[I received a free electronic review copy of this from Netgalley and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Amelia and Jenna became best friends on one of the worst days of Amelia’s life. Jenna’s family welcomed Amelia in as a daughter. And they gave her a sense of home. As a graduation gift, they even send the girls to a book festival in California where they have VIP tickets to see a presentation by Amelia’s favorite author, N. E. Endsley.
But Endsley cancels his session. Amelia is devastated.
To make matters worse, Jenna explains that she met Endsley. The immensely private author was having a panic attack. And Jenna told him to be true to himself and do what was necessary to care for himself, so he left. Amelia was incensed. Jenna met him? And made him leave? The fight after that was probably the first of their friendship.
And the last.
Jenna is killed in a car accident not long after. And Amelia is lost and adrift. Then a special edition book by N. E. Endsley arrives from a bookstore in Michigan. Amelia can’t imagine how it found its way to her, but she is certain it has something to do with Jenna. So she takes a trip to Michigan to see what Jenna might be trying to tell her.
Review
I don’t know that I have the words to do this justice. I was captivated from the first page. Just reading through the summary above makes me want to pick the book up again and dive in. I thought I knew roughly how the story would play out, but I was surprised time and time again in so many perfect ways. If I had to choose an exemplary “perfect” book for me, this would be one example. Characters, setting, heart, story – every piece was a perfect fit for me.
I loved Amelia and the main characters of the story. The book store in Michigan sounds like a place I could get lost in for days. The author’s descriptions – of the Orman books, of Amelia’s pictures, of her connection to her closest friends – drew me in. Sometimes a book’s prose will capture my attention, pulling me out of the story with lovely turns of phrase. Instead, in this book, the writing was so fantastic it pulled me further into the story. I lost track of the reading experience and just lived in the story for awhile. It was magical.
Every piece, every page, every bit. Lovely. Perfect. Exceptional. This will be one of the 2021 books that will stick with me for years to come. (Language, TW: grief/loss)
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++*
*♥♥♥♥♥+++ = Best of the best