of events where Amelia travels to Michigan from Texas, to this bookstore where the book originated from. Even more jarring, she meets the author Nolan, and nothing else is what she plans.
As someone who has an intense, irrational fear of the inevitable and losing those I love, this book should have left me sad. It left me hopeful. It’s just… I don’t know how to word it. I loved this book, and I’m so glad I picked up this debut on a whim. I can’t wait for her to write another book so I can preorder before it’s released.
I think this book is perfectly made for readers, for writers (or for that mix of both), and for dreamers. It’s been a really long time since I’ve thought about my friend without sorrow tainting all of it, but I thought of V through this entire book, and I think that made it so much more personal to me.
Jenna is gone, and the loss runs so deep that I think I may wake up in a few weeks and remember how it felt to read that line. But Jenna is so alive in the pages of this novel, you’ll never forget her.
Nolan is a relatable character for me. He suffers from panic attacks, and that is something I can heavily relate to. He’s a romantic, even if he didn’t expect himself to be (or maybe he did), and he bares himself when he’s scared to be vulnerable.
Alex is the best friend anyone could have, and Nolan is lucky.
Wally, the dog, reminds me of my mastiff mix to a T, and I loved that lighthouse scene so much. You know the one.
Val is fucking great.
I love Jenna’s parents, and how they have always taken Amelia in, but do so more after Jenna’s death. Though Mark’s heart is in the right place, I think he struggles the most with the overprotectiveness that follows after losing a child.
I love the symbolism of whales in this novel. I love whales. I love orcas. (Yeah, Nolan, I know they belong to the dolphin family.)
Here are some of my favorite lines. Super spoilers.
“Let me do this for you,” Nolan says. “Please. Let me give you stories.”
“It made me want to write something else that would make you look like that.”
Amelia lives in books, and her friend, Jenna, ventures into all of these worlds with her. They’re thick as thieves, the best of friends, and they’re on the cusp of beginning college when Amelia is left bereft in a sea of loss when Jenna is killed. I did not expect to get choked up when Jenna died because I knew it was coming. Yet, it hurt so badly. I lost a friend that was incredibly important to me a few years ago in what can only be called a freak accident involving car, and maybe that’s why I felt this so clearly. It’s like a lance through my heart, the best kind. The reminder that I can still feel, which I believe Amelia is partially in search of through this story.
When a rare edition of the first novel written by N. E. Endsley arrives after Jenna’s death, it sets off a series of events where Amelia travels to Michigan from Texas, to this bookstore where the book originated from. Even more jarring, she meets the author Nolan, and nothing else is what she plans.
As someone who has an intense, irrational fear of the inevitable and losing those I love, this book should have left me sad. It left me hopeful. It’s just… I don’t know how to word it. I loved this book, and I’m so glad I picked up this debut on a whim. I can’t wait for her to write another book so I can preorder before it’s released.
I think this book is perfectly made for readers, for writers (or for that mix of both), and for dreamers. It’s been a really long time since I’ve thought about my friend without sorrow tainting all of it, but I thought of V through this entire book, and I think that made it so much more personal to me.
Jenna is gone, and the loss runs so deep that I think I may wake up in a few weeks and remember how it felt to read that line. But Jenna is so alive in the pages of this novel, you’ll never forget her.
Nolan is a relatable character for me. He suffers from panic attacks, and that is something I can heavily relate to. He’s a romantic, even if he didn’t expect himself to be (or maybe he did), and he bares himself when he’s scared to be vulnerable.
Alex is the best friend anyone could have, and Nolan is lucky.
Wally, the dog, reminds me of my mastiff mix to a T, and I loved that lighthouse scene so much. You know the one.
Val is fucking great.
I love Jenna’s parents, and how they have always taken Amelia in, but do so more after Jenna’s death. Though Mark’s heart is in the right place, I think he struggles the most with the overprotectiveness that follows after losing a child.
I love the symbolism of whales in this novel. I love whales. I love orcas. (Yeah, Nolan, I know they belong to the dolphin family.)
Here are some of my favorite lines. Super spoilers.
Spoiler
“I love her,” Nolan whispers and my heart stops. “I know it’s too soon, and unrealistic, and stupid, but I love Amelia Griffin, and if she will let me love her - in whatever way she wants to - we could tell each other stories forever. Of pictures and whales and...anything you want, Amelia.”“Let me do this for you,” Nolan says. “Please. Let me give you stories.”
