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When I Leave You
Grief has a way of fooling us into thinking we’re alone.
When Ellie Trechsel dies of a brain aneurysm at age 36, she discovers the afterlife is not the calm and comforting plane she always thought it would be. Instead, it’s a painful rite of passage.
Welcoming her in the afterlife is her mother-in-law, Mari, who offers herself as a trusted guide. But Ellie isn't ready to release her hold on life—even if she’s only a spectator now. As she watches her daughter take pills to cope, her trans best friend seeking harbor in an abusive relationship, and her lifelong love sinking into a deep depression, all Ellie can see are her own mistakes.
As she swirls through the past, present, and future of the lives of her family members, Ellie needs to let go of the control she once had, but in the process, discovers how little control she ever really had in the first place.
From the multi-award winning author of As Though You Were Mine comes an emotional story of loss, grief, and compassion for fans of The Lovely Bones and What Dreams May Come.
When Ellie Trechsel dies of a brain aneurysm at age 36, she discovers the afterlife is not the calm and comforting plane she always thought it would be. Instead, it’s a painful rite of passage.
Welcoming her in the afterlife is her mother-in-law, Mari, who offers herself as a trusted guide. But Ellie isn't ready to release her hold on life—even if she’s only a spectator now. As she watches her daughter take pills to cope, her trans best friend seeking harbor in an abusive relationship, and her lifelong love sinking into a deep depression, all Ellie can see are her own mistakes.
As she swirls through the past, present, and future of the lives of her family members, Ellie needs to let go of the control she once had, but in the process, discovers how little control she ever really had in the first place.
From the multi-award winning author of As Though You Were Mine comes an emotional story of loss, grief, and compassion for fans of The Lovely Bones and What Dreams May Come.
332 pages, Paperback
Published April 9, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 7, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for the ALC.
Really enjoyed this one. Such an interesting trope - but it worked really well and reminded me a little of the Midnight Library.
I liked the idea of the transition between life and death, and when the author compared it to transition in labour between first and second stage of birth I loved that. As a midwife that really resonated, that feeling of being in-between, where you’re not quite in one place or the other yet.
It was emotional in places and really well written, and it tackles some difficult topics but does it in a thoughtful way without feeling too heavy.
Overall a really enjoyable read with a clever idea behind it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Really enjoyed this one. Such an interesting trope - but it worked really well and reminded me a little of the Midnight Library.
I liked the idea of the transition between life and death, and when the author compared it to transition in labour between first and second stage of birth I loved that. As a midwife that really resonated, that feeling of being in-between, where you’re not quite in one place or the other yet.
It was emotional in places and really well written, and it tackles some difficult topics but does it in a thoughtful way without feeling too heavy.
Overall a really enjoyable read with a clever idea behind it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 16, 2026
What a great story. Ms Rundquist is quite the storyteller. Enjoyed Ellie’s character so much. A book about so many things that happen to us in life and a look at what we could have done differently. J Marie does a great job with character development. From Ellie to Tim to Mel as well as Lucas/Corrina and the two mothers. Hers and Corrinas. Loved Mari and the role she played.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you to the author for the advanced copy of this book.
Oh my heart! I love-love-loved this book! Triple love! I don’t even know if I can write a review that can do the book justice. There were so many layers to this novel and I think this book is going to stay with me a while.
Rundquist continues to develop as an author and this has been my favorite book to date, now surpassing by my previous favorite of hers, “As Though You Were Mine.” Ellie dies suddenly in her 30’s from a brain aneurysm. We follow Ellie through her long transition in the afterlife which is compared to transition in birth, “it feels the same with pains piling on top of one another and seeming to last forever.” The author’s storytelling around the character’s transition in the afterlife was fascinating and held similarities yet also differences from other people’s imaginations. There is a lesson to be learned before she can let go; she is guided by her mother-in-law, Mari, who she only met in real life just once when Ellie and her now husband were just getting to know each other. The answer is slow to be revealed not just to Ellie, but to us, as readers, too. It was always on the tip of our tongues but ever-elusive.
