I clearly remember Reynold’s debut Opposite of Always being the first book I read in 2019 and to this day, I still think about it at least once a week. So, obviously, I had very high expectations for his sophomore novel Early Departures and I’m glad to report that, once again, Reynolds left me speechless.
Early Departures is the story of Jamal’s best friend Q dying in a freak accident whilst trying to save a stranger’s life from drowning. Jamal and Q had a falling out not too long ago and Jamal is wracked with guilt when he couldn’t make things right before Q died. But then, the unimaginable happens. Q’s mother gets an unexpected offer she cannot refuse: would she want Q to come back so they can say goodbye properly? The only caveat is this: they’re not to tell Q that he will be dead again very soon and the window for last goodbyes and making things right is rapidly closing…
I think we’ve all been there at one point in our lives where we lost someone that we never got a chance to say goodbye to and Reynolds offers an interesting conundrum: if you could, would you bring back that someone just long enough to give them a proper farewell? To tell them all the things you thought you would have months, years, or decades to say?
This book asked so many questions that many people ask themselves when they’re grieving and then takes it all a step further by actually giving Q’s mother and Jamal the chance, reviving Q and having those conversations they thought they’d never have.
Jamal and Q had a difficult friendship and past and I was rooting for the both of them to reconcile before it was too late. There’s a lot of resentment and unresolved feelings and when the underlying feeling of certainty that you usually have when you fight with your best friend, the knowledge that you’ll see them at school or that the two of you might be pissed off but will find your way back to each other eventually gets taken away, all bets are off.
Though dealing with tough topics surrounding grief and illness in this book, there was still a levity to Reynold’s writing, making this an enjoyable read while also making the reader think what choices they would make if they were in Jamal’s situation. This is really what I love about Reynold’s writing. The heavier the topic, the more digestible he seems to make it. There’s a lot of morally grey questions and ethical reasons discussed and I lived for that, to be honest. Jamal and Q’s mother both ask themselves whether it’s right to bring Q back only to lose him again just so they can have their goodbyes, whether it’s worth it getting to see him again only to lose him within the span of a few weeks (which is basically just postponing the grief and feeling it all the harder when you lose someone twice), and who really gains from this experimental study with dead people and who initiated it all. And how in the world do you explain to your former best friend that you no longer blame him for the death of your parents and want to make things right without dropping the bomb that the reason you’re now so set on reconciling is…that he is dead? Man alive (no pun intended), this was wild ride.
In an age where new technology seems to be invented every week, it’s not too crazy to think that at some point, bringing back the people you love (in whatever way) might actually be possible. Sure, they might be returning on a computer chip or something out of the norm like that, but it’s not like it’s unthinkable at this point.
A profound contemporary that hits hard and asks the tough questions everyone who has ever lost someone can relate to, Early Departures will give you feel all the feels and appeal to you to speak your truth and reconcile with the people you’re on the outs with before it’s too late.
Early Departures is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of September 22nd 2020.
Will you be picking up Early Departures? Tell us the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Justin A. Reynolds, author of Opposite of Always, returns with another charming and powerful YA contemporary novel with a speculative twist, perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon, Becky Albertalli, and Adam Silvera.
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.
