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taikobennett 's review for:
Amelia Unabridged
by Ashley Schumacher
This book moved my heart in so many ways... I think this author and I would’ve been friends in high school.
It reminded me of what it’s like to obsessively immerse myself in stories (alone and alongside others).
Of the joy and wonder of falling in love and being fallen in love with.
Of the vulnerability of art.
Of what it’s like to gain / fight with / fight for / lose a best friend.
Of the invaluable gift of knowing trustworthy adults who love you like you’re their own child, filling in some of the gaps of your parents’ shortcomings, even while they have shortcomings themselves.
Of how grief can look like intense crying, explosive anger, shutting down into numbness, and a mix of many things all at once.
Of slowly coming back to life after loss, like a flower reopening in spring.
And of how important it is to live your life, not anyone else’s, even if you don’t know what “live your life” means exactly.
I read a blog post about “quiet novels” by Forest Avenue Press that reminded me of this book. “Quiet means introspective, character-driven, rich with language and emotion. Quiet does not mean boring. It does not mean plotless . . . Quiet is almost always dangerous.”
And YES.
One of my favorite quotes from Amelia Unabridged: “I hate endings. Hate them. If the story is good it’s never going to be long enough.”
It reminded me of what it’s like to obsessively immerse myself in stories (alone and alongside others).
Of the joy and wonder of falling in love and being fallen in love with.
Of the vulnerability of art.
Of what it’s like to gain / fight with / fight for / lose a best friend.
Of the invaluable gift of knowing trustworthy adults who love you like you’re their own child, filling in some of the gaps of your parents’ shortcomings, even while they have shortcomings themselves.
Of how grief can look like intense crying, explosive anger, shutting down into numbness, and a mix of many things all at once.
Of slowly coming back to life after loss, like a flower reopening in spring.
And of how important it is to live your life, not anyone else’s, even if you don’t know what “live your life” means exactly.
I read a blog post about “quiet novels” by Forest Avenue Press that reminded me of this book. “Quiet means introspective, character-driven, rich with language and emotion. Quiet does not mean boring. It does not mean plotless . . . Quiet is almost always dangerous.”
And YES.
One of my favorite quotes from Amelia Unabridged: “I hate endings. Hate them. If the story is good it’s never going to be long enough.”