Your Final Moments

by Jay Coles

A heartbreaking story of suicide, addiction, and hard truths from acclaimed author Jay Coles, for fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, You’ve Reached Sam, They Both Die at the End, and Tiffany D. Jackson.



Hakeem goes to Narcotics Anonymous meetings to keep his addictions in check. But when his best friend Miles kills himself, Hakeem finds the days harder and harder to get through. He loved Miles -- maybe even loved loved him -- and he's haunted by the fact that there might have been something he could have done to ease his friend's pain. He meets a girl named Eliza in his NA meetings, and she is there for him when sometime truly out-there happens... Hakeem calls Miles's old phone number. And Miles not only calls back from beyond the grave, but has news to He didn’t kill himself. He was murdered.

Finding out the truth about Miles might end up helping Hakim find his way to his own truth... and further strength to stay alive himself. But as his relationship with Eliza grows, other cracks begin to show... and holding his world together may be even harder than he thought it would be.

Genres: LGBT, Young Adult, Queer, Mystery, Grief, Death, Addiction

320 pages, Hardcover

Published June 3, 2025

About the author

Jay Coles is a MG and YA author. He lives in Muncie, Indiana with aspirations to live in Los Angeles. Also, Jay is a composer, musician, and missionary where he gets to mentor college students. You can find him on Twitter and Instagram (@mrjaycoles)!

Reviews

[Alisha Hossain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brought me to tears. The way this author portrayed addiction and grief was amazing. This was such an emotional read. I can't even begin to explain how well written this book was.

[Alexina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forthcoming review for NetGalley**

Your Final Moments hooked me with its high-stakes premise and raw emotional punch. The story centers on Jeremiah, a teen with the ability to see when people will die—a power that’s as much a curse as it is a gift. Watching him wrestle with that burden, especially after a tragedy hits close to home, was gripping.

Jeremiah’s struggles with family, especially his relationship with his younger brother and his best friend, felt honest and relatable. I also liked the way the book explored how much we take time for granted—and what it means to live fully when the clock’s ticking.

That said, while the story kept me turning pages, I sometimes felt like it was trying to juggle too many ideas at once. A few plot points felt rushed, and some characters, like his girlfriend and a few secondary friends, didn’t get as much depth as I’d have liked.

Still, Jay Coles writes with heart, and Jeremiah’s voice is genuine and compelling. The tension and stakes stayed strong throughout, and the themes of grief, hope, and choice stuck with me after finishing.

Overall, I’d give it 4 stars—definitely worth reading if you like emotional YA with a touch of supernatural, even if it’s not a flawless masterpiece.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a fantastic cover this book has! I agree with another reviewer who declared that this book had so much potential that was unrealized. Looking at grief and loss through the eyes of a teen--in this case, high school senior Hakeem--who is navigating his recovery journey through Narcotics Anonymous while mourning the death of his best friend, Miles, seemed promising and powerful. And parts of the book are. But as Hakeem starts receiving calls from Miles's spirit and falls in love with Eliza, a self-destructive, self-identified wildflower with baggage of her own, things got increasingly surreal, on one hand, and expected, on the other. Since the author relies on first-person narration, readers are treated to Hakeem's inner turmoil once he learns that Miles did not take his own life and once he starts to feel that life is worth living. But readers are provided with so little context about Miles and his gang involvement and Eliza's family trauma that it's hard to make sense of parts of the book. And while Eliza must have been in so much pain, surely, she'd have an inkling of how her death would affect Hakeem. Pondering how one would spend one's final moments, part of this book's plot, is probably something most of us have done. I'm not sure that I'd want to spend my final moments reading this sophomore effort from the author of Things We Couldn't Say, which is a stronger book in my opinion. There are almost too many details about sipping milkshakes or what characters are wearing and not enough attention to tying up flapping loose ends throughout the story.

[Carrie Shields · Rating 2 out of 5]

𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈'𝐦 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐭, 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭.

This started with so much potential. Hakeem is a senior in high school and his best friend Miles has just died by suicide. Hakeem has already been dealing with a lot for his young age, including addiction and his sexuality, and Miles' death pushes him back into dangerous territory.

This is the part of the book I liked; the exploration of grief through the eyes of a young person, especially a young male. His family was concerned yet supportive, and I immersed in the book right up until it ventured without warning into supernatural territory. At this point, the story just got bizarre, and the author included far too many sub-plots, almost as if there was a checklist of hot topics and triggers that needed to be included. The biggest disappointment was the question that was raised about what really happened to Miles just wasn't explored and fleshed out the way I had hoped.

I did really like this author's voice and can see myself trying another book by him. Thank you to Scholastic for the review copy. This book is available now.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

Publishes 6/3/2025, I read an advance copy. Jay Cole’s is a favorite author that I have kept up with since he was one of the authors I helped bring in for a year of Diversity & Inclusion reads where I worked. He spoke at a local high school and was great. Your Final Moments is a young adult read (if you don’t read YA, you’re missing out) about Hakeem, a young man who is a recovering addict, LGBTQ, struggling a bit with his parents, struggling a bit in school, and struggling a lot with the death of his best friend Miles. He learns Miles death is not what it seems while at the same time he meets a young woman who is a “cutter” and attends his NA meetings; Hakeem and Eliza fall in love. Is it meant to be or another tragedy? While reading this story I thought a lot about how reads like this connect with young readers. Reflecting the world they live in and offering hope along with reality. Reads like this build empathy, unlike some of our current politicos that believe empathy is a hindrance I believe that “Great power without empathy leads is a sin.”

[Gina Malanga · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am writing this review as I SOB on the subway like a lunatic…some lady handed me a tissue and I swear other people must think I got life altering news! Nope, just this gorgeous book about love, addiction, trauma, depression and so much more. The difficult things just keep coming in this books they are always written with care by this amazing author.

