They both die at the End by Adam Silvera

They Both Die at the End is a YA novel that revolves around a rather serious issue – death. The book is not as entertaining as it sounds but it does promise an emotional read... a read that will get you thinking about your own priorities in life.

It is midnight on September 5th when two strangers receive the Death-Cast call. Mateo and Rufus don’t know each other and probably don’t have anything in common but there is just one thing that binds them together – they both will be dying today. That is what the Death-Cast service tells them.

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 meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.

When Mateo, who’s a very shy and reserved guy, receives the call he panics and decides he’s going to make the most of his last day, but he can’t make himself go out of his apartment. That’s when he decides it’s a good idea to download the Last Friend app, which connects deckers (people who have received the call) and allows them to meet on their End Day. And that’s how he gets to know Rufus, an orphan guy who’s running from the police for having beaten the hell out of some dude and spending his End Day with him.

They Both Die at the End is not a typical bucket list for people who are about to die; but a tale of two people who are doomed and are living the best moments of their life. They are learning to trust in a stranger; and they are trying to make things right for the people they’re leaving behind and who, above all, are daring to love until the very end.

“Maybe it’s better to have gotten it right and been happy for one day instead of living a lifetime of wrongs.”

They Both Die at the End has a very peculiar tone because it’s not all dark and depressing, but it also isn’t all bright and full of hope. The story Adam is telling us is a melancholic and bittersweet one. Death is on every page but also is Love and Friendship and Family. There’s the inevitability of everything ending, but also the thrilling sensation of the path they’re taking until the moment comes.

How Adam Silvera makes us believe in a relationship on the very End Day is amazing, because you’d think he’s used the classical instant love… but he didn’t. I think They Both Die at the End shows us how powerful bonds can be when formed under very stressful and intense situations. What I really loved about this aspect of the book was that, apart from Death, everything was a choice: trusting, hanging out together, going certain places, becoming friends, caring for the other. Everything was a choice, Destiny had nothing to do there.

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.

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