The Leaving Room

The Leaving RoomI received an Advanced Reader Copy of this novel written by Amber McBride.Gospel is the keeper of the leaving room. The cross over waiting place between life and death. She’s not sure how long she has been in the room but it is a safe space for her. Gospel likes making a drink and something to eat for those that visit. One day she meets Melodee. Another keeper that plays music on her violin for her visitors. There are rules that the keepers must follow. However, Gospel is not sure who made up the rules and notices that with each rule that is broken, she and Melodee get closer. Each of visitors that don’t stay teach Gospel and Melodee a lesson in grief.I loved this book. I didn’t want it to end as quickly as it did. Unexpected plot twists kept me fully engaged and wanting to know what would happen to Gospel and Melodee next.This is the first book that I have read written by Amber McBride and I am a fan. She has such a unique writing style that immediately draws the reader’s attention.

Really cute book and a fast read. I like the way it was visually written. It is kind of in stanzas and not paragraphs. I love the idea of having a waiting place after you die, but before you go on to whatever is next. I was very happy about the little surprise at the end.

There’s a reason The Leaving Room is a National Book Award finalist. It’s one of those “Wow” books that constantly has you thinking and rethinking.There’s so much to The Leaving Room that it’s hard to pinpoint feelings. It’s a book you need to sit with.Not only is author Amber McBride’s plotline noteworthy, but how it plays out through her thoughtful verse is spectacular. McBride’s pacing, her ebbs and flows, and her feeling sit within a sparse framework that captures the human spirit.This quiet exploration of the moments between life and death is beautiful. I can’t recommend The Leaving Room enough.

The Leaving Room is a HiLo Novel-in-Verse that takes place over the span of four minutes. The novel follows Gospel, a Keeper of the Leaving Room. The Leaving Room is the place where people go after death, but before the next place beyond that. Being a teen, Gospel is in charge of seeing the children who enter and leave. Before the children move on, they must offer their most precious memory to Gospel.When Gospel meets Melodee, there is confusion about who is the Keeper of the room. It turns out, there is more than one Leaving Room, and everyone's experience in that room is different. Gospel and Melodee aim to help each other, growing closer than friends in a space that is unfamiliar, yet reminiscent of recent memory...The Leaving Room is meant to represent that place where people go during near-death experiences. The body dies, for a few minutes, but the people don't go to the beyond when they are pulled back to life. Many people have shared what their own near-death experiences were like, and share what their "Leaving Room" was for their own individual experience. This is a unique perspective, especially for those who wouldn't relate, but also for those who would. How accurate does this tale across four minutes in limbo hold true?Overall, this novel-in-verse is an interesting and unique experience that offers a diverse read for teens and explores a unique concept when it comes to life and death.

📘TITLE: The Leaving Room✍️AUTHOR: Amber McBride💫GENRE: YA Fantasy📖FORMAT: Novel in Verse🏆2025 National Book Award for Young People's Literature🏆Amber McBride has done it again. Mind blown! Friends - I read this book as an advanced readers copy. Then, I bought the audio so I could hear it in Amber’s voice. Although this book is labeled as Teen/YA - it absolutely holds its own as an adult read as well.If you are a fan of a book told in verse, this one is a MUST! I’ve added this to my book wishlist as now I need the physical copy to read, annotate and be amazed by.What is it about? When souls of the young linger between life and death, Gospel helps them move on from The Leaving Room. But when another Keeper, Melodee, accidentally crosses into her world, their fates entwine in a fleeting, four-minute story about love, memory, and finding courage—even when goodbye is inevitable.Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for an access to an advanced copy of this e-book via NetGalley. All opinions shared are my own and given freely.