We go back in time to learn more about her husband, Tim. Oh how I love Timo! Such a tender hearted and caring person and the two of them were so well matched. Ellie’s confidence and strength was a good match for Timo’s less confident self, while Timo had the patience and ability to listen without judgment which was a good balance against Ellie’s tendency to quickly react instead of properly respond.
Layers. So many different themes and topics layered in without going so far as being not believable. The author’s insight into the emotional elements of each topic shows a deep understanding of human emotions and what connects us all. Every time I opened the book to start reading again – and if I had a full day, I bet I could have read this straight through – I kept thinking of the word LOVE – all caps, underlined, bold, size 18 font. Ellie and Timo’s love, Ellie’s love for her best friend Corrina, her deep love for her daughter, Mel, the overall love everywhere of mothers, daughters, sons, friends and even strangers. Love was everywhere.
The timeline jumped around quite a bit and I don’t always like that but for this book, it really worked. Rundquist did a nice job of tying it all together. Quite literally from the dedication page through to the last page – it was so cohesive.
And did I cry? You betcha! THREE TIMES! That never happens. It was just such a beautiful story. I truly loved it. As always, Rundquist has a real knack for writing about children and reading this, it must come from a place of her being a good mother herself.
I will not give you a spoiler but will leave you with my biggest AAAGH!!! CALLIOPE! I hated her until I understood her.
Actually, I will leave you with a few non-spoiler favorite quotes:
In the afterlife, Ellie has but cannot express feelings. “Crying now is a bit like dry heaving. It’s so frustrating to feel pain without being able to express it.” A perfect analogy to really paint a perfect picture!
Carrina has a complicated relationship with her mother and in a conversation where her mother is being particularly harsh there is this line: “Her words wrap around me like a cheap wool sweater. Scratchy, but at least it covers the skin.”
Read. This. Book.
Oh my heart! I love-love-loved this book! Triple love! I don’t even know if I can write a review that can do the book justice. There were so many layers to this novel and I think this book is going to stay with me a while.
Rundquist continues to develop as an author and this has been my favorite book to date, now surpassing by my previous favorite of hers, “As Though You Were Mine.” Ellie dies suddenly in her 30’s from a brain aneurysm. We follow Ellie through her long transition in the afterlife which is compared to transition in birth, “it feels the same with pains piling on top of one another and seeming to last forever.” The author’s storytelling around the character’s transition in the afterlife was fascinating and held similarities yet also differences from other people’s imaginations. There is a lesson to be learned before she can let go; she is guided by her mother-in-law, Mari, who she only met in real life just once when Ellie and her now husband were just getting to know each other. The answer is slow to be revealed not just to Ellie, but to us, as readers, too. It was always on the tip of our tongues but ever-elusive.
We go back in time to learn more about her husband, Tim. Oh how I love Timo! Such a tender hearted and caring person and the two of them were so well matched. Ellie’s confidence and strength was a good match for Timo’s less confident self, while Timo had the patience and ability to listen without judgment which was a good balance against Ellie’s tendency to quickly react instead of properly respond.
Layers. So many different themes and topics layered in without going so far as being not believable. The author’s insight into the emotional elements of each topic shows a deep understanding of human emotions and what connects us all. Every time I opened the book to start reading again – and if I had a full day, I bet I could have read this straight through – I kept thinking of the word LOVE – all caps, underlined, bold, size 18 font. Ellie and Timo’s love, Ellie’s love for her best friend Corrina, her deep love for her daughter, Mel, the overall love everywhere of mothers, daughters, sons, friends and even strangers. Love was everywhere.
The timeline jumped around quite a bit and I don’t always like that but for this book, it really worked. Rundquist did a nice job of tying it all together. Quite literally from the dedication page through to the last page – it was so cohesive.
And did I cry? You betcha! THREE TIMES! That never happens. It was just such a beautiful story. I truly loved it. As always, Rundquist has a real knack for writing about children and reading this, it must come from a place of her being a good mother herself.
