Early Departures

Like Adam Silvera's They Both Die at the End and Colleen Hoover's It Ends with Us, Early Departures by Justin A. Reynolds, author of Opposite of Always, is a powerful and deeply moving YA contemporary novel with a speculative twist about love, death, grief, and friendship.

What if you could bring your best friend back to life-but only for a short time?

Jamal's best friend, Q, doesn't know that he died, and that he's about to die . . . again. He doesn't know that Jamal tried to save him. And that the reason they haven't been friends for two years is because Jamal blames Q for the accident that killed his parents.

But what if Jamal could have a second chance? A new technology allows Q to be reanimated for a few weeks before he dies . . . permanently. And Q's mom is not about to let anyone ruin this miracle by telling Q about his impending death. So how can Jamal fix everything if he can't tell Q the truth?

Early Departures weaves together loss, grief, friendship, and love to form a wholly unique homage to the bonds that bring people together for life-and beyond.

How do you make up for lost time when you can’t tell the truth about how little is left?

• A Complicated Friendship: Jamal and Q were once inseparable, but a tragic accident and a terrible secret tore them apart. Now they have one last chance to fix their broken brotherhood.
• Grief and Forgiveness: Jamal is still reeling from the loss of his parents, and he blames Q. Can he learn to forgive his best friend—and himself—before it’s too late?
• High-Stakes Sci-Fi: A controversial new technology can bring Q back to life, but only for a few weeks. And the biggest rule? He can never know the truth.
• Laugh-Through-Your-Tears Humor: Filled with the witty banter and heart that made Justin A. Reynolds a fan favorite, this story balances devastating emotional punches with genuine laugh-out-loud moments.