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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
The perfect hallmark movie for teens book. Obviously there are issues with almost any YA book, but this one is sweet and heartwarming and also allows the reader and the characters to grieve losses and also find a correct path in the aftermath of tragedy.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Amelia Unabridged is a beautiful story about how to continue living after the death of someone you love. Thanks, NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I read this story in one sitting. I just couldn’t put it down. The story follows Amelia. She’s just graduated from high school. She and her best friend are supposed to meet their favorite author at a book festival. But when the author backs out of the event Amelia is devastated. Endsley wrote the Orman Chronicles and Amelia found these books when everything in her life was falling apart. Books save people sometimes (we all know that) and that’s what Endsley’s books did for Amelia. They also brought her and her best friend, Jenna, together. But Jenna meets Endsley before he backs out of his event and Amelia is furious. The two part, because Jenna is traveling to Ireland for the summer, on less than perfect terms. But Jenna dies in a car accident while in Ireland and Amelia is lost. But then she gets the 101st special edition of one of Endsley’s books (when there were only supposed to be 100 made). Amelia sees this as a sign from her best friend. So, she travels to Val’s, the bookstore in Michigan where the book was mailed from. This is where the story starts to get interesting. Shortly after arriving, Amelia runs into N.E. Endsley. All Amelia wants is to know what Jenna said to him that day at the book festival. But the two develop a relationship, they bond over their grief, and learn more about one another. Together they work through what they’re struggling with and I thought it was beautiful.
So, I do have to say that I think Amelia falling in love with her all-time favorite author was a little corny, but I still really enjoyed this book. Both Amelia and Nolan Endsley are grieving the loss of the people that were closest to them. They also both feel as if the deaths were their fault, or at the very least that they could have prevented them. I really liked how Nolan was shown as a real person. I think all too often people treat authors as other, which Amelia absolutely did toward the beginning of the book. But it was nice to see Amelia stop and realize that Nolan was more than the author of her favorite book series. He’s a person that’s really struggling.
Overall, I think this was a beautiful story about grief and how to work through it, about new friendships and old ones, about following your dreams even if that means you stray from the path you’re ‘supposed’ to be on. I definitely recommend this book.
I read this story in one sitting. I just couldn’t put it down. The story follows Amelia. She’s just graduated from high school. She and her best friend are supposed to meet their favorite author at a book festival. But when the author backs out of the event Amelia is devastated. Endsley wrote the Orman Chronicles and Amelia found these books when everything in her life was falling apart. Books save people sometimes (we all know that) and that’s what Endsley’s books did for Amelia. They also brought her and her best friend, Jenna, together. But Jenna meets Endsley before he backs out of his event and Amelia is furious. The two part, because Jenna is traveling to Ireland for the summer, on less than perfect terms. But Jenna dies in a car accident while in Ireland and Amelia is lost. But then she gets the 101st special edition of one of Endsley’s books (when there were only supposed to be 100 made). Amelia sees this as a sign from her best friend. So, she travels to Val’s, the bookstore in Michigan where the book was mailed from. This is where the story starts to get interesting. Shortly after arriving, Amelia runs into N.E. Endsley. All Amelia wants is to know what Jenna said to him that day at the book festival. But the two develop a relationship, they bond over their grief, and learn more about one another. Together they work through what they’re struggling with and I thought it was beautiful.
So, I do have to say that I think Amelia falling in love with her all-time favorite author was a little corny, but I still really enjoyed this book. Both Amelia and Nolan Endsley are grieving the loss of the people that were closest to them. They also both feel as if the deaths were their fault, or at the very least that they could have prevented them. I really liked how Nolan was shown as a real person. I think all too often people treat authors as other, which Amelia absolutely did toward the beginning of the book. But it was nice to see Amelia stop and realize that Nolan was more than the author of her favorite book series. He’s a person that’s really struggling.
