They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera Review

Title: They Both Die at the End

Author: Adam Silvera

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Series: Standalone

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

The book club buddy that recommended Stalking Jack the Ripper to me begged me to read this. It was already in my library stack, and she specifically asked that I read one of her recommendations, since she’d already checked out several titles I’d sent her way. I pushed it up to the top of the stack, drawn to the moody, beautiful, blue and purple cover. It was a gorgeous, beautiful, and painful story of dying and truly living, not taking your time for granted, and it gutted me totally. It ripped apart my heart and soul and sewed it back together again, and I will never forget it. Hands down, one of the best books of 2017, and Adam Silvera has become one of my new favorite authors! Heart-wrenching, tender, and hopeful, They Both Die at the End is a lovely reminder to live—not just survive—while you still have the time to do so.

The novel is set in a not-so-distant future, where virtual reality is the norm and an organization called DeathCast has been formed to tell people of their last twenty-four hours—literally. And Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio have gotten that dreaded last call. They meet through an app called Last Friend, and, forced to take a chance on each other during their last hours, they form a deep bond—a bond that lasts all the way until the end. Told from multiple points of view throughout the same day, Silvera reminds us—gently, and not so much, later on—to not take our time on this earth for granted, and to fully live while we still can. It’s one of those beautifully awful tearjerkers that worms into your heart, breaks into your soul, and dominates your thoughts. I finished it yesterday and I’m still reeling; I had to take most of the day to process my feelings. But Adam Silvera has cemented a permanent place in my heart, and I can’t wait to check out more of his work when I get a chance.

Honestly, even before this was recommended to me, I was drawn to the beautiful cover, even knowing what would happen at the end. Then my buddy’s plea to read it just clinched it for me. I went into it not knowing what to expect, but I really enjoyed it, even with all of the emotional pain. It was beautifully written, greatly paced between the boys and the other characters who are affected by the ‘miraculous’ DeathCast. I really liked the way it went between Mateo, Rufus, and all of the other characters; it settled into a rhythm that was really nice once the book got going. I loved all of the characters, too, every single one of them, and the prose was gorgeous and tender and seemed to squeeze every last bit of my heart. And when the ending finally came—and I tried to put it off for as long as I could—I felt gutted, cleaned out, at least emotionally. I cried for a good day and a half, and it’s still lingering with me, even now as I write these words. But Adam Silvera has become one of my new favorite authors, and I will be checking out more of his work as soon as I possibly can. One of the best books of 2017, even while it destroyed me in the best kind of way! The bottom line: A gorgeous, beautiful and tender reminder to live to the fullest while you still can, They Both Die at the End is one of the best books of 2017, and one that I will never forget! Next on deck: Three Sides of a Heart: Stories About Love Triangles by Natalie C. Parker!