They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but what if the cover is just as gorgeous as the content?
The Leaving Room by Amber McBride (she/her) is a young adult novel in verse that is just as stunning as its cover art promises. The story follows Gospel, the Keeper of the Leaving Room. Gospel collects the memories of young people who have recently died because Leavers cannot take their memories with them.
Keepers are soulless. They do not eat, sleep, or feel. They must abide by several rules, including that only one Leaver and one Keeper are permitted in a Leaving Room at the same time, and that Keepers should not review the memories collected in the Leaving Room. But Gospel is an imperfect Keeper. She breaks the rules. She watches all the memories she has collected. She cries. And one day, when another Keeper named Melodee arrives, Gospel starts to feel new feelings like hope that Melodee will stay.
The Leaving Room is the type of book that you will think about long after you finish it. As the cover previews, there are four minutes between life and death. Consistent with this theme, the novel is organized, in part, into the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Since the book is written in verse, it flows nicely and is a quick read that can be completed in a single sitting.
I really liked that The Leaving Room had an air of mystery. Most of the notes I took while reading were my wonderings about what was happening and what different bits of information might mean. Once I finished The Leaving Room, it was fun to go back and follow the breadcrumbs left throughout the novel that led to its conclusion. I also really appreciated that McBride featured queer Black girls as the protagonists.
My biggest criticism of The Leaving Room is that the blurb on the inside jacket gave too much away. I read the blurb after I had already finished the book and was disappointed to find that it contained spoilers. The Leaving Room is such an interesting book. It is best read with little to no background to get the full effect.
McBride is an award-winning author, poet, and folklorist. The Leaving Room was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2025. McBride’s debut young adult novel-in-verse, Me (Moth), was also a finalist for the National Book Award in 2021. You can find more of her work at amber-mcbride.com and on Instagram @ambsmcbride.
Trigger warnings for homophobia and death.
Raquel R. Rivera (she/her/ella) is a Puerto Rican lawyer who lives in New Jersey with her incredible fiancée and their beautiful canine and human sons. She is in a lifelong love affair with books and earned countless free personal pan pizzas from the Pizza Hut BOOK IT! program as a kid to prove it.
