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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
I read this for the book club I host in my library.
I probably wouldn't have picked it up otherwise.
Amelia Unabridged is a story about grief, growing up, finding yourself and being open to new experiences while working through past traumas.
The coming of age part of the story is pretty well done. Feeling forced to do one thing when you might want to do something else with your life. Finding out new aspects about yourself. All the usual stuff tbh.
The grief and trauma part is where it has set itself up so well... and then fell apart.
I was not opposed to the prospect of a romantic subplot in between all these heavier topics. My issue stems from the way the romance was used in relation to the topics.
Falling in love is one thing, insta love another. But this felt like insta love at its finest. They see each other and somehow become this inseperable unit over sharing one traumatic experience. Boom they're in love. And remember kids, thats gonna solve all your problems and releave all past trauma. Like mate, I dont know what to do with this. It gave PG13 "p***y is my therapy" after the lighthouse/storm scene.
I did at least like the characters.
But I honestly cant give it more than 3* simply just because the original thematics of the book just fell apart so tremendously at the end.
I probably wouldn't have picked it up otherwise.
Amelia Unabridged is a story about grief, growing up, finding yourself and being open to new experiences while working through past traumas.
The coming of age part of the story is pretty well done. Feeling forced to do one thing when you might want to do something else with your life. Finding out new aspects about yourself. All the usual stuff tbh.
The grief and trauma part is where it has set itself up so well... and then fell apart.
I was not opposed to the prospect of a romantic subplot in between all these heavier topics. My issue stems from the way the romance was used in relation to the topics.
Falling in love is one thing, insta love another. But this felt like insta love at its finest. They see each other and somehow become this inseperable unit over sharing one traumatic experience. Boom they're in love. And remember kids, thats gonna solve all your problems and releave all past trauma. Like mate, I dont know what to do with this. It gave PG13 "p***y is my therapy" after the lighthouse/storm scene.
I did at least like the characters.
But I honestly cant give it more than 3* simply just because the original thematics of the book just fell apart so tremendously at the end.
This book made me sad in the best way. It was a sweet sadness that made me tear up. This book is about friendship, grief, connecting with people, and finding out who you are and what you want to do in life. There is something for everyone in this book. 15/10 would recommend.
This is really just a great book. The weight of the sorrow, the strength of the love, and the overall coming of age story is really well woven together.
This book feels really special. I don't know how else to describe it. I picked this up completely on a whim and was instantly sucked in. The characters are stunning, and the way that Schumacher touches on grief and friendship is pretty remarkable. It's an easy read in some ways: it's written so well, the pacing is perfect, and the whole things involves love, bookshops, friendship, and small towns. But it's also really difficult. I cried more than once, and would recommend that you look into TW's before reading as it dives headfirst into loss and death. But I have never connected so intensely to a story or romance before this. Gorgeous story - would recommend to anyone!
“There’s nothing in the world a good book can’t cure.”
*Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for sending me a digital ARC to read!*
Oh this book was like sitting wrapped in a blanket holding a warm cup of tea. Perfect for fans of Jennifer Niven, Jandy Nelson, and Melissa Albert.
Oh this book was like sitting wrapped in a blanket holding a warm cup of tea. Perfect for fans of Jennifer Niven, Jandy Nelson, and Melissa Albert.
3.5/5 stars
Amelia Unabridged is a beautifully written narrative about loss, grief, fear and finding your path in life. I was quite taken with the book for the first half but unfortunately, it felt a bit flat and predictable after that. We follow Amelia's journey when her best-friends Jenna dies after they had a huge fight. She receives a book which she believes was sent to her by Jenna and travels to solve the mystery, only to meet her childhood favourite author.
To go with the positive firsts, I really love the author's writing style. It's what drew me in with the way the characters are created and how beautifully their emotions are expressed. I really like the different ways in which grief, pain, sorrow and fear were written through the characters, letting us know that there's no one way to experience emotions. And of course, I fell in love with a fictional world created in this book and the overall aesthetic of the bookshops and readers, because how could I note.
Where things really started falling apart was insta-love. God, I hate this trope and especially in this narrative it just came out of nowhere. I would have gladly taken a slowly developed liking and love between the two characters but instead we got an emotionally heavy scene after which the two of them are inexplicably attracted to each other. I know that the author wrote that there are some incidents that you go through with someone after which you can't not be friends but I would disagree. Such experiences certainly shift your relationships but they don't just immediately make you fall in love. And believe me, I really wanted to root for the romance but t was too quick and imposed and dare I say cheesy. I hate that the mystery part of it dwindled after a while but it's also understandable. I found the second half to be incredibly predictable and at that point I was reading only because I liked the writing style and had grown fond of some of the characters.
But this isn't a bad book, despite all the faults I pointed out, I do like this book and if you don't mind the insta-love trope I really believe you'll end up loving this book.
Disclaimer: I received an e-arc from Netgalley but that has in no way affected my opinions on this book. Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this arc
Amelia Unabridged is a beautifully written narrative about loss, grief, fear and finding your path in life. I was quite taken with the book for the first half but unfortunately, it felt a bit flat and predictable after that. We follow Amelia's journey when her best-friends Jenna dies after they had a huge fight. She receives a book which she believes was sent to her by Jenna and travels to solve the mystery, only to meet her childhood favourite author.
To go with the positive firsts, I really love the author's writing style. It's what drew me in with the way the characters are created and how beautifully their emotions are expressed. I really like the different ways in which grief, pain, sorrow and fear were written through the characters, letting us know that there's no one way to experience emotions. And of course, I fell in love with a fictional world created in this book and the overall aesthetic of the bookshops and readers, because how could I note.
Where things really started falling apart was insta-love. God, I hate this trope and especially in this narrative it just came out of nowhere. I would have gladly taken a slowly developed liking and love between the two characters but instead we got an emotionally heavy scene after which the two of them are inexplicably attracted to each other. I know that the author wrote that there are some incidents that you go through with someone after which you can't not be friends but I would disagree. Such experiences certainly shift your relationships but they don't just immediately make you fall in love. And believe me, I really wanted to root for the romance but t was too quick and imposed and dare I say cheesy. I hate that the mystery part of it dwindled after a while but it's also understandable. I found the second half to be incredibly predictable and at that point I was reading only because I liked the writing style and had grown fond of some of the characters.
But this isn't a bad book, despite all the faults I pointed out, I do like this book and if you don't mind the insta-love trope I really believe you'll end up loving this book.
Disclaimer: I received an e-arc from Netgalley but that has in no way affected my opinions on this book. Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this arc
I tell everyone I know how much I loved this book. It's cozy and sweet, emotional just like what I remember of being a teenager, and fun in a way that I needed at the time. I want to be best friends with the characters, I want to live in the bookshop, and I want so badly for the series of books that surround the plot of this novel to actually exist. My heart broke in the best way reading this.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes