It is not a spoiler to share that Justin A. Reynolds’s latest,
Early Departures, is about what happens when someone you care about dies suddenly and then, through the miracle of technology, is reanimated for a few weeks so everyone can say a proper goodbye. This is not a zombie novel nor, surprisingly, much of a science fiction one either. Much as his debut
Opposite of Always was only slightly about time loops,
Early Departures is barely about how Jamal’s best friend Q is brought back from the dead. Reynolds has a rich and thoughtful tale to tell here, about the people we love, the mistakes we make, and how far we are willing to go as we try to make things right.