They Both Die at the End

Adam Silvera

Sep 2017 · They Both Die at the End Series Book 1 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

Adam Silvera reminds us that there’s no life without death and no love without loss in this devastating yet uplifting story about two people whose lives change over the course of one unforgettable day.

#1 New York Times bestseller * four starred reviews * A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year * A Kirkus Best Book of the Year * A Booklist Editors' Choice * A Bustle Best YA Novel * A Paste Magazine Best YA Book * A Book Riot Best Queer Book * A BuzzFeed Best YA Book of the Year * A BookPage Best YA Book of the Year

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.

Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.

In the tradition of Before I Fall and If I Stay, They Both Die at the End is a tour de force from acclaimed author Adam Silvera, whose debut, More Happy Than Not, the New York Times called “profound.”

Plus don't miss The First to Die at the End: #1 New York Times bestselling author Adam Silvera returns to the universe of international phenomenon They Both Die at the End in this prequel. New star-crossed lovers are put to the test on the first day of Death-Cast’s fateful calls. 

Ratings and reviews

This was a terrible book. The plot was horrendous, trite and ugly. Nothing about it was exciting. The sequence of events was dull. The ending was absolutely terrible and the story, because of it, failed to inspire. The narration was awful and annoying throughout the book. Mateo was weird, gross and unlikable. Rufus was arrogant, messy and reckless. Neither character redeemed themselves and both made the book feel like a waste. Lastly, the premise was absurd. It seemed like every other teenager was doomed to die that night. At that rate, half the city would have been dead in a month. It was completely illogical and poorly planned. The chemistry between the two characters was the only redeeming quality of this book. It felt real unlike the horrendous premise and plot of this story.

I loved the book, it was amazing! Very sad though, so if you don't want to be sad, maybe pass or wait until you're in a better headspace. I read pretty fast so It only took me one evening, however I imagine reading it more spaced out throughout a week or two might take a toll on you.

Silvera's latest novel imagines a contemporary world in which death can be predicted accurately to the day of death. Time and cause can't be discerned, but Death-Cast can inform you in the wee hours of the morning if you are going to die that day. Now, just the concept brings so much to mind - what would such a world be like? What could you do in 24 hours? What WOULD you don in 24 hours? And the author builds a narrative of two boys within that framework. Two strangers, who decide to spend their last day together. Mateo and Rufus are quite different in nature. Mateo is the gentle cinnamon roll (he digs graves for dead birds and helps out strangers), introverted and afraid to speak up. Rufus has violent impulses (we are literally introduced to him as he is beating up a guy), is fiercely loyal and has survivor's guilt. Matoe's last day was about becoming the person he really wanted to be, and Rufus' last goodbyes are ruined and when the both of them come together because of an app, it starts a tentative but beautiful relationship. Now their last day activities are mostly about making some good memories and hoping to die with lesser regrets, and constantly on the look out for their death. It is not funny, but when the book started I was imagining Death lurking in the background singing 'one way or another I'm gonna get ya' and at the start, Mateo is cautious like that. Slowly he starts to unwind and let the day take him where he did, and both of them seek their respective closures and goodbyes. Through a dual POV, we see how their companionship helps both of them, with Mateo gaining courage and Rufus gaining serenity through it. Through some other POV, we also see some 'background' characters and how their lives intersect with our two protagonists, and I liked that little detail. It reminded that the story is a little about other people too as it is about our two protagonists and how they navigate in the world. The world-building doesn't go beyond the introduction of Death-Cast a few years prior and the businesses that sprang around it, however, and I felt maybe we were denied some answers. The romance, is well, not insta-love kind but also I was a bit like - hold on there, it has been less than a day. But then you also think like how these two characters bared their souls to each other on their last day, and well, there is no later time to fall in love anyway. Though it was a beautiful development, it could have even worked on a platonic scale, because their friendship was as good as their romance. However, since this is an own voices book, I won't give any further arguments against it. The story is beautiful and despite the end (look, the spoiler is in the TITLE) it was a engaging and thoughtful journey to it. Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Harper Teen, via Edelweiss.

About the author

Adam Silvera is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of They Both Die at the End, The First to Die at the End, More Happy Than Not, History Is All You Left Me, the Infinity Cycle, and—with Becky Albertalli—What If It’s Us and Here’s to Us. He worked in the publishing industry as a children’s bookseller, community manager at a content development company, and book reviewer of children’s and young adult novels. He was born and raised in New York and now lives in Los Angeles. He is tall for no reason. Visit him online at adamsilvera.com.