I will not give you a spoiler but will leave you with my biggest AAAGH!!! CALLIOPE! I hated her until I understood her.
Actually, I will leave you with a few non-spoiler favorite quotes:
In the afterlife, Ellie has but cannot express feelings. “Crying now is a bit like dry heaving. It’s so frustrating to feel pain without being able to express it.” A perfect analogy to really paint a perfect picture!
Carrina has a complicated relationship with her mother and in a conversation where her mother is being particularly harsh there is this line: “Her words wrap around me like a cheap wool sweater. Scratchy, but at least it covers the skin.”
Read. This. Book.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Ellie Trechsel has finally found happiness and balance in her life. She’s married to a wonderful man, Tim Rivera, who is a great stepfather to her daughter, Melanie. She has a ride or die best friend, Corrina. She has a job teaching Spanish that she’s passionate about. She’s been through many ups and downs to get to this point.
And then, walking with Tim and Mel through the parking lot toward their favorite restaurant, she collapses and dies. An aneurysm. (This is not a spoiler. I happens at the start of the novel.)
She’s not ready to die. She’s not ready to let go. And so she finds herself in an interim stage in which she not only sees the affect her death has had on the people she loves, but she time travels through many key moments in the life she’s just left, fighting the transition she must now make. Yet, she’s not alone. She has an angel guide in the form of her mother-in-law, Mari.
This book is about transition in its many iterations - embracing change and moving forward on a positive path. In death and in life, we only make it through big traumatic changes with the support of the people who love us. Corrina begins as Lucas and transitions with the love and support of Ellie. Ellie transitions to a single mother with the love and support of Lucas/Corrina. Mel transitions through her teenage years with the love of Ellie and Tim. Tim transitions through the loss of his mother and later a daughter with Ellie’s love and support. Finally, Ellie must transition from this life to a space beyond the death of her body.
When I leave you imagines the big question of what happens when we die. The novel presents an answer wrapped in Ellie’s warm, supportive transition in which she has the ability to see her life in full, to see the future for her loved ones, and to move on only when she has resolved her fears and concerns that those she leaves behind can manage without her. “When I leave you, remember that you are strong and remember you are not alone. I do not abandon you, but instead give you wholly into the care of one another” Ellie says when she is reading to make her final transition.
A beautiful, unique thoughtful book about life, family, and the love we both leave behind and take with us when we die.
And then, walking with Tim and Mel through the parking lot toward their favorite restaurant, she collapses and dies. An aneurysm. (This is not a spoiler. I happens at the start of the novel.)
She’s not ready to die. She’s not ready to let go. And so she finds herself in an interim stage in which she not only sees the affect her death has had on the people she loves, but she time travels through many key moments in the life she’s just left, fighting the transition she must now make. Yet, she’s not alone. She has an angel guide in the form of her mother-in-law, Mari.
This book is about transition in its many iterations - embracing change and moving forward on a positive path. In death and in life, we only make it through big traumatic changes with the support of the people who love us. Corrina begins as Lucas and transitions with the love and support of Ellie. Ellie transitions to a single mother with the love and support of Lucas/Corrina. Mel transitions through her teenage years with the love of Ellie and Tim. Tim transitions through the loss of his mother and later a daughter with Ellie’s love and support. Finally, Ellie must transition from this life to a space beyond the death of her body.
When I leave you imagines the big question of what happens when we die. The novel presents an answer wrapped in Ellie’s warm, supportive transition in which she has the ability to see her life in full, to see the future for her loved ones, and to move on only when she has resolved her fears and concerns that those she leaves behind can manage without her. “When I leave you, remember that you are strong and remember you are not alone. I do not abandon you, but instead give you wholly into the care of one another” Ellie says when she is reading to make her final transition.
A beautiful, unique thoughtful book about life, family, and the love we both leave behind and take with us when we die.
