teslis's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really loved the first book when I read it last year, but sadly this one didn’t blew me away.
I do think Silvera’s language is quite easy which is something I liked last time, but now it just felt flat (?). I think the characters speech and actions feels unreal, but I do really like the plot and the thing with one of them dying.
I just had higher expectations and they weren’t meet.
I have both books from “the infinity son” which I’m planning to read but be will see.
Took me 9 hours and 48 minutes
I do think Silvera’s language is quite easy which is something I liked last time, but now it just felt flat (?). I think the characters speech and actions feels unreal, but I do really like the plot and the thing with one of them dying.
I just had higher expectations and they weren’t meet.
I have both books from “the infinity son” which I’m planning to read but be will see.
Took me 9 hours and 48 minutes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Homophobia, Death, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Abandonment, Blood, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail
bookishmillennial's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
disclaimer if you’ve read other reviews by me and are noticing a pattern: You’re correct that I don’t really give starred reviews, I feel like a peasant and don’t like leaving them and most often, I will only leave them if I vehemently despised a book. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not, regardless if I add stars or not. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial
As everyone knows, this is the prequel to TBDATE & it covers the first day that Death Cast launches, which is so intriguing because it rang true to how I thought our current society would treat the service too. There would absolutely be naysayers & doomsdayers galore! I felt Adam did an excellent job in illustrating the many emotions and wonders of the characters when it came to Death Cast's new service and what it meant for their lives.
Was I as wrecked as TBDATE? No, but that's because I fully knew what was coming. My dumbass really thought the title was clever and that the author was trying to trick readers and not actually a spoiler of how that book would end hahaha. However, I did get attached to and root for Orion and Valentino, two boys who deserved to be happy and healthy.
I listened to the audiobook, and thoroughly enjoyed the narration. These books call into question how we shouldn't take our days for granted, and I love those reminders.
ALSO !!! Rufus + Mateo cameos?! Like are you kidding?! BE STILL MY HEART <3
As everyone knows, this is the prequel to TBDATE & it covers the first day that Death Cast launches, which is so intriguing because it rang true to how I thought our current society would treat the service too. There would absolutely be naysayers & doomsdayers galore! I felt Adam did an excellent job in illustrating the many emotions and wonders of the characters when it came to Death Cast's new service and what it meant for their lives.
Was I as wrecked as TBDATE? No, but that's because I fully knew what was coming. My dumbass really thought the title was clever and that the author was trying to trick readers and not actually a spoiler of how that book would end hahaha. However, I did get attached to and root for Orion and Valentino, two boys who deserved to be happy and healthy.
I listened to the audiobook, and thoroughly enjoyed the narration. These books call into question how we shouldn't take our days for granted, and I love those reminders.
ALSO !!! Rufus + Mateo cameos?! Like are you kidding?! BE STILL MY HEART <3
"While Death-Cast can only tell someone when they will die, they can't predict how someone's life will change on their End Day. The Decker must make those discoveries themselves by living with the fullest of hearts, down to the last beat."
"I don't want to mistake another day as ordinary again."
"I understand that the person who gets the Death-Cast call isn’t the only one dying. If you really hold someone in your heart, you die too."
"Life shouldn't be about to end before someone begins living."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Homophobia, Gun violence, Abandonment, and Child abuse
Moderate: Grief, Cursing, and Medical content
Minor: Car accident and Sexual content
erebus53's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Adam Silvera's work is always an easy read for me. His niche is typically youth fiction telling the story of gay kids trying to find their way. He has a real fan following with his creativity and modern real-talk for teens. It's not going to be everyone's flavour, but it never feels forced. This is the second of his Die at the End books, and serves as a prequel for the first book. The story holds tension by being delivered in the first person in a chronological order, from different people's points of view. This is the second book I have read this week that introduces random characters with us not knowing at first that we are being woven into a tangled web of inter-related characters.
The tension in this book is interesting because, unlike the characters, we know that the DeathCast system (that warns people on their last day, that they are about to die), is real and works. Nobody can predict that there will be a hiccup on its first day of use and that some of the people who are going to die that day have not been told, and even that is only revealed to the populace half way through the day.
For those who have read the other book first, there are revelations that are very obvious (we know what the creative app programming endeavours of one character are likely to culminate in), and some things that are much less obvious, such as a character making a phonecall from a pay phone, which are going to be phased out and trashed shortly.
My absolute favourite thing about Silvera's imagined world is that he has replaced a leading popular fantasy franchise with something I can really totally get behind. The major popular magical fiction series in his world is called Scorpius Hawthorn; and it's a magical story with prophecies and wizards and things. There are major movie spinoffs and the child actors are treated wonderfully, getting to play and have fun around film-shooting in Brazil, while their special dietary needs and health are supported by caring handlers. The author of the original book series is Poppy Iglesias and she's a lovely caring person who is also a Queer Latina Trans-woman. I would love to live in this fantasy where the most popular magic franchise is also ethical.
This book is a serious tear jerker. It has homophobia in it. It has sex in it; there are condoms, explicit consent, and not a lot of other detail. It's there as a celebration of love rather than to be titillating. There is also domestic violence, and gun violence, grief about losing parents in the 9/11 destruction, and apocalypse cults, and scary dudes in skull masks. The intended audience is probably 14+ but mature readers younger or older than that will probably enjoy it. Some of the coincidences seem ridiculously contrived and unlikely, but that's just the style of story, and is similar to the other book as well. I was caught in frisson several times when reminded of things like 9/11 or when I realised that throw away details experienced by one character were more relevant to the story of another character.
Fans of the original book will likely enjoy this one as much.
The tension in this book is interesting because, unlike the characters, we know that the DeathCast system (that warns people on their last day, that they are about to die), is real and works. Nobody can predict that there will be a hiccup on its first day of use and that some of the people who are going to die that day have not been told, and even that is only revealed to the populace half way through the day.
For those who have read the other book first, there are revelations that are very obvious (we know what the creative app programming endeavours of one character are likely to culminate in), and some things that are much less obvious, such as a character making a phonecall from a pay phone, which are going to be phased out and trashed shortly.
My absolute favourite thing about Silvera's imagined world is that he has replaced a leading popular fantasy franchise with something I can really totally get behind. The major popular magical fiction series in his world is called Scorpius Hawthorn; and it's a magical story with prophecies and wizards and things. There are major movie spinoffs and the child actors are treated wonderfully, getting to play and have fun around film-shooting in Brazil, while their special dietary needs and health are supported by caring handlers. The author of the original book series is Poppy Iglesias and she's a lovely caring person who is also a Queer Latina Trans-woman. I would love to live in this fantasy where the most popular magic franchise is also ethical.
This book is a serious tear jerker. It has homophobia in it. It has sex in it; there are condoms, explicit consent, and not a lot of other detail. It's there as a celebration of love rather than to be titillating. There is also domestic violence, and gun violence, grief about losing parents in the 9/11 destruction, and apocalypse cults, and scary dudes in skull masks. The intended audience is probably 14+ but mature readers younger or older than that will probably enjoy it. Some of the coincidences seem ridiculously contrived and unlikely, but that's just the style of story, and is similar to the other book as well. I was caught in frisson several times when reminded of things like 9/11 or when I realised that throw away details experienced by one character were more relevant to the story of another character.
Fans of the original book will likely enjoy this one as much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Violence, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Grief, Murder, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Homophobia, and Death
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Car accident, and Blood
1abookwormdiary_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
i liked this book but i could of just read they both die at the end w/o the prequel i feel like this book is better for people who already love these characters but ill still be reading they both die at the end after this cause i love orion and valentino
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death, Abandonment, Blood, Grief, and Homophobia
a_alves00's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Blood, Car accident, Gun violence, Death, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
meeklovestoread's review
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I loved They Both Die At The End. One of my top reads ever and was definitely one of the books that got thinking about getting back into reading. So when I found out there was gonna be a prequel I got excited. And while I didn't like this better than the "first" book I still liked it nonetheless. It was a good book and had many heartfelt moments full of friendship, love, and family. It was what I expected and I wasn't disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment, Medical content, Cursing, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and Violence
rissaandherbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
I loved this just as much as the first!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Medical content, Domestic abuse, and Gore
Moderate: Death of parent, Homophobia, Gun violence, Abandonment, Alcohol, Infidelity, Blood, Cursing, Pregnancy, and Violence
Minor: Physical abuse, War, Infidelity, Murder, and Vomit
readingnightingale's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Anyone who reads this book needs to read They Both Die at the End. I read it before this one and it literally changed everything. The way Adam Silvers writes is a work of art. Go read it. Right now.
Spoiler
And the fact that all characters are intertwined, even the ones on his first book is incredible and it gives you the opportunity to learn more about character that you thought you knew everything about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gun violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Medical content, Abandonment, and Infidelity
Minor: Sexual content
kimduindam's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- 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
I loved this book so much more then They both die at the end. I loved tbdate too, it was my favourite all time book, but this book is full of surprises. And I love how all characters are connected, even with the first book.
Overall, I loved this book and I have fallen in love with all those new characters in such a short time. (I finished it in 2 days)
I don't know if I can say goodbye to all these characters yet 😭
Spoiler
I was so hyped when they met Rufus' mom in the hospital and then his dad and Rufus himself in the pawn shop. Even though Rufus died in tbdate I was so happy to see him again! And then they bought the bike for him! His bike!! The same bike as in tbdate, I assume! Ahh, I'm crying.Spoiler
"One's final hours should be spent with family. He can't even imagine Rufus spending his End Day with a stranger." I'm crying! :( :(Spoiler
This book was an emotional rollercoaster. It was so much different then the first book. In tbdate we knew kind of what we could expect. Rufus and Mateo were both dying. We knew that from the beginning but it was different with this book. Death-Cast had some glitches so we weren't sure who was going to die and who lived. At first I thought maybe either Orion or Scarlet would die as well, Together with Valentino but then I got hopes that maybe Valentino would live in the end and Orion as well and they would live happily ever after, but this is the Death-cast universe so ofcourse that is not going to happen! (Why Adam? WHY?!) That's why I think this book is better then tbdate, because I didn't know what to expect: Everyone could die now.Spoiler
I really hope Adam would consider another book in this universe, or maybe 2 or 3? (😇) I'd love to know how Orion is doing in a few years. But I also love to know how Paz will be doing when he is around 18/19. Will he be okay? And of course Scarlet. Would love to know more about her!Overall, I loved this book and I have fallen in love with all those new characters in such a short time. (I finished it in 2 days)
I don't know if I can say goodbye to all these characters yet 😭
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Blood, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Gun violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content and Homophobia
laughingrecord's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Blood, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Car accident, and Homophobia