Overall, I think this was a beautiful story about grief and how to work through it, about new friendships and old ones, about following your dreams even if that means you stray from the path you’re ‘supposed’ to be on. I definitely recommend this book.
Amelia and her best friend Jenna go to a book festival to see their favorite author, but when Jenna meets him and Amelia does not, they have their biggest fight ever. But before they make up, Jenna dies in a car accident. A few weeks later a rare edition of their favorite book shows up from a bookshop far away and Amelia is convinced Jenna somehow made this happen before her death. She takes a trip to see the bookstore for herself and hopefully get some answers and feel connected to her friend once again.
Bookstagram made me do it and I’m so glad it did. I have been seeing this book pop up a lot so I decided to request an advance copy and I am so glad I did. This emotional book touched my heart in ways I wasn’t expecting. This story about finding hope and strength even in the darkest of times was so beautiful I was ugly crying throughout reading it. I can’t even think of the words for how breathtaking and incredible this one is. I am blown away.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday books for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Amelia Unabriged comes out on February 16.
Bookstagram made me do it and I’m so glad it did. I have been seeing this book pop up a lot so I decided to request an advance copy and I am so glad I did. This emotional book touched my heart in ways I wasn’t expecting. This story about finding hope and strength even in the darkest of times was so beautiful I was ugly crying throughout reading it. I can’t even think of the words for how breathtaking and incredible this one is. I am blown away.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday books for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Amelia Unabriged comes out on February 16.
At first, I found Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher to be very strong - so strong that I was convinced it would be one of my favorite reads of the year. Unfortunately, somewhere around 2/3rds into the book I realized that I was sadly mistaken. Although this is a YA novel, it follows a common romance trope: the outsider comes to town with a departure date already in hand, falls in love, helps to save the day (a town-wide event, or failing coffeeshop, or whatever), and then leaves... or does she? Schumacher twists this trope by setting it against the backdrop of grief, with Amelia grieving for her recently deceased best friend while the love interest also works through his own loss(es). And honestly? The mix of romance and recovery from grief really doesn't work for me in this book. This is emblematized by a scene in which the protagonist and the love interest kiss on the grave of a significant (loved) character. That is a failure no matter how you frame it.
Besides that, I think there are a few structural issues that take away from a very, very strong beginning. First, I think it's pretty clear from early on that Amelia is with the wrong love interest. In virtually every romance or YA story I've ever read, the first boy/man the protagonist encounters is the love interest. Maybe there's instant attraction; maybe they fight; but they are always together in the end. That's not the case here. Instead, that character is relegated to the friendzone and we end up with one who is... how shall I put this... damaged. For most of the book I thought he was on the Autistic spectrum, but eventually we learn that his somewhat unusual actions and behaviors result from grief. I do not get "grief" out of his actions. Just sayin'.
Second, I realized that the book doesn't really work for me when I noticed the author falling into metaphor and simile for the billionth time. Yeah, this is a stylistic choice; but when we yet again read about the dense forests in the love interest's eyes it gets a little old, y'know? Sometimes writers focus on style to the detriment of the story, and I think that happened here.
Third is a follow-up to my previous point: this book has a very, very strong plot but the author sort of throws it all away to focus on the interiority of the characters, but this was done so poorly that I found myself not really even caring about what happened next. This is a sign of poor writing instincts, frankly, or at least a pretty lousy editor.
If I were to rewrite the book, I would
I have some other complaints with the book but I need to get to work so I'll wrap up this review here. I'm just kind of annoyed - this book was so strong and suddenly I got the ick and couldn't stop noticing the flaws. I'm still giving the book 3 stars (technically 3.5 rounded down), and I'll probably read more books by this author, but I am prepared to be disappointed.