Our main character has just lost his best friend to suicide but when he starts getting phone calls from him it begins to seem like all is not what it seems. In the midst of this and dealing with being in recovery he also meets a girl who has a difficult past but a spirit that is infectious. To tell more would give too much away but this book will rip your heart out in the best possible way and make you want to hug your loved ones a little tighter.

My rating of 4 stars is really only because I did think the book was a little too long. My literal one issue with the book.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

When we meet Hakeem, he is a senior in hs and his best friend Miles has just died by suicide. Hakeem has dealt with a lot, including addiction, and is actively attempting NA. He is struggling in the wake of Miles’s death and calls his phone just to hear his voice and leave voicemails. One day, Miles calls back - somehow there is a link between the after life and reality through the phone. Miles tells him that he did not end his own life, but was pushed in front of the bus. Together with Miles’s ex-girlfriend Mikki and a new girl he met in NA (Eliza) they try to investigate. Bc shocker - no one believes him that his is happening.

The premise was interesting, but I think the author tried to cram too much into one book. I would have liked it more if he told either the Miles murder story OR the (tragic) Eliza story. It felt very disjointed. I did like the way the author wrote about addiction and mental health. 3.25 ⭐️

[Aster Greenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had an interesting premise, but felt like it was lacking plot. Things just happen, and then the book keeps going. Why does Miles decide to stop calling Hakeem? Why does Eliza start going to school, or go see her family? These events feel like they could happen at any time, so it's hard to feel any sort of emotion about them. Some parts of the book hit harder than others, but it felt like the natural end should have been much earlier, and so makes the pacing of the entire thing feel a bit off. I want to give it the benefit of the doubt, and say I'm probably not the audience the author had in mind, but even if I was going to share this with someone I thought might enjoy it more, it's hard to know how to describe it, because nothing feels an actual plot beat.

[Alisha Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was really really good. The portrayal of grief and addiction and mental health struggles is just so raw and accurate. I cried real tears while I read; it was so emotional. The writing style was great and different from other things I've read. While this is a YA, it's a HEAVY HITTER MAN. It's not the fastest paced book which I didn't love, but there are fast paced parts that align with the slow narrative and it helps the reading experience. I really liked this book and can't wait to read more from this author!

[Susan Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one sounded really good, but for me it didn't live up to expectations. When Hakeem starts to get phone calls from his dead friend telling him that he didn't commit suicide, there's a mystery to be solved. Who killed Miles and why? But this it solved (too handily), early on in the book, and then it turns into a romance between Hakeem and a mysterious and troubled girl who he meets at a NA meeting. I was more interested in the mystery than the romance, so I kind of lost interest after a while.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic Press for the ARC of this beautiful, emotional read. I was drawn to this book after seeing author Jay Coles on TikTok, and it did not disappoint. Hakeem’s journey through grief, addiction, and the mysterious loss of his best friend Miles is raw and powerful. The supernatural twist adds depth without overshadowing the very real struggles he faces. This is a must-read for YA fans and beyond; haunting, heartfelt, and full of hope.

[Alma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hakeem and Eliza’s struggles are real, especially to readers living with addictions and heartaches of their own. I could only hope those reading about their sufferings will seek help for their own pain through NA, as well as also through trusted teachers, family members, and friends. Read more on my blog about this ARC I was sent by the publisher in exchange for an honest review: https://shouldireaditornot.wordpress....

[Julie Heitland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hakeem has a rough life as a high school student - drug addiction, his best friend is murdered, and his girlfriend is distant. He tries to keep things together with the help of Miles and Eliza but finds himself reverting to his old ways when tragedy strikes. A story of love and loss, family trust, and tough love. Will Hakeem be able to beat the odds as he maneuvers the life of a teenager and look to the future without the people he has relied on in the past.

[Caro · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe 2.5 🌟? I couldn’t get into this one because it wasn’t believable to me, and yet at the same time, the plot was too predictable. Maybe this is in line with YA Fiction but it didn’t resonate at all. Clearly the author is accomplished otherwise his stories wouldn’t be published, but this one wasn’t for me. (Sorry.)

[DeAja · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A very realistic portrayal of addiction I’ve seen in YA fiction, I really empathized with Hakeeem as he was going through a lot mentally. But I wasn’t expecting the mystery to be solved so quickly and then once that was over, I wasn’t interested in him and Eliza. But glad to see another book from Jay Coles as there aren’t many Black men authors in YA

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what an unforgettable bk. Hakeem’s best friend,Miles, kills himself. But then Miles calls him &says he was murdered &wants him to find who did it. Hakeem meets Eliza who helps him.
#healing #loss

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I think that this book discusses very real life situations that teens are dealing with, including suicide, drug use, teen pregnancy, and neglect, but I also struggle with some of the messaging and normalization of teens drug use and suicide.

[Ashley Galletti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't get over the narrator using his female voice.

[Jenn Abu-Hamda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Parts of it were good, most of it was boring.

[Kelsey Stawiarski Flask · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love the concept, hate how cheesy it is. Convenient cellphone calls to the dead anytime you wanna talk? it completely ruined the story for me. I was thrilled to see some very unique and realistic representation among teenagers here but I hated the weird fantasy element that took away the mystery.

[Kasia · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 11%

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of elements to digest in this emotional, reflective Young Adult novel from Jay Coles. Hakeem loses his best friend Miles and soon after begins receiving phone calls from him from the other side, urging him to investigate the truth behind his death. With the help of his new friend, Eliza, Hakeem works to find answers for Miles, while also navigating old friendships, new friendships, parental expectations, romance, and his sobriety.