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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
Probably better in English (although there are many aspects of the characters and the plot that I didn't like), I picked up the German translation and there were so many phrases that annoyed me the way they chose to translate them... But still a good read for someone coping with loss, I underlined quite a few lines
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Amelia Griffin and her best friend Jenna met because of N. E. Endsley's Ornan Chronicles. They're the books that gave Amelia a refuge after her father left and her family fell apart. They're the books that gave her Jenna and, through her, a second family.
Seeing N. E. Endsley at an author festival should be the perfect start to their last summer before college. Instead, it all goes horribly wrong when Jenna has a chance encounter with the author and Amelia doesn't.
Before either of them can back away from their biggest fight ever, Jenna is killed in a car accident.
Without Jenna Amelia isn't sure who she is, let alone what her future should look like.
When a rare edition of the Ornan Chronicles makes its way to Amelia, she's certain the book is a last gift--maybe even a last message--from Jenna. Amelia tracks the book's journey back to a charming bookstore in Michigan where she also finds the reclusive author himself.
Amelia knows the book is a clue, a message. But it's only as she gets to know N. E. Endsley that Amelia begins to realize the book is just the beginning of what Jenna was trying to share with her in Amelia Unabridged (2021) by Ashley Schumacher.
Amelia Unabridged is Schumacher's debut novel. The story is written in Amelia's first person narration with some flashbacks to key moments in her friendship with Jenna.
This book holds a special place for me after I had the chance to read an early copy in 2020 to potentially blurb it. Schumacher's writing is top-notch as she delivers a story that is both wrenching and hopeful.
This ode to books and magic (and books about magic) offers a meditative exploration of grief and healing as Amelia and Nolan (N. E. Endsley) both work through their own tragedies and figure out how to move forward in a world that their losses have rendered unrecognizable.
Amelia Unabridged is a nuanced and poignant story about finding your place and your people when all of the things you've learned to take for granted are torn away. Whimsical without being twee, authentic without being brutal; Amelia is a heroine readers won't soon forget.
Possible Pairings: Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore, Finding Mr. Brightside by Jay Clark, Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley, Everything All At Once by Katrina Leno, The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales, Eliza and Her Monster by Francesca Zappia, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
Seeing N. E. Endsley at an author festival should be the perfect start to their last summer before college. Instead, it all goes horribly wrong when Jenna has a chance encounter with the author and Amelia doesn't.
Before either of them can back away from their biggest fight ever, Jenna is killed in a car accident.
Without Jenna Amelia isn't sure who she is, let alone what her future should look like.
When a rare edition of the Ornan Chronicles makes its way to Amelia, she's certain the book is a last gift--maybe even a last message--from Jenna. Amelia tracks the book's journey back to a charming bookstore in Michigan where she also finds the reclusive author himself.
Amelia knows the book is a clue, a message. But it's only as she gets to know N. E. Endsley that Amelia begins to realize the book is just the beginning of what Jenna was trying to share with her in Amelia Unabridged (2021) by Ashley Schumacher.
Amelia Unabridged is Schumacher's debut novel. The story is written in Amelia's first person narration with some flashbacks to key moments in her friendship with Jenna.
This book holds a special place for me after I had the chance to read an early copy in 2020 to potentially blurb it. Schumacher's writing is top-notch as she delivers a story that is both wrenching and hopeful.
This ode to books and magic (and books about magic) offers a meditative exploration of grief and healing as Amelia and Nolan (N. E. Endsley) both work through their own tragedies and figure out how to move forward in a world that their losses have rendered unrecognizable.
Amelia Unabridged is a nuanced and poignant story about finding your place and your people when all of the things you've learned to take for granted are torn away. Whimsical without being twee, authentic without being brutal; Amelia is a heroine readers won't soon forget.
Possible Pairings: Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore, Finding Mr. Brightside by Jay Clark, Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley, Everything All At Once by Katrina Leno, The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales, Eliza and Her Monster by Francesca Zappia, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
You may not know who Ashley Schumacher is, but I have a feeling this won't be the last time we hear her name. Her debut young adult novel, Amelia Unabridged, is so painstakingly beautiful that it will stay with you long after you’ve finished the story and solidify Schumacher as a new name in the world of YA fiction.
This book is full of grief, love, and finding yourself amidst both emotions. Amelia’s story is touching and readers will be able to empathize with her in her struggles to not only figure out what she wants out of life, but also how to honor Jenna in doing so. The way each emotion and feeling is expressed and the way Schumacher used “whales” to convey Amelia’s highs and lows is beautifully written and unique. The descriptive language is comprehensible and heightens each emotion felt by Amelia from her own grief and Nolan’s.
Getting to know each of the characters in this book is so enjoyable and seeing how they interact with one another makes you wish you could join them in Lochbrook, Michigan. The way the world of Orman is interwoven into the story makes this book-within-a-book even more whimsical and magical. It will make you wish The Orman Chronicles was an actual book series just so you could experience the same joy Amelia feels when reading, thinking, or talking about it. Anyone who loves books will appreciate the way this novel emphasizes the magic behind reading.
