Welcome to my review of They Both Die in the End by Adam Silvera. I really enjoyed this quick read, it has a really interesting premise and leaves you wondering what you might do in a similar situation. How would you spend your final day?
A love story with a difference – an unforgettable tale of life, loss and making each day count in the NO. 1 BESTSELLING book of TIKTOK fame by Adam Silvera.
On September 5th, 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.
Another beautiful, heartbreaking and life-affirming book from the brilliant Adam Silvera, author of More Happy Than Not, History Is All You Left Me, What If It’s Us and the Infinity Cycle series.
Adam Silvera is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END, MORE HAPPY THAN NOT, HISTORY IS ALL YOU LEFT ME, INFINITY SON and INFINITY REAPER. He has also co-written WHAT IF IT’S US and HERE’S TO US with Becky Albertalli. He was born and raised in the Bronx and now lives in Los Angeles. He is tall for no reason.
I have seen this book mentioned so many times recently and some excellent reviews, so I thought I would try it. I like to include Young Adult reads into my routine as I usually find them quick and relatively light reads. However, this one has a darker premise but is still fast and entertaining.
From the beginning, we find a futuristic world where people are told that they will be dying during the proceeding 24 hours. Two teenagers, Mateo, who is 18 and Rufus, 17, have just received their phone calls, and due to very different circumstances, they find a ‘last friend’ through the app with whom to spend their end day.
This is an excellent premise for a book and an intriguing idea. What would you do on your end day? I have no idea, but this did get me thinking about what I might want to do, whom I would want to see and spend time with, etc. I can’t imagine who would like to be the person making the phone calls either, and it must be a downright depressing job.
The characters are well developed, both with sad backstories, but neither of them is unwell, nor in any way someone you would think would be about to die. We follow their end day to its conclusion, where they inevitably both die. They Both Die in the End is told from the perspective of Mateo and Rufus and those around them, which gives a rounded view of the situation. They have some close calls, and Mateo is particularly cautious with his actions to ensure their day doesn’t end too soon.
Knowing that these are your last few hours though, takes its toll. You never know when it will be your final moment, which I guess is true for us all, and maybe there is a more profound message here to live your life to the fullest. This is something I probably think about more than most, given my health situation and how quickly things changed.
The book also deals with Mateo’s anxiety. He is initially terrified of leaving his bedroom for the risk of death, but we see him overcome his fears and gain control over his intrusive thoughts. You feel it’s a shame that it’s his end day when he has come so far and could live a more enhanced life instead. Rufus, in contrast, appears quite rough on the outside but has a soft centre and is quite sensitive. They make a great pair of friends to spend their last day together, and both enhance the other and encourage them to live well and say goodbye, deal with their issues and face up to their lives.
There is a beautiful romantic ending for them as a couple, which would be great to see developed more, but alas, that is not part of the story. The conclusion is faster paced and as lovely as the rest of They Both Die in the End, where of course, they do both die. However, I wouldn’t say I liked how Rufus is only implied that he dies. I wish I could have seen his last thoughts. It would have been good to see Pluto’s reaction to his death, even Peck’s feelings. Despite this, I think I know how he died in the chapters before, but I won’t share and spoil it for others.
This was a great read which I enjoyed. It’s very thought-provoking. It talks about family and friends and our feelings about them and tells the stories of Mateo and Rufus.
| Title | They Both Die in the End |
| Author | Adam Silvera |
| Series | N/A |
| Format | Paperback |
| Page Count | 384 Pages |
| Genre | YA Romance |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster Children’s UK |
| Release Date | 7th September 2017 |
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