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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
I may have just read the best book of the year. And yes, I know it's only February.
Longer review coming.
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Review:
To say that I was blown away by this book is an understatement. Every so often a book comes along that you know, once you start reading it, is something incredibly special. The House in the Cerulean Sea and Strange the Dreamer were that for me last year. Amelia Unabridged is it this year, and yes, I know it's only February.
This is such a beautifully written story of friendship, sisterhood, finding oneself while dealing with grief, and opening oneself to love while learning to navigate through the difficulties and challenges of life to come out alive and still hopeful at the end. The main characters stay with you long after you finish reading it, and the author includes so many gems of wisdom that you can't help highlighting passages as you go.
Fans of "I'll Give You the Sun" will fall in love with this book, and even if you're not a fan or that type of reader, please still give this a chance because it has the power to change your life.
Longer review coming.
----
Review:
To say that I was blown away by this book is an understatement. Every so often a book comes along that you know, once you start reading it, is something incredibly special. The House in the Cerulean Sea and Strange the Dreamer were that for me last year. Amelia Unabridged is it this year, and yes, I know it's only February.
This is such a beautifully written story of friendship, sisterhood, finding oneself while dealing with grief, and opening oneself to love while learning to navigate through the difficulties and challenges of life to come out alive and still hopeful at the end. The main characters stay with you long after you finish reading it, and the author includes so many gems of wisdom that you can't help highlighting passages as you go.
Fans of "I'll Give You the Sun" will fall in love with this book, and even if you're not a fan or that type of reader, please still give this a chance because it has the power to change your life.
"We've already been hurt. What's one more scar?"
"There's something about the absence of light mixed with near-exhaustion that loosens tongues and strengthens relationships."
"What a luxury time is, what a gift."
I enjoyed this novel, though it tends toward the maudlin and scenes are drenched in pixie-dust.
A younger me may have become obsessed with every single sentence and chapter.
"There's something about the absence of light mixed with near-exhaustion that loosens tongues and strengthens relationships."
"What a luxury time is, what a gift."
I enjoyed this novel, though it tends toward the maudlin and scenes are drenched in pixie-dust.
A younger me may have become obsessed with every single sentence and chapter.
This book was like a hug from a best friend you haven’t seen in forever. The good kind, where you both hug each other a little too tightly, and neither wants to be the first to let go.
Every book should be set in a fictional lake Michigan town in the summer. They should all have idiotic lovable dogs named Wally (in fact, i don’t even want to pick up a book that doesn’t have a dog as a secondary character anymore they’ve been too good to me lately), and they should all feature magical 3-story bookstores and adoptive parents and protective best friends and the type of falling in love that only the summer before college can offer. And they should be about books, reading them, writing them, and loving them.
This one made me cry y’all. For the eighteen year old me who believed in all the possibilities life had to offer, and chose the safe path, this book is for the me that didn’t. And for all the book lovers out there wanting to read about books, this one is for you.
Every book should be set in a fictional lake Michigan town in the summer. They should all have idiotic lovable dogs named Wally (in fact, i don’t even want to pick up a book that doesn’t have a dog as a secondary character anymore they’ve been too good to me lately), and they should all feature magical 3-story bookstores and adoptive parents and protective best friends and the type of falling in love that only the summer before college can offer. And they should be about books, reading them, writing them, and loving them.
This one made me cry y’all. For the eighteen year old me who believed in all the possibilities life had to offer, and chose the safe path, this book is for the me that didn’t. And for all the book lovers out there wanting to read about books, this one is for you.
Grief. Friendship. Books and bookstores. A rich imagination of whales swimming through clouds.
"I like to imagine my used books as little soldiers that have gone off the serve their duty elsewhere before coming into my hands."
Be forewarned: don't read this book if you're having a bad day. You'll just end up crying for hours. Every page, every chapter is rich in imagery and Amelia is intensely grieving. Many books have been written about the intensity of first love but few books focus on the impact of losing a loved one so early in life. Schumacher has written an amazing debut novel. Fans of [a:Rainbow Rowell|4208569|Rainbow Rowell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1342324527p2/4208569.jpg] or [a:Nicola Yoon|7353006|Nicola Yoon|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1610567480p2/7353006.jpg] will feel right at home.
There's a silly romance that, thankfully, doesn't take up too much of the story. I would have rather seen Amelia grow by making friends rather than falling in love, but this is a YA book so I guess the demographic is expecting some kissing and hand-holding.
I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Story: 4 stars
Character Development: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
https://readingbetweenthestitches.wordpress.com/2021/02/15/amelia-unabridged-by-ashley-schumacher-4-stars/
"I like to imagine my used books as little soldiers that have gone off the serve their duty elsewhere before coming into my hands."
Be forewarned: don't read this book if you're having a bad day. You'll just end up crying for hours. Every page, every chapter is rich in imagery and Amelia is intensely grieving. Many books have been written about the intensity of first love but few books focus on the impact of losing a loved one so early in life. Schumacher has written an amazing debut novel. Fans of [a:Rainbow Rowell|4208569|Rainbow Rowell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1342324527p2/4208569.jpg] or [a:Nicola Yoon|7353006|Nicola Yoon|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1610567480p2/7353006.jpg] will feel right at home.
There's a silly romance that, thankfully, doesn't take up too much of the story. I would have rather seen Amelia grow by making friends rather than falling in love, but this is a YA book so I guess the demographic is expecting some kissing and hand-holding.
I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Story: 4 stars
Character Development: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
https://readingbetweenthestitches.wordpress.com/2021/02/15/amelia-unabridged-by-ashley-schumacher-4-stars/
It's too rushed, and I am not a fan of the writing style.
I went into Amelia Unabridged without any idea of the plot. A friend said she loved it and I liked the cover - so that was all I needed to pick it up! Therefore it’s a little tough to know how much to tell of the plot without giving anything away - I enjoyed just letting the story unfold.
So instead of telling you the plot - I’ll say this book is about:
- the kinds of friends who are so close that they really become family
- grief of an unexpected and sudden loss
- a magical bookstore
- a protagonist whose love of reading you just may find familiar
- some adventure, some romance, all the feels
I really enjoyed this book but will say there are also some parts where I was reminded that while I still love reading YA - I am more the age of these characters’ parents and sometimes find myself on the side of a parental reaction.
Setting that aside though - I would recommend this if you’re looking for a YA read with a lot of feels. Perfect for fans of Words in Deep Blue.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the free advance listening copy and Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reading copy.
So instead of telling you the plot - I’ll say this book is about:
- the kinds of friends who are so close that they really become family
- grief of an unexpected and sudden loss
- a magical bookstore
- a protagonist whose love of reading you just may find familiar
- some adventure, some romance, all the feels
I really enjoyed this book but will say there are also some parts where I was reminded that while I still love reading YA - I am more the age of these characters’ parents and sometimes find myself on the side of a parental reaction.
Setting that aside though - I would recommend this if you’re looking for a YA read with a lot of feels. Perfect for fans of Words in Deep Blue.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the free advance listening copy and Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reading copy.
— 5 stars ✭
I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m totally fine. One hundred percent!
I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m totally fine. One hundred percent!
