Seriously, this was so beautiful I had a hard time putting it down. It’s a quick read but kept me thinking days later. Amber McBride is always an author I check out and this book should not be missed. I seem to find myself gushing about her books because I’m always left in awe of her work. It was so touching and sweet. Definitely give this book a read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

“It’s easier to be a Leaver.
It’s harder to be a Stayer.”
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Gospel is the Keeper of the Leaving Room—the place where young people go after they die and before passing on. Gospel feeds them, gives them something to drink, sometimes plays a game with them and then ushers them into the next phase, but little by little she starts breaking the rules. She’s not supposed to look at Leavers’ memories, but she does. She’s not supposed to sleep but one day finds herself napping. There aren’t supposed to be doors, but one a door appears and a Keeper named Melodee arrives and the two share rooms to usher in more Leavers together, something that’s also forbidden. As the two spend more time together they begin to fall in love, but can they find a way to leave The Leaving Room where this, too, is forbidden?
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Brilliant. AM this might be my favorite of yours so far. Fans of The Giver, Tuck Everlasting and other stories that buck the status quo and have characters questioning their existence and place in the world will devour this YA novel-in-verse the same way I did. Four minutes between life and death is the best tagline I’ve seen. I will be booktalking this one to death when it releases October 14. An easy 5 ⭐️!

CW: death, child death, car accident, medical trauma, grief, homophobia, trauma, hospitalization