A review by xabbeylongx
They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing 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? No

5.0


Book Review: 
I’ve been wanting to read this one for ages. If I’m honest, I’ve been putting it off, because half of the TikTok books that get recommended to me aren’t, in reality, that great. However, I finally found this book in a charity shop, and I must say, I’m so disappointed in myself for not getting round to it quicker. 
Everything about this book was so clever. Firstly, the idea of having someone call you when you’re going to die is so unique, because like, isn’t it a bit of a paradox? Like say you were going to die at work, but you find out you’re dying so you don’t go to work, so you don’t die... it’s hard to wrap my head around it, but it’s so good. This book really shows how, no matter what, life just keeps going, and the world keeps on spinning. 
The characters themselves are beautiful. Flawed, heavily realistic, and real sweethearts, I loved Mateo and Rufus. Really unique characters, and you get to bond with them so well over the course of the book. All the other characters are the same, really lovable, and very well written - and that’s such a good thing in novels. I also think they’re very comedic, the humour is definitely suited for my generation. 
I love how every chapter with a different character is interconnected. We hear about multiple stories, like Peck’s story, and his group, and Delilah and her ex’s story, etc etc. I love how every thing, every character, is there for a reason, like, I’m assuming, Trevor at the ending going to find Delilah, and Rufus meets his end… it’s all so good, so cleverly written, and it’s amazing. I’ve seen it’s a series, so I definitely cannot wait for the next book in the series! 
 
Book Summary: 
We follow Mateo and Rufus as they find out they only have less than 24 hours to live. In this reality, people who are dying get calls from Death-Cast, telling them that they only have a certain amount of time to live. They don’t say when, or how, they’re going to die, and just try to encourage people to live their lives to the fullest that day. 
Mateo is at home when he finds out. His dad is in hospital, in a coma, so it’s just him by himself. When he gets the alert, he decides to spend his last day living. Rufus, when he gets the call, is beating up his ex’s (Aimee’s) new boyfriend (Peck). He decides it isn’t worth it, and he leaves. 
Rufus calls all of his friends to their home and he plans a funeral for himself. Unfortunately, Peck calls the police on him, so his goodbyes are snatched and he is now on the run from the police. 
Mateo and Rufus meet on an app called Last Friend, which is designed to help Deckers - the name given to people who are dying and know it - find someone to spend their last day with. They are cautious at first, but then eventually meet up, and they spend the rest of their day doing stuff together. 
Mateo says goodbye to his dad and his best friend, Lidia, and her baby, Penny. When her boyfriend died a few months ago, she almost couldn’t go through with it, but Mateo was there for her. Unfortunately, he wasn’t going to tell her, but she found out, and they managed to get a few last moments together. Rufus’s friends end up finding him, and they also get their goodbyes. Mateo and Rufus spend the day doing various activities, which Rufus takes lots of photos of, and they get to know one another. 
They quickly find out they have feelings for each other - Rufus knows a little while before Mateo. They bring each other out of their comfort zones, and although it isn’t fair that they don’t get enough time together, they make every moment last. When Peck and his crew travel to find Rufus and finish him off, Mateo punches him, and they are safe. For a bit, anyway. What matters is, if they were given the time, they would grow to love each other, to be in love with each other. 
They go to Mateo’s house and they seek solace in his bed. As long as they promise not to leave the bed, their ‘safe place’ they will be okay. When Rufus wakes up to the smell of smoke, and Mateo gone from the bed, he knows what has happened. He finds Mateo burned, and desperately wants the medics to save him, but he’s already dead. Rufus knows that Mateo was only trying to do something nice for the two of them, and that makes him even more angry. Rufus ends up being knocked over by a car, after visiting Mateo's dad in hospital, and that's how he meets his demise. 
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