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.

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Justin A. Reynolds has always wanted to be a writer. The earliest documentation of this desire was recorded on a sheet of green, learn-how-to-write-with-a-jumbo-pencil ruled kindergarten paper, which can be found prominently displayed in his mom’s office.