They Both Die at the End, written by Adam Silvera, is a book that follows two teenage boys, on the day of their death. The two main characters are 18-year-old Puerto Rican, Mateo Torrez, and 17-year-old Cuban American, Rufus Emerito, who live in New York City.
Mateo and Rufus live in a dystopian world where in their society, the citizens receive calls of their “death day.” They receive the calls from a company called “Death-Cast,” who informs them that they’ll die by the end of the day. They don’t know how, but they know that death will come for them. There’s nothing they can do to stop it, but hope they get the best-case scenario of having a full last twenty-four hours.
Mateo and Rufus are both called on the same day and are seeking comfort for their final day of life. They both have very different personalities that are good in making up for what the other lacks.
Mateo is a shy and timid boy, who was never outspoken and spent most of his time playing video games in his room. He lives in an apartment that includes just him and his father. when Death-Cast calls, he feels like he has wasted too much time not living his life to the fullest. He decides to live his last day like no other day he had before. Mateo also recalls his past after Death Cast calls, reflecting on the mistakes he’s made and does his best to make things right, on his last day.
Rufus is tough, outspoken, and headstrong. He lives in a group home for young boys, with his group of friends called the “Plutos,” as his family died in a car accident four months prior and he was the only one that survived.
This book is written in one single day and is told in the first person point of view, jumping back and forth between Matteo and Rufus. With Matteo and Rufus only having one day, they turn to a social media platform called “Last Friends,” where others that also got their death day call can sign up and find a friend to spend their last day with. This is how Rufus and Mateo meet and begin their journey towards death together.
Mateo and Rufus have an unexpected romance that grows while on their adventure, they challenge each other. Mateo challenges Rufus to stop hiding behind his emotions and Rufus challenges Matteo to step out of his lonely cave he’s lived in for so long. In these challenges they found love in each other even in the worst-case scenario possible. However, the biggest lesson in this book is the reminder by the end of the book that there’s no life and no love without loss.
Although the story is devastating and tragic, it’s about two people who get their lives changed in a single day, before leaving the world forever.
The title is how the book ends; however, it’s also the reason the book sparked my interest to read it. You’d think just like the title, you’d prepare yourself for the end, but it still hits you like a ton of bricks, and you can’t help but still be caught by surprise when the inevitable happens. Just like the title, the characters in the book share this same ideology. They both know their time together is limited, but it doesn’t stop them from trying to find the silver lining in their tragedy.
The author does a good job at building anticipation. I was anxious about reading because the author was questioning the reader constantly. When will it happen? The author, Adam Silvera, does an amazing job of leaving you stunned and heartbroken, even though you know exactly what’s going to happen. The way the title and book are written tells you exactly how the book will end, but it still has an incredibly strong impact.
I’d specifically recommend this book to teens and adults, but everyone should read it. It’s a tearjerker, but does a great job of representing a strong friendship, displaying LGBTQ elements, and imploring important life questions that make you appreciate, and utilize the precious time we all have.
