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.

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Published: 09/22/2020
Pages: 480
Weight: 1.15lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.80w x 1.70d
ISBN: 9780062748409
Age: Young Adult

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.3
Point Value: 11
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 510350 / Early Departures


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 08/01/2020
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 09/01/2020
Kirkus Reviews 08/15/2020 pg. 76
Booklist 09/01/2020 pg. 97
School Library Journal 10/01/2020 pg. 88
Publishers Weekly 10/26/2020

About the Author
Reynolds, Justin A.: - Justin A. Reynolds has always wanted to be a writer. Opposite of Always, his debut novel, was an Indies Introduce selection and a School Library Journal Best Book, has been translated into seventeen languages, and is being developed for film with Paramount Players. He lives in northeast Ohio with his family. You can find him at www.justinareynolds.com.