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What: They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Who: HarperTeen

When: September 5th 2017

How: A copy of this novel was provided by HarperCollins for review via Edelweiss.

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure and to live a lifetime in a single day.

5cats2Well, this is the second time this year that Adam Silvera has broken my heart.

To be honest, I only opened They Both Die at the End on my Kindle to get it to page one (this is just something random I do when I get new docs on my Kindle). But then my eyes drifted to the first line, and the second, and before I knew it I was 15% in. I guess this is the reading equivalent of “my finger slipped”.

I guess this could be a spoilery paragraph, although I don’t think so considering everything, but just in case: One of the completely weird things about reading this book is that you know the ending. I mean, it’s in the title. They Both Die at the End. They Both. Die. At the End. And yet somehow I was still a mess when I got to the end. I suppose this is a credit to Silvera as a writer that the tragedy of this book was so hard hitting even though I knew it was coming from page one.

Even with the title playing on my mind the entire time I read They Both Die at the End I desperately wanted it to not be true. I was like: yes, there’s going to be some magical way for both Mateo and Rufus to be the first two that evade death via phone call. There’s some way that by being together it just won’t happen. There’s just some way that they won’t both die at the end. Ah yes, self torture whilst reading is such a dream.

I think it’s needless to say that I adored Mateo and Rufus. They were so completely different, and yet somehow fit together so perfectly. I friendshipped them and shipped them, and that’s just great. I love strong friendships, and these two boys managed to forge one in the length of a singular day. Their whole relationship was beautiful – from the moment they met, to how they grew with each other, to those soft moments towards the end. I adored Mateo and Rufus as Mateo and Rufus because they were just meant to find each other.

I’ll touch on the diversity because diversity is important to me and important in general. Rufus is a bisexual Cuban-American boy, and Mateo is a gay Puerto Rican boy. Can I get a YES for queer diversity, and a HELLS YES for an interracial couple that’s two POC? I loved the diversity in this book a lot, and I want more books that are this fearlessly diverse.

To be honest, I just really loved this book. It was emotional, it was about relationships, it was about making the best of the time you have, it was about growing as a person, it was about coming out of your shell. It was about so many things without being over the top – each element was beautifully fleshed out and the pacing of each of them was incredibly realistic, as well.

If you’re looking for a book that will make and break your heart in one go then I’d say give They Both Die at the End a chance.

© 2017, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.

trigger warning: death of mother (childbirth), death of family via drowning caused by car accident (mother, father, sibling), reference to serial killings, father in coma, physical assault, death themes, suicide of parent, incarcerated parents, animal death (gore), death of parents in house fire (arson), use of ableist language, absent mother, death of father (multiple sclerosis), death of ant (ectopic pregnancy), diagnosis of chronic muscle disease, reference to bullying, suicidal ideation, suicide bombing, explosion, reference to multiple suicides, death via car crash/accident, death via fire in this novel

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Posted on: September 8, 2017 • By: Chiara

16 Responses to They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera: Another Heartbreaking Silvera Book

  1. Kayla says:

    okay but am I heartless????? because I did not cry at this book and I cry at most things??? it did leave me thinking afterward, which is a great thing about any book, but I didn’t love it and that makes me so sad, though I’m so happy other people are!

  2. AHHHHH I LOVED IT TOO. Also I’m mad because I wanted the title to be a lie. ?? Who spilt Silvera’s cornflakes because he really enjoys giving us these beautiful, brutal, and glorious and unapologetically feels-breaking books AND I LOVE THEM but huuuuurt. I was a bit worried the book would be all “oh you need to live a little by partying more!” but it wasn’t like that and I still think it respected that Mateo was shy/quiet, while challenging him. :’) So lovely. (And the diversity was of course beautiful.)

    I’M A MESS. GAH. I haven’t read More Happy Than Not yet but I need to because obviously I like to be hurt. ❤️❤️

    • Chiara says:

      I 100% wanted the title to be a lie *crying* Yeah, he definitely has a way with the whole ripping out your heart with feels thing, doesn’t he? Sigh.

      I liked that it wasn’t a preachy tale about putting yourself out there, either. It was so much more subtle and understated than that, which I appreciated.

      I haven’t read it, either! But I know it’s gonna slay.

  3. shooting says:

    Gah, I need to read this one ASAP! I do have my copy though so sometimes soon. I love Adam’s books, as you know. I hate that the title tells you the ending, but at the same time, I DO think it would make me even sadder.

    -Lauren
    http://www.shootingstarsmag.net

  4. Karen Blue says:

    Gah! I am so torn on this book. I want to read it because it sounds amazing, but knowing they both die at the end just makes me not want to get attached. I probably will read this at some point. Maybe. Great review!

  5. I have heard so many great things about this book, so it makes me so happy to hear you liked this so much! :) Seeing another glowing review from you just makes me even more anxious to give it a try. Thanks for sharing and, as always, fabulous review! <3

    • Chiara says:

      I was a little worried I wouldn’t like it as much as History but overall I did! I really hope you give this one a chance, Zoe, and that it lives up to the positive things you’ve read about it :D Thanks, lovely <3

  6. Jackie B says:

    YES! I haven’t read a single Silvera book yet, I will admit. None of the other synopses have appealed to me. But there is something about the peculiar nature of this book which I am drawn to. I’m really fascinated by this story– particularly since I read Silvera’s open letter to those with his ARC. This story is inspired by the sheltered boy he was as a child and dedicated to everyone who needs to put themselves out there. I can’t wait to read this story. Great review!

    • Chiara says:

      This story was so interesting, especially since the only thing that was different to the world of the book and our world is the whole Death Cast thing. it felt a little more real that way, I think! I really hope you like this one if you get around to it, Jackie :D Thank you!

  7. Dearest Chiara, I’m not sure if you’ve read Alexandra Franzen’s So This is the End? It has the same premise (you have one day left to live & on that day you meet the love of your life, now what), but I unfortunately didn’t love it — the romance felt super forced, & the ending really was a bit of a cop-out. I’m a bit leery of books with similar premises for that reason, but I may just have to break that rule for Silvera… because Silvera is always the exception, don’t you know? ;)

    Topaz (Six Impossible Things)

    • Chiara says:

      I have not heard of that book, actually! Although now I am quite interested, haha. There was some romance in this book but it was very subtle, and there were no grand, hasty declarations of love, either. I don’t like rushed romance so I definitely would have mentioned it! I actually hesitate to call Mateo and Rufus’s relationship a romance at all, really. They are friends who are attracted to each other. And they only act on that attraction in very small ways! I hope you do pick this one up, lovely, it was gorgeous <3

  8. Aaron Lewis says:

    Are you sure Mateo is the bi one? Because I feel like Rufus is seeing as that he had a girlfriend and all. I’m just about finished with the book and it only took 5-ish days, cuz i just had to read it in my spare time between homework and shtuff, couldn’t put it down. And tbh i did tear up at the hospital part and a couple others like when he left the apartment, those goodbyes really got me.

    • Chiara says:

      Yes, you’re completely right! That’s a typo on my behalf so thank you for spotting it :) This book was definitely one of the more emotionally packed ones I’ve read. If you haven’t read Silvera’s other book, History Is All You Left Me, I highly recommend it! I think it’s just as beautiful as this one :)

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