The story leaves you hopeful that even if bad things happen in your life, the good will come as well and there will always be someone there to keep you grounded in living life instead of running from it. Additionally, Amelia’s story reminds us that the best way to remember those we’ve lost is by living our lives to the fullest and experiencing joy in it. That while grief is normal and necessary, it should not consume us and force us to follow a path we don't want to go down.
Brimming with meaningful storytelling, purposeful characters, and a little bit of mystery, Amelia Unabridged is a must-read for both YA and non-YA readers alike. I cannot recommend enough that you check this book out when it’s released on February 16th.
*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
This book is full of grief, love, and finding yourself amidst both emotions. Amelia’s story is touching and readers will be able to empathize with her in her struggles to not only figure out what she wants out of life, but also how to honor Jenna in doing so. The way each emotion and feeling is expressed and the way Schumacher used “whales” to convey Amelia’s highs and lows is beautifully written and unique. The descriptive language is comprehensible and heightens each emotion felt by Amelia from her own grief and Nolan’s.
Getting to know each of the characters in this book is so enjoyable and seeing how they interact with one another makes you wish you could join them in Lochbrook, Michigan. The way the world of Orman is interwoven into the story makes this book-within-a-book even more whimsical and magical. It will make you wish The Orman Chronicles was an actual book series just so you could experience the same joy Amelia feels when reading, thinking, or talking about it. Anyone who loves books will appreciate the way this novel emphasizes the magic behind reading.
The story leaves you hopeful that even if bad things happen in your life, the good will come as well and there will always be someone there to keep you grounded in living life instead of running from it. Additionally, Amelia’s story reminds us that the best way to remember those we’ve lost is by living our lives to the fullest and experiencing joy in it. That while grief is normal and necessary, it should not consume us and force us to follow a path we don't want to go down.
Brimming with meaningful storytelling, purposeful characters, and a little bit of mystery, Amelia Unabridged is a must-read for both YA and non-YA readers alike. I cannot recommend enough that you check this book out when it’s released on February 16th.
*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Its almost 7 am, and I am crying, and I have been reading this book for 5 hours.
Crying and laughing to be honest.
This book is making me feel a lot, like A LOT.
God. My heart is aching.
And it is so good, and this mixture of everything I love, best friends that never leave, books that come to life, photos that capture the moment, and a love story based on bonding over
Crying and laughing to be honest.
This book is making me feel a lot, like A LOT.
God. My heart is aching.
And it is so good, and this mixture of everything I love, best friends that never leave, books that come to life, photos that capture the moment, and a love story based on bonding over
Oh. My. Gosh.
Okay, you know those stories that you get so invested in that you’re almost scared to read the last few chapters? You don’t want the book to end, but more than that, you really NEED things to go a certain way, and you’re afraid of the crushing awful possibility that they won’t?
That was completely how I felt reading this book. I loved it. Loved Jenna and Amelia’s relationship and the way Jenna’s family adopted her right in. I loved the friendship between Alex and Nolan, too, and the way their crew interacted with Amelia.
I loved the stuff about the book by N. E. Endsley and his created world of Orman and the sisters in the book. I loved the small lakeside town in Michigan with its stormy weather and town bazaar and quirky bookstore. And the whales!!! I love the whales.
I. Loved. This. Book. I feel like AMELIA UNABRIDGED is the book that I wanted so many other books to be. It punched me straight in the face with its grief and bewitched me with its found family. Honestly, I loved it so much that I’m scared to start another book until this one fades a little bit.
It’s so so good. If you like deep, messy contemporary stories with fabulous friendships and banter, then you seriously need to read this book.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Okay, you know those stories that you get so invested in that you’re almost scared to read the last few chapters? You don’t want the book to end, but more than that, you really NEED things to go a certain way, and you’re afraid of the crushing awful possibility that they won’t?
That was completely how I felt reading this book. I loved it. Loved Jenna and Amelia’s relationship and the way Jenna’s family adopted her right in. I loved the friendship between Alex and Nolan, too, and the way their crew interacted with Amelia.
I loved the stuff about the book by N. E. Endsley and his created world of Orman and the sisters in the book. I loved the small lakeside town in Michigan with its stormy weather and town bazaar and quirky bookstore. And the whales!!! I love the whales.
I. Loved. This. Book. I feel like AMELIA UNABRIDGED is the book that I wanted so many other books to be. It punched me straight in the face with its grief and bewitched me with its found family. Honestly, I loved it so much that I’m scared to start another book until this one fades a little bit.
It’s so so good. If you like deep, messy contemporary stories with fabulous friendships and banter, then you seriously need to read this book.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very forgettable book. I usually love books that deal with grief but this one was very cliché and totally unrealistic.
Absolute perfection. This will be a new go-to recommendation!