Besides that, I think there are a few structural issues that take away from a very, very strong beginning. First, I think it's pretty clear from early on that Amelia is with the wrong love interest. In virtually every romance or YA story I've ever read, the first boy/man the protagonist encounters is the love interest. Maybe there's instant attraction; maybe they fight; but they are always together in the end. That's not the case here. Instead, that character is relegated to the friendzone and we end up with one who is... how shall I put this... damaged. For most of the book I thought he was on the Autistic spectrum, but eventually we learn that his somewhat unusual actions and behaviors result from grief. I do not get "grief" out of his actions. Just sayin'.
Second, I realized that the book doesn't really work for me when I noticed the author falling into metaphor and simile for the billionth time. Yeah, this is a stylistic choice; but when we yet again read about the dense forests in the love interest's eyes it gets a little old, y'know? Sometimes writers focus on style to the detriment of the story, and I think that happened here.
Third is a follow-up to my previous point: this book has a very, very strong plot but the author sort of throws it all away to focus on the interiority of the characters, but this was done so poorly that I found myself not really even caring about what happened next. This is a sign of poor writing instincts, frankly, or at least a pretty lousy editor.
If I were to rewrite the book, I would
Spoiler
either have Amelia and Nolan become friends who help each other with their grief and leave everyone single at the end, or make them friends while pairing Amelia and Alex. Amelia and Nolan really doesn't work for me.I have some other complaints with the book but I need to get to work so I'll wrap up this review here. I'm just kind of annoyed - this book was so strong and suddenly I got the ick and couldn't stop noticing the flaws. I'm still giving the book 3 stars (technically 3.5 rounded down), and I'll probably read more books by this author, but I am prepared to be disappointed.
After reading both of her books in two days, Ashley Schumacher is now a must-read author for me. Her prose is lyrical and beautiful, the relationships she writes are so cozy and intimate. It’s the most original, refreshing YA I’ve read in awhile, and I cannot wait to read more from her.
What a beautifully written and heartfelt book. I cried. I smiled. I cried some more. Absolutely wonderful.
I listened to the audio and then the print copy arrived in the mail. I read so many raving reviews of this book on Instagram! I really enjoyed the whimsical feel, the bookstore setting, and Amelia’s inner strength. I wasn’t so sure I loved the insta love story line though. I think Amelia’s grief over losing her best friend led her into a sort of transference of feelings. I also found myself annoyed at how Amelia took so long to stand up for herself and to live her life the way she wanted to. I definitely want my daughter to read this one! This book contains loss including deaths of close relations to the main characters.
I received this in a Goodreads giveaway for an honest review and...ugh. I had to put the book down halfway through because it was increasingly pissing me off.
To be fair, romance is not my preferred genre. I thought this was going to be about a girl moving through grief and about sisterhood, her finding herself, etc. This was not that. It sort of set up that way but then as soon as her best friend died (in the 2nd chapter), she went on a trip where luckily someone paid her way every step of the way (a woman let her sleep in her house not knowing her for 5 minutes, wouldn't let her pay for anything, acted like her bellhop, it was wild). In less than 24 hours her and the author she's been obsessed with for years fall for each other and have an unbreakable bond. And don't get me started on the HP references, SO many. And this was published in 2021.
The book started as a story about Amelia but as soon as she met the author, I can't even remember his name, there was a clear shift and everything was about him and within a day or 2 she was healing from her best friend's death. I just..what? No. Sorry, not for me.
To be fair, romance is not my preferred genre. I thought this was going to be about a girl moving through grief and about sisterhood, her finding herself, etc. This was not that. It sort of set up that way but then as soon as her best friend died (in the 2nd chapter), she went on a trip where luckily someone paid her way every step of the way (a woman let her sleep in her house not knowing her for 5 minutes, wouldn't let her pay for anything, acted like her bellhop, it was wild). In less than 24 hours her and the author she's been obsessed with for years fall for each other and have an unbreakable bond. And don't get me started on the HP references, SO many. And this was published in 2021.
The book started as a story about Amelia but as soon as she met the author, I can't even remember his name, there was a clear shift and everything was about him and within a day or 2 she was healing from her best friend's death. I just..what? No. Sorry, not for me.