By: Adam Silvera
Ok, so I was looking through my old posts and I realized I wrote a mini-review for this book back in the day (like 2 or 3 years ago 😭) and I never wrote a full review for it.
Adam Silvera reminds us that there’s no life without death and no love without loss in this devastating yet uplifting story about two people whose lives change over the course of one unforgettable day.
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—to live a lifetime in a single day.
In the tradition of Before I Fall and If I Stay, They Both Die at the End is a tour de force from acclaimed author Adam Silvera, whose debut, More Happy Than Not, the New York Times called “profound.”
Plus don’t miss The First to Die at the End: #1 New York Times bestselling author Adam Silvera returns to the universe of international phenomenon They Both Die at the End in this prequel. New star-crossed lovers are put to the test on the first day of Death-Cast’s fateful calls.
This book was truly life changing. I’m not exaggerating, I promise. This book really taught me (and all readers) the importance of living life to the fullest. It makes people really cherish small things and moments. It makes them cherish their relationships and their loved ones. It also shows how much a person can do in a day. Mateo and Rufus both try to live their life and finish their bucket lists in one day. They risk their lives to have the time of their life. They do things they never would have done if it were a normal day. They fall in love.
But of course, then there’s the inevitable. Death. As Ben Franklin once wrote: “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except for death and taxes.” Taxes don’t really pay much of a role in this story. but Death? Oh, that’s, like, most of the story. They both are told they are going to die that day. They just don’t know how. And that’s what motivates them to live their life in one day.
Now, I know people tend to like stories where the characters get their happily ever afters. But this story is….realistic in a way. like, I know the whole knowing-that-you’re-going-to-die-the-same-day-you-find-out thing is fake but, like the realistic part is that sometimes, stories are unfinished in a way. Take Mateo and Rufus for example. They were star-crossed lovers. Their story is unfinished. And hopefully, they got their happily ever after. There’s also a little talk about the afterlife. They both hope reincarnation is a thing since they want one more chance. To live the right way. But they also have a version of afterlife. For Mateo, it’s like a home theater. You get to watch your whole life (hopefully the part you want blacked out do fade out). You can invite people to watch with you. You can find your loved ones. Rufus’s idea of an afterlife is…complicated to say the least. Complicated to explain, at least.
This story also showed the importance of friendship. Mateo and Rufus become very close. And they’re a reminder that how relationships make our lives so much better. Friendship can be like…sunshine in the rain (ok yes, i stole that from a song: “Hell On Me” by johnny huynh). Friends make life more beautiful. You have someone to share the happiness with. You have someone who can help you carry your pain. Someone who will always support you. Someone who can brighten your day.
I would recommend this book to readers who want a nice (though long) cry or at least a book that would tug at their heartstrings. People who want to have something to think about after reading this book. Maybe if they want to see life differently after reading it.
One question that made me think was: “Is Death-Cast a good or bad thing?” (ok, bear with me here, this paragraph’s a bit long) Because a lot of people would want to know when they’re going to die. They want to be prepared. They want to tie up loose ends. They don’t want to leave any words unsaid. No more “What if…” or “I should have…” or regret. But at the same time, I feel like if, a person (let’s call her Vera. I’m sorry to any Vera’s who might be reading this 😭) knew that she was going to die today, Vera could freeze up. She could be full of regret and worry and terror. Vera could be too scared to go outside because What. If. She. Dies. Anything could kill her. So many what ifs. But also, she would have a chance to say everything she’s always wanted to say. But then, as midnight of that day draws close, and she has hours or minutes to live? She would be filled with regret. Why didn’t I spend my day living my life? Why did I stay holed up in my house? Also, she might not really want to spend her last day alive scared of every little thing. She could have a tendency of also counting the most unlikely things ever. What if someone accidentally drops a knife on my head and it’s just my luck that the pointy side is facing down? You never know, ok!? But, realistically, I do have these thoughts, but that doesn’t stop me from going on with my life. I’m still going to keep walking under balconies even if there’s a 0.00000001 percent chance that the knife thing is going to happen. We still go on with life, knowing anyone could die at anytime. Sometimes, the reality of it dawns on me and I lowkey freeze and start freaking out. But then I move on. I carry on with my life, hoping I have at least 70-80 years left. But just because I’m not scared doesn’t mean I’m reckless. I might be an adrenaline junkie but I’m also tad bit of a I’d-rather-be-safe-than-dead type of girl. Like just because I love adrenaline rushes doesn’t mean I would go cliff diving during a hurricane. No, I would be more safe and would go cliff diving in clear waters. (NO I’M JOKING. DON’T GO CLIFFDIVING AT ALL. ANYTHING COULD GO WRONG. but am i really joking though? An adrenaline rush and one that ends with me swimming? Sounds fun. I may or may not be serious. You never know.)
To be honest, this book isn’t as much about death as I said it was. It’s more about celebrating life. Living in the moment. Enjoying the small, beautiful moments. It’s about friendship. It’s about finding the eye of the storm whenever things seem hopeless. It’s about finding love and hope in chaos. It’s also about how quick fleeting life is.
XOXO
Aaradhyaa
#LivingLