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rickythevega's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death
forestfloor's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I really loved the way The First to Die at the End works with your expectations from the original to work in some tension and subversion - I won't say any of it it quite a plot twist because it's all built up in a fairly linear way but it made a good use of tension.
Similarly I enjoy the questions around the implications Death-Cast has for society. Is an End Day call causal? How does knowing you have less than 24hrs to live affect how you spend your time? How you fall in love?
I also found the characters voices were very distinct and they were all very separate people, which is nice. I do think that this is very much furthered by each character having one or two distinct traits - Valentino is a model who has just moved to NYC to start his life, Orion has heart problems, 9/11 trauma and swears too much, Dalma is a programming whizz who is very protective of Orion etc. It does make them feel a little less complex but overall I think the benefit of having unique personalities wins out. Any simplicity in that characterisation fits well with the YA tone of the book.
Finally, I really liked that this book has a bit more exploration of grief, since that's such an important part of death.
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Medical content, and Death of parent
Moderate: Gun violence and Infidelity
Minor: Homophobia
skye_parker1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Violence
Minor: Gun violence
karina19_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry
glund_01's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content, Blood, and Car accident
azileotulp's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Anyway... wow. This book wrecked me. I knew it would, just like the first one did, but my goodness. I'll just start off with the things I liked... which was basically everything? I think the biggest criticisms I've seen for this book and the first one are that there's no plot to them, which has never bothered me. I love a character-driven book, especially when the characters are as great as these. Valentino and Orion are adorable and work great together. I loved their dynamic.
I loved all the connections to the previous book too. I tried to find a list of all of them, but sadly haven't been able to. I did keep the first book near me at all times while reading this one just so I could try to find them.
I liked a lot of the side stories too.
Even though that was an issue for me, it didn't really take away from my enjoyment too much. There were, however, two things that prevented this book from being perfect. One, the slang. Oh my goodness, I had the same problem in the first book too. I don't know if it's just really bad at first and gradually gets better throughout the book, or if I just got so used to it from how often it was used in the beginning. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate slang in books, but I do hate it in this book. At times, it feels like it was written by a 60-year-old trying to be hip and trendy, even though the actual author is pretty young. Really, that's my biggest problem with the book. I cringed far too often reading some of this. The only other thing I didn't enjoy was the slow start. When I read the first book, I was instantly attached to Mateo, seeing a lot of myself in him, and Rufus grew on me fairly quickly. While reading this book, I don't think I truly cared for Valentino or Orion that much until I was almost halfway through the book. I can't really explain why didn't work for me at first, but they just didn't.
Even though I have my issues, I still can't say how much I enjoyed this book. I don't think I'll ever be okay again, but I said the same thing after I read the first book. (Yes, I keep bringing up the first book, but cut me some slack. I'm still mourning.) If you're looking for a book with a grand plot and adventure, this isn't for you. But if you want to see some gays fall in love before tragedy strikes (not a spoiler, you read the title), then you've come to the right place.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicide, and Alcohol
- Both of Orion's parents died in the 9/11 attacks. This is mentioned frequently.katbotelho's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
reading as an adult reminds me JUST how YA it is also loved the cameos to characters from the first book and he did one hell of a job setting himself up foe the third book
i am annoyed bc
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Grief, and Death of parent
kaseygaston's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Chronic illness, Gun violence, Medical content, and Mass/school shootings
readbymeg_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death and Homophobia
allthehopeyouneed's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, and Death of parent