Review – Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher

Posted March 3, 2021 by Carole in Book Reviews / 9 Comments

Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press – Wednesday Books
Publication Date: February 16, 2021
Date Read: February 26, 2021
Length: 304 pages
Source: NetGalley
★★★★☆

Sparks fly between two teens as they grapple with grief, love, and the future in this unforgettable debut novel sure to entice fans of Jandy Nelson and Jennifer E. Smith

Eighteen-year-old Amelia Griffin is obsessed with the famous Orman Chronicles, written by the young and reclusive prodigy N. E. Endsley. They’re the books that brought her and her best friend Jenna together after Amelia’s father left and her family imploded. So when Amelia and Jenna get the opportunity to attend a book festival with Endsley in attendance, Amelia is ecstatic. It’s the perfect way to start off their last summer before college.

In a heartbeat, everything goes horribly wrong. When Jenna gets a chance to meet the author and Amelia doesn’t, the two have a blowout fight like they’ve never experienced. And before Amelia has a chance to mend things, Jenna is killed in a freak car accident. Grief-stricken, and without her best friend to guide her, Amelia questions everything she had planned for the future.

When a mysterious, rare edition of the Orman Chronicles arrives, Amelia is convinced that it somehow came from Jenna. Tracking the book to an obscure but enchanting bookstore in Michigan, Amelia is shocked to find herself face-to-face with the enigmatic and handsome N. E. Endsley himself, the reason for Amelia’s and Jenna’s fight and perhaps the clue to what Jenna wanted to tell her all along.

Ashley Schumacher’s devastating and beautiful debut, Amelia Unabridged, is about finding hope and strength within yourself, and maybe, just maybe, falling in love while you do it.

 My Review
I really liked this book!  I really didn’t know a whole lot about this book before I decided to read it.  I loved the cover so I decided to give it a try.  I am so glad that I did.  Amelia goes through a lot in the pages of this story and I enjoyed watching her deal with everything.  I found this to be a very touching and entertaining story.  
Amelia and her best friend, Jenna, are just like sisters.  They do everything together and Amelia is included in Jenna’s family functions.  As a graduation gift, they go on a trip together to a book festival where N.E. Endsley is scheduled to appear.  He is the author of their favorite books and Amelia is really looking forward to meeting him.  Things don’t work out as planned and they head home to follow the rest of their plans for the summer with Jenna going on a trip and Amelia doing some college prep.  Then tragedy strikes and Amelia is left to try to pick up the pieces and figure out how to move on.
I really liked the characters in this book.  Amelia went through so much in this book and I thought that her range of emotions felt very authentic.  I really enjoyed getting to see her work through things and make new connections.  I love that she was willing to open herself to new connections and possibilities.  Nolan has also been through a lot and is very guarded.  I loved seeing him come out of his shell and take a chance.  All of the supporting characters from Alex, Jenna’s parents, and Val were all wonderfully done and added a lot to the story.
This was an emotional yet hopeful story.  I loved the fantastical elements that played a role and appreciated the fact that there was a good dose of humor worked into the story.  The romance was well done and I couldn’t help but hope that they would be able to make things work.  I had a fantastic time reading this book and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to others.

I received a digital review copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press – Wednesday Books via NetGalley.

About the Author

ASHLEY SCHUMACHER has a degree in creative writing from the University of North Texas. She lives in a small town with her antisocial but lovable husband and more books than is strictly necessary. When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her belting Disney or Broadway songs, protecting her snacks from her greedy golden retriever, hand embroidering, or playing Mario Kart. Amelia Unabridged is her first novel. She lives in Dallas, Texas.

Author Links: Website | Goodreads | Instagram | Twitter

9 responses to “Review – Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher

  1. Sounds really good! If you ask me, fantastical elements and a good dose of humour is always a great combo 😉

  2. Ohhh I hope the friendship didn't suffer too badly because of a missed author meeting. This sounds like a tough read as books about grief usually are.

  3. a book involving grief is always such a heavy book but I like that it had a good dose of humor. This sounds really interesting especially the fantastical elements that seems rooted in this "enchanting bookstore".

  4. Amelia sure went through a lot, but I do like stories that show how the person gets past grief and finds their happy.