They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera (4/5)

The novel, They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera follows characters Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio. Both boys come from vastly different backgrounds with their own traumas that they have gone through. Everything had changed when they had gotten a call from Death-Cast, a company that calls people to let them know that today is their last day of living. Mateo and Rufus don’t know what to do with this information and eventually find each other on an app and spend their final twenty-four hours together. They both accompany and assist each other up until their last moments. They go on adventures to see parts of their city they have never seen before, say goodbye to the ones they love most, and so much more! Spoiler alert: the title doesn’t lie, they do die at the end of the book. They both die one by one before the twenty-four-hour mark is up. I have read this book multiple times, and each time, it took me back to the very first time I read it. Sitting there is complete shock not knowing what to do the rest of the time. The second time I read it, I cried. I found it interesting how the author chose to write it in the perspective of the characters, rather than third person. This choice of writing by the author allows the readers to really connect with the characters and see things from their perspective. In addition, the reader can tell the shift in mood when different events happen, such as when they get the call, when they meet, their adventures, and when they say their final goodbyes. For those reading this novel for the first time or the hundredth, the advice I’d give for reading this novel is, firstly, go in with an open mind and consider the character’s circumstances. Secondly, is to reflect on what you had read after your reading block, and feel the emotions that the book is making you feel. Overall, this book was an amazing read even after reading it in the past. Reading this book after you have matured opened my eyes, and will hopefully open yours, to all the hidden emotions and treats that the author has hidden within the text.