Review of advance copy received from Author
When I Leave You by J. Marie Rundquist is the kind of book that stays with you long after you turn the final page. It’s an emotionally rich and deeply affecting novel, the fourth by this author. Rundquist is a writer of remarkable talent and heart.
The characters are well-developed and relatable, making their journeys feel authentic and compelling. Ellie, the protagonist, is given the opportunity to see her life and her loved ones through an unusual lens: following her own sudden death. Other authors have explored this viewpoint (Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones, for example), but When I Leave You isn’t about heaven or hell. The prologue denies the existence of both. Even Ellie’s spirit-self is surprised to discover that her expectations about the afterlife were completely wrong.
As she makes her transition from the world of the living to that of the dead, Ellie is guided by Mari, her husband’s late mother. Mari shows patience and love in teaching Ellie how to “see all.” As an educator herself, Rundquist understands the importance of learning by discovery. Good teachers believe in their students’ ability to understand but are willing to wait until they are ready.
This book explores one of the biggest questions we all face: how will the people we love cope with our passing? Its greatest achievement is its willingness to sit with discomfort. Rundquist never reaches for easy resolutions or false hope. The emotions feel earned, raw, and entirely true to life. Every scene carries weight, and the cumulative effect is nothing short of devastating — in the best possible way.
J. Marie Rundquist writes with rare emotional clarity and a gift for capturing the small moments that define our relationships. This is the kind of novel you will want to press into the hands of everyone you love. When I Leave You is a perfect read for anyone who enjoys emotionally resonant fiction. If you are the kind of reader who treasures books that make you feel deeply — that move you to tears, to laughter, or to a quiet, contemplative stillness — this novel belongs on your shelf.
The characters are well-developed and relatable, making their journeys feel authentic and compelling. Ellie, the protagonist, is given the opportunity to see her life and her loved ones through an unusual lens: following her own sudden death. Other authors have explored this viewpoint (Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones, for example), but When I Leave You isn’t about heaven or hell. The prologue denies the existence of both. Even Ellie’s spirit-self is surprised to discover that her expectations about the afterlife were completely wrong.
As she makes her transition from the world of the living to that of the dead, Ellie is guided by Mari, her husband’s late mother. Mari shows patience and love in teaching Ellie how to “see all.” As an educator herself, Rundquist understands the importance of learning by discovery. Good teachers believe in their students’ ability to understand but are willing to wait until they are ready.
This book explores one of the biggest questions we all face: how will the people we love cope with our passing? Its greatest achievement is its willingness to sit with discomfort. Rundquist never reaches for easy resolutions or false hope. The emotions feel earned, raw, and entirely true to life. Every scene carries weight, and the cumulative effect is nothing short of devastating — in the best possible way.
J. Marie Rundquist writes with rare emotional clarity and a gift for capturing the small moments that define our relationships. This is the kind of novel you will want to press into the hands of everyone you love. When I Leave You is a perfect read for anyone who enjoys emotionally resonant fiction. If you are the kind of reader who treasures books that make you feel deeply — that move you to tears, to laughter, or to a quiet, contemplative stillness — this novel belongs on your shelf.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
When I Leave You absolutely broke me in the softest, most beautiful way.
I received this as an ARC through NetGalley, and I’m so grateful I had the chance to experience this story early.
This is not a plot-heavy book…it’s an emotional one. It explores grief, love, and what it truly means to let go, all from a perspective we don’t often see: the one who has already passed on.
Following Ellie as she navigates the afterlife while still being deeply connected to the people she loves was both comforting and devastating. The story does something really powerful by showing grief from both sides the ones left behind and the one who has to watch life continue without her.
The Karina storyline was especially heartbreaking. The LGBTQIA+ representation felt natural and meaningful, adding depth to the themes of love, identity, and the pain of not having enough time to fully live and express that love.
This book doesn’t rely on big twists or dramatic moments. Instead, it quietly builds, focusing on emotional growth and acceptance. By the end, it leaves you with a sense of peace, even through the tears.
It’s the kind of story that stays with you and makes you reflect on your own relationships and what it means to truly let go.
