They Both Die At The End is an Emotional Roller Coaster

In the early morning of September 5, 2017, Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio received an important call, a call that would change their and their families’ lives. Death-Cast is a mysterious organization that calls individuals 24-hours before they are about to die. As the two young boys look for an escape on their last day on earth, they download an app specifically made for an escape with a companion called Last Friend. Polar opposites, Mateo and Rufus, find each other for one last adventure.

They Both Die At The End is a 365-page book full of laughs, suspense, and sobs. This beautiful story had me on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what trouble Mateo and Rufus would get into next. Although it sometimes had me crying, I still believe this is an amazing book that deserves more credit than it’s given.

The author, Adam Silvera, made me feel as though I was truly there within the story and with the characters. His writing skills had me picturing the night sky in the city. The author helps me understand what Mateo and Rufus are going through and makes me sympathize with the pain they both must be feeling. I understood that being cautious is not always living and that to live, you have to take chances once in a while just because of the spectacular way Silvera wrote the story. 

The whole idea of the story is just as beautiful as the writing. Throughout multiple pages in the book, the writer leaves quotes by numerous different people. All of these quotes add up to the big idea of living life to the fullest. In the beginning, Silvera left his own quote that summarizes the entire book, “For those who need a reminder to make every day count.” 

This story switches through multiple characters’ points of view, allowing the reader to see through many others’ perspectives. This small addition caused chills up my spine when reading what the characters thought and witnessed while the main story was going on beside it. Though certain characters’ perspectives made me mad at times, their point of view made the story just that much better. I was able to understand multiple characters better, in addition to knowing the reasons multiple characters said and did what they did. 

If you enjoyed this book, Adam Silvera has many other published books. One of which is What If It’s Us that he co-wrote with Becky Albertalli, who also writes similar books to Silvera. If you prefer fantasy, you will like Silvera’s newer books Infinity Son and Infinity Reaper, both in an ongoing series.