Book Review: They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

They Both Die at the End

By Adam Silvera

Finished reading: 17/04/21

My rating: 3.5/5 stars

“There has to be more to life than just imagining a future for yourself. I can't just wish for the future; I have to take risks to create it.”

They Both Die at the End is set in a parallel world where an organisation called Death-Cast can predict the exact day that every human will die. At midnight on 5^th September 2017, Mateo and Rufus receive the infamous Death-Cast call which tells them: 1) they are going to die sometime in the next 24 hours and 2) to live their final day as fully as possible. Mateo and Rufus are strangers that meet through an app called Last Friend so that they don’t have to spend their last day alone. But Mateo and Rufus don’t know exactly when or how they die, only that is it an inevitable part of their day.

This was a really interesting read. It reminded me a lot of Nicola Yoon’s The Sun is Also a Star in that it was essentially a love story set over one day and told from multiple perspectives. The intertwining story lines were definitely my favourite parts. I really liked hearing from the perspectives of the Death-Cast call handlers and the other “Deckers” (people who have received the Death-Cast call) and how their paths crossed with Mateo and Rufus. There were lots on angles told based on the impact of Death-Cast.

I thought the whole concept of Death-Cast itself was fascinating. I particularly loved the cynical implications that this would have on the digital world. Silvera explored this in a lot of detail considering this is primarily a contemporary YA novel and not a Sci-Fi novel. I would have liked an extra storyline or character which explored the history, origins, and philosophy of Death-Cast. I think this was the only angle that I really missed out on hearing. I understand that the focus of the novel is not necessarily Death-Cast itself. But I still think the absence exploring Death-Cast fully was a missed opportunity that would have just added an extra interesting layer to the story.

I was pleasantly surprised that this book wasn’t as sad as I had expected. I had heard it described as a book that will make you cry, but I found it to be the opposite. The fact that the title tells you how the book will end, it was not deeply upsetting or surprising. The ending was both expected and necessary for the story to uphold its message. I think that this is perhaps why it lacked the emotional impact I had anticipated. This is not supposed to be an upsetting or depressing book, it is supposed to be a celebration of life. We all know that death is sad, but it is also inevitable. Therefore, it is important that we recognise how wonderful it is to live without holding back. This book told this message beautifully and did not need to make me cry, because it made me smile instead.

I thought Mateo and Rufus’ story was very cute and wholesome. Their narrative voices were both distinct which made it really clear whose perspective you were reading from without having to flick back a few pages to check. I thought the plot dragged a little in places and the dialogue at times felt a little clunky and unnatural. I was glad for the other perspectives just to keep the pace moving forwards. It took a little while for the story to get going but from the halfway point it seemed to improve. The ending was also handled really well with just enough closure to tie up the different storylines.

Overall, I really enjoyed the concept of this book, but I would have just liked to have seen more themed explored. I really like that someone on Instagram has recreated Rufus’ Instagram account and recreated all the photos mentioned in the story. I would recommend checking this out after finishing the novel as it really helped to bring these two characters’ last days to life. I have seen so much love for this book online and I am so glad that its message has spread to all kinds of people all around the world. Considering this book came out in 2017, it is still going strong and is just as relevant today.