“It made me want to write something else that would make you look like that.”
I cried my heart out. Damn. This book really touched me. It was such a beautifully writen story and was a really easy read. Its made you think about your own life.
Amelia Griffin and her friend Jenna are best friends linked by the written word. Particularly the words of N. E. Endsley, the enigmatic author of the Orman Chronicles. So when the girls get an opportunity to meet him at a book convention, they believe it is the pre-college adventure they've been waiting for. Unfortunately, in an unexpected turn of events, Amelia loses the chance to meet him, because even though N. E. Endsley is known for his adventurous characters, he is far from that. In fact, N. E. suffers from anxiety, and is holding onto a paralyzing grief that has caused him a case of major writer's block.
But when Amelia experiences a life-altering event, she loses her love for reading as her imagination becomes blocked off by grief. When she receives a mysterious gift, she decides to go on a journey to discover its origins. Her trip leads her to a seaside town where she collides with N. E. Endsley himself. The REAL N. E. Endsley, not the one-dimensional boy on the inside of a book jacket, but the one who is drowning and needs to be saved. But what he doesn't know is his savior is also in need of some saving of her own. Without planning on it, Amelia and N. E. become each other's lifelines and open up to each other in ways they never expected to, and share their unabridged stories. As they grow closer they learn that sadness is as important to our stories as happiness is, and the story doesn't have to end in sadness as long as you keep reading.
This was a sweet story about how grief, loss, and the love of stories can connect us to the unlikeliest of people. There were many beautiful passages in the story, and I found myself highlighting quite a few passages throughout. The only thing I did not like about this book was the ending. I feel like such a beautiful book deserved a more satisfying ending. For such an imaginative story, the ending fell a bit flat But I will still recommend it to other readers, because as I said it is a beautiful book. I just wish the ending was better.
But when Amelia experiences a life-altering event, she loses her love for reading as her imagination becomes blocked off by grief. When she receives a mysterious gift, she decides to go on a journey to discover its origins. Her trip leads her to a seaside town where she collides with N. E. Endsley himself. The REAL N. E. Endsley, not the one-dimensional boy on the inside of a book jacket, but the one who is drowning and needs to be saved. But what he doesn't know is his savior is also in need of some saving of her own. Without planning on it, Amelia and N. E. become each other's lifelines and open up to each other in ways they never expected to, and share their unabridged stories. As they grow closer they learn that sadness is as important to our stories as happiness is, and the story doesn't have to end in sadness as long as you keep reading.
This was a sweet story about how grief, loss, and the love of stories can connect us to the unlikeliest of people. There were many beautiful passages in the story, and I found myself highlighting quite a few passages throughout. The only thing I did not like about this book was the ending. I feel like such a beautiful book deserved a more satisfying ending. For such an imaginative story, the ending fell a bit flat But I will still recommend it to other readers, because as I said it is a beautiful book. I just wish the ending was better.
This was such an unexpected story. I loved every word of it. It's sad and beautiful and the story of the two lost souls at the center of the narrative was just so sweet and lovely. I think I was just in the mood for an enchanted fairy tale of a story and this one definitely fit the bill. It also managed to have teenagers as main characters that I didn't want to strangle for a majority of the book so that was refreshing as well. I thought I might have outgrown YA books all together. Also, I need a bookstore like Val's in my life ASAP. There are many wonderful fictional bookstores but this one, this one is my new favorite.
4.5
can we just stop for a minute and appreciate the cover?
the quotes. the words. the story.
oh my gosh. seriously, this book. THIS BOOK!
it was a wild ride.
intense respect for ashley! truly a word wizard, those sentances. ahhhh
prose. the ultimate bookstore. flying whales and lakes of water. reading on the lake. love. loss. grief. healing. friendship. stories and an author. 101st edition of a book. fairy tale references and a hyperactive dog.
let me give you some of the quotes:
-his dark hair blends into the night sky and his eyes become tiny constellations.
-how do you explain clever winds and invisible whales to lawyers in suits?
-magic isn't real. the books lie. i'm tired of pretending they don't.
-friends don't touch other friend's faces and stare into their eyes like the sun is shining out of their every pore.
-"amelia?" "yeah?" "can i read to you?"
the only reason i didn't rate it higher was- a. graveyard kiss scene, and b. destroying best friend's books scene.
can we just stop for a minute and appreciate the cover?
the quotes. the words. the story.
oh my gosh. seriously, this book. THIS BOOK!
it was a wild ride.
intense respect for ashley! truly a word wizard, those sentances. ahhhh
prose. the ultimate bookstore. flying whales and lakes of water. reading on the lake. love. loss. grief. healing. friendship. stories and an author. 101st edition of a book. fairy tale references and a hyperactive dog.
let me give you some of the quotes:
-his dark hair blends into the night sky and his eyes become tiny constellations.
-how do you explain clever winds and invisible whales to lawyers in suits?
-magic isn't real. the books lie. i'm tired of pretending they don't.
-friends don't touch other friend's faces and stare into their eyes like the sun is shining out of their every pore.
-"amelia?" "yeah?" "can i read to you?"
the only reason i didn't rate it higher was- a. graveyard kiss scene, and b. destroying best friend's books scene.
Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher is a touching and heartfelt novel that explores the power of stories and the bonds of friendship. The novel follows the protagonist, Amelia, a bookish and introverted teenager who is devastated when her favorite author, Jenna Radcliffe, dies unexpectedly. When Amelia receives an invitation to attend a book festival and meet Jenna's estranged co-author, Gideon, she jumps at the chance. However, when she arrives, she discovers that there is much more to Jenna's story than she ever imagined.
One of the strengths of the novel is Schumacher's ability to create complex and relatable characters. Amelia is a well-drawn protagonist, and her struggles with grief, identity, and the pressure to conform are both poignant and realistic. Additionally, the supporting cast of characters, including her best friend, her love interest, and Gideon, are all well-developed and add depth to the story.
The use of storytelling and the power of books is also a central theme in the novel. Schumacher effectively explores the ways in which stories can shape our lives and help us make sense of the world, and the novel is a tribute to the power of literature to connect us and provide solace in difficult times.
The pacing of the novel is well-done, with the mystery of Jenna's past slowly unraveling as Amelia and Gideon search for answers. The use of flashbacks and journal entries adds a layer of complexity to the story, and the reader is kept engaged until the very end.
One of the only drawbacks of the novel is that the resolution can feel a bit rushed, with some plot points wrapped up too neatly. However, this is offset by the emotional resonance of the story and the powerful themes it explores.
Overall, Amelia Unabridged is a touching and heartfelt novel that will appeal to anyone who loves books and the power of storytelling. It is a reminder of the importance of friendship, the value of taking risks, and the ways in which stories can change our lives.
One of the strengths of the novel is Schumacher's ability to create complex and relatable characters. Amelia is a well-drawn protagonist, and her struggles with grief, identity, and the pressure to conform are both poignant and realistic. Additionally, the supporting cast of characters, including her best friend, her love interest, and Gideon, are all well-developed and add depth to the story.
The use of storytelling and the power of books is also a central theme in the novel. Schumacher effectively explores the ways in which stories can shape our lives and help us make sense of the world, and the novel is a tribute to the power of literature to connect us and provide solace in difficult times.
The pacing of the novel is well-done, with the mystery of Jenna's past slowly unraveling as Amelia and Gideon search for answers. The use of flashbacks and journal entries adds a layer of complexity to the story, and the reader is kept engaged until the very end.
One of the only drawbacks of the novel is that the resolution can feel a bit rushed, with some plot points wrapped up too neatly. However, this is offset by the emotional resonance of the story and the powerful themes it explores.
Overall, Amelia Unabridged is a touching and heartfelt novel that will appeal to anyone who loves books and the power of storytelling. It is a reminder of the importance of friendship, the value of taking risks, and the ways in which stories can change our lives.
Such a great story! Amazing characters. I’m speechless. I wouldn’t change a thing about this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy, in return for my honest opinion. Grab your copy February 16, 2021.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy, in return for my honest opinion. Grab your copy February 16, 2021.
There are some voices in life that somehow manage to take all the tumble of emotions and thoughts you feel and translate them in a way that is so effortless that you wonder at your inability to have expressed what they just did. This book is one such, the texture of the words so alive as you read them. I've read a lot of books and very few have made me feel this way. This is a must-read and will definitely be a repeat read for me... I loved it.
I didn't really know what to expect going into this book but I was taken aback by how much I enjoyed it. This is perfect if you want a book about books and something that will probably make you cry. It is one of those stories where I wish it was real and that I could put myself in it and fall in love with my favorite author in a cute indie bookstore (not just because the MC shares the same name as me). I can totally see myself wanting to reread this to relive Amelia and Nolan's journey!