They Both Die at the End is a dystopian young adult novel written by Adam Silvera and published by HarperCollins.
Events in the story take place in New York City on September 5th, 2017 (the day the book was published), in a hypothetical universe where technology has advanced far enough that professionals are able to telepathically determine when certain individuals will meet their demise. A branch known widely as “Death-Cast” is responsible for notifying Deckers, or people doomed to die within a 24-hour period, when their time should come (though callers intentionally omit information such as the circumstances leading to their untimely death).
The story primarily focuses on characters Mateo and Rufus, two teenagers who receive the alert from Death-Cast while they are undergoing periods of adversity and eventually initiate communication through an app called “Last Friend,” uniting to make good use of their final hours alive so they can depart from life without regrets.
This novel was an innovative and refreshing approach towards a point that often emerges in philosophical conversation, wonderfully developing the facets of even minor characters while communicating an important message to readers about the value and potential that lies within a single life. It has moments that will inspire readers, snippets to make people laugh and cry, and excerpts that can totally change one’s perspective on what it truly means to thrive in a world where dreams are often crushed and many cannot pull through.
While I do wish that the book could have more thoroughly explained the phenomenon allowing Death-Cast to make such reliable predictions, I understand that all details are written in first-person and that most characters have also been left in the dark when it comes to such mysterious findings.
Because I have read They Both Die at the End, I can affirm that life is too fragile and beautiful of a thing to take for granted, so everyone should try their best to cherish what lies in their pursuits, accomplishments, mistakes, and relationships with the ones they love. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to those in search of an eye-opening, vivid, and heart-wrenching piece of literature with LGBTQ+ representation and a layered plotline that will leave readers awestruck.
However, I also speak from experience when I say that anyone looking to read is going to need a MOUNTAIN of tissues- be prepared for the emotional journey of a lifetime.
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