If you’re looking for something fast-paced, this may not be it. But if you want a story that makes you feel deeply and lingers long after you finish, this is absolutely worth reading.
🥹💔✨
I received this as an ARC through NetGalley, and I’m so grateful I had the chance to experience this story early.
This is not a plot-heavy book…it’s an emotional one. It explores grief, love, and what it truly means to let go, all from a perspective we don’t often see: the one who has already passed on.
Following Ellie as she navigates the afterlife while still being deeply connected to the people she loves was both comforting and devastating. The story does something really powerful by showing grief from both sides the ones left behind and the one who has to watch life continue without her.
The Karina storyline was especially heartbreaking. The LGBTQIA+ representation felt natural and meaningful, adding depth to the themes of love, identity, and the pain of not having enough time to fully live and express that love.
This book doesn’t rely on big twists or dramatic moments. Instead, it quietly builds, focusing on emotional growth and acceptance. By the end, it leaves you with a sense of peace, even through the tears.
It’s the kind of story that stays with you and makes you reflect on your own relationships and what it means to truly let go.
If you’re looking for something fast-paced, this may not be it. But if you want a story that makes you feel deeply and lingers long after you finish, this is absolutely worth reading.
🥹💔✨
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
•𝐀𝐋𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝘄•
[When I Leave You]
🔥 Release Date: Apr 09 2026 🔥
Thank you to Book, Ink, J. Marie Rundquist, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
★★★★☆
You know when you get to a part in a book and you realize it's about to absolutely destroy you? This whole book is that feeling.
✦ This story leans heavily into grief, memory, and the quiet ways love lingers after someone is gone. Ellie’s life with her husband Tim and their daughter Mel feels warm and full at the start, which makes everything that follows hit a little harder. After Ellie dies suddenly from a brain aneurysm, the story follows her as she navigates the afterlife with the help of her mother-in-law Mari.
✦ What stood out most to me was how emotional this book feels without being overly dramatic. It’s reflective and a little bittersweet, and the story doesn’t just focus on Ellie. We also see how Tim, Mel, and Corrina deal with the loss and try to move forward in their own ways. The timeline jumps around a bit, but it works well and helps show how everyone changes over time.
✦ At its heart, this is really a story about love in all its forms. The characters feel genuine, and the dialogue comes across naturally. It’s a tender, thoughtful book that balances heartbreak with hope in a way that feels very real.
[When I Leave You]
🔥 Release Date: Apr 09 2026 🔥
Thank you to Book, Ink, J. Marie Rundquist, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
★★★★☆
You know when you get to a part in a book and you realize it's about to absolutely destroy you? This whole book is that feeling.
✦ This story leans heavily into grief, memory, and the quiet ways love lingers after someone is gone. Ellie’s life with her husband Tim and their daughter Mel feels warm and full at the start, which makes everything that follows hit a little harder. After Ellie dies suddenly from a brain aneurysm, the story follows her as she navigates the afterlife with the help of her mother-in-law Mari.
✦ What stood out most to me was how emotional this book feels without being overly dramatic. It’s reflective and a little bittersweet, and the story doesn’t just focus on Ellie. We also see how Tim, Mel, and Corrina deal with the loss and try to move forward in their own ways. The timeline jumps around a bit, but it works well and helps show how everyone changes over time.
✦ At its heart, this is really a story about love in all its forms. The characters feel genuine, and the dialogue comes across naturally. It’s a tender, thoughtful book that balances heartbreak with hope in a way that feels very real.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Firstly, I was given the opportunity to read this prior to general release via NetGalley and book, inc. This will be released on the 9th April.
This is a really interesting reflection on grief and the transition of the main character Ellie who passed away suddenly of a brain aneurysm. As you would expect the sudden loss has a huge impact on her husband Tim and her daughter Mel. What I enjoyed was the impact on Ellie’s perspective of being in the afterlife as a soul, observer, presence in the living world.
We follow Ellie and her mother in law Mari, in a gentle welcome to the afterlife. Ellie not ready to move on she starts to observe the life left. What I enjoyed was the jumping in time of characters we see the past, the present with the family and friends trying to live with the loss and the future after her death. Some areas are very had to read and can be triggering and upsetting, there is a trigger warning as well prior to reading to advise you.
Also I like that Ellie sees her mistakes but understands now there is nothing she can do but observe and decide to move on. This is very emotional, I did cry and if you have gone through a recent loss I would advise read it but do take care of yourself and if needs be stop and come back to it as everybody reacts and moves on at their own pace which is heavily reflected in this tale.
This is a really interesting reflection on grief and the transition of the main character Ellie who passed away suddenly of a brain aneurysm. As you would expect the sudden loss has a huge impact on her husband Tim and her daughter Mel. What I enjoyed was the impact on Ellie’s perspective of being in the afterlife as a soul, observer, presence in the living world.
We follow Ellie and her mother in law Mari, in a gentle welcome to the afterlife. Ellie not ready to move on she starts to observe the life left. What I enjoyed was the jumping in time of characters we see the past, the present with the family and friends trying to live with the loss and the future after her death. Some areas are very had to read and can be triggering and upsetting, there is a trigger warning as well prior to reading to advise you.
Also I like that Ellie sees her mistakes but understands now there is nothing she can do but observe and decide to move on. This is very emotional, I did cry and if you have gone through a recent loss I would advise read it but do take care of yourself and if needs be stop and come back to it as everybody reacts and moves on at their own pace which is heavily reflected in this tale.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Ellie Trechsel life seems to be in a great place. She has her best friend Corinne, has successfully navigated life as a single mom, is in a job she loves and has met and married the love of her life. Then she suddenly dies of a brain aneurysm at just 36 years old.
When I Leave You is not your typical story of life after death. It follows Ellie on a painful transition into the afterlife guided by her mother-in-law, Mari.
The story, after death, jumps around different points in not just Ellie’s life, but that of her loved one’s. It is done so smoothly though, and it helps connect the different events in the characters’ lives.
Rundquist does a phenomenal job at capturing the emotional nuances in each scene, without being dramtic. Multiple times I found my heart breaking with the characters, crying for them.
Jama Smith did a great job narrating. Thank you net galley for the ALC.
When I Leave You is not your typical story of life after death. It follows Ellie on a painful transition into the afterlife guided by her mother-in-law, Mari.
The story, after death, jumps around different points in not just Ellie’s life, but that of her loved one’s. It is done so smoothly though, and it helps connect the different events in the characters’ lives.
Rundquist does a phenomenal job at capturing the emotional nuances in each scene, without being dramtic. Multiple times I found my heart breaking with the characters, crying for them.
Jama Smith did a great job narrating. Thank you net galley for the ALC.
March 23, 2026
“None of us walks through life—or death—alone.”
J. Marie Rundquist’s When I Leave You is a story that resonates on a soul-deep level. When Ellie dies suddenly at thirty-eight from a brain aneurysm, she finds herself navigating the afterlife under the unexpected guidance of Mari—her mother-in-law, a woman she barely had the chance to know in life.
As Ellie watches her husband Tim, her teenage daughter Mel, and her beloved trans friend Corrina struggle in the wake of her loss, she is forced to confront not only their grief, but her own unfinished emotional journey. Told through a non-linear timeline and from Ellie’s perspective, the novel weaves past and present into a poignant exploration of love, loss, and healing.
Beautifully written, When I Leave You is more than a story—it’s a meditation on the afterlife, the enduring bonds that connect us, and the quiet, powerful ways we help one another find peace… even beyond this life.
J. Marie Rundquist’s When I Leave You is a story that resonates on a soul-deep level. When Ellie dies suddenly at thirty-eight from a brain aneurysm, she finds herself navigating the afterlife under the unexpected guidance of Mari—her mother-in-law, a woman she barely had the chance to know in life.
As Ellie watches her husband Tim, her teenage daughter Mel, and her beloved trans friend Corrina struggle in the wake of her loss, she is forced to confront not only their grief, but her own unfinished emotional journey. Told through a non-linear timeline and from Ellie’s perspective, the novel weaves past and present into a poignant exploration of love, loss, and healing.
Beautifully written, When I Leave You is more than a story—it’s a meditation on the afterlife, the enduring bonds that connect us, and the quiet, powerful ways we help one another find peace… even beyond this life.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Who wants to complicate life by dying? Well, that’s exactly what Ellie went and did. This story is poignant and will make the reader think about finishing all business on earth before transitioning, because we don’t know what’s on the other side. I like Ellie a lot and I was shocked when she died, it was almost visceral, but the author kept her alive and let the reader navigate regrets, loss, longings and acceptance along with her.
The characters feel real. I wanted to hug motherless Mel. I rooted for her and Timo to lean on each other. Corrina is the kind of girlfriend we all need in our lives. A lovely story and a beautiful read. I highly recommend it.
The characters feel real. I wanted to hug motherless Mel. I rooted for her and Timo to lean on each other. Corrina is the kind of girlfriend we all need in our lives. A lovely story and a beautiful read. I highly recommend it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What a hauntingly beautiful, heart-wrenching journey this book was. The author gave grief a shape, and the narration solidified it. I enjoyed the nonlinear timeline of memories, showing the reader past, present and future impacts of having loved and lost was beautifully done. The testament of being able to step out of yourself and learning to let go of what you can't control, while not being able to change anything was heavy. I for some reason chose to read this near the 20th anniversary of my mother's death, and I honestly don't regret it. This book found me when i needed it and I hope it does for you Aswell.
April 14, 2026
When I Leave You is about Ellie’s transition from death to the afterlife. I enjoyed the jumps in time, but they were sometimes so abrupt that I got lost trying to figure out where we were. I like how gender transitioning was handled in the book with Carina, as well as the relationship she has.
There are trigger warnings, one that really threw me but then rectified itself near the end of the book. This subplot didn’t add anything to the story.
Jama Smith is my biggest problem with this book. She mispronounced widely used words, which repeatedly pulled me out of the story. She also has very little range, making it hard to follow.
Thank you to Book, Ink for providing me with an ALC.
There are trigger warnings, one that really threw me but then rectified itself near the end of the book. This subplot didn’t add anything to the story.
Jama Smith is my biggest problem with this book. She mispronounced widely used words, which repeatedly pulled me out of the story. She also has very little range, making it hard to follow.
Thank you to Book, Ink for providing me with an ALC.
April 28, 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I appreciated the big idea of this book, and the last several pages were beautifully written. Unfortunately, I found that none of the characters felt like real people to me, and it was hard to escape into the story when I could hear the author so loudly.
I support representation in art, and I'm glad that it seemed to be a priority here. I just think it could have been done in a more seamless way to allow the story about navigating loss and grief to come through a bit more.
I appreciated the big idea of this book, and the last several pages were beautifully written. Unfortunately, I found that none of the characters felt like real people to me, and it was hard to escape into the story when I could hear the author so loudly.
I support representation in art, and I'm glad that it seemed to be a priority here. I just think it could have been done in a more seamless way to allow the story about navigating loss and grief to come through a bit more.
March 15, 2026
This book's primary focus isn't the afterlife of Ellie. It's mostly about Lucas transitioning, sexuality, and gender dysmorphia and raising kids to be okay with it. Yes, Ellie watches those grieve her but it's all back to Tim being with a man before her, Lucas transitioning to Karina, and showing their kids that this is okay and acceptable. The author's views on these subjects are definitely the focus.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2026
This was a can't-look/can't-put-down read for me. How I mean that is I was immediately invested in the characters and I didn't want to see them hurt, but I had to find out what happened to them at the same time. It's an emotional ride, but so worth it in the end. I especially appreciate (as I do with all of J. Marie Rundquist's books) the LGBTQ+ and minority representation, especially in today's horrific anti-trans and immigrant political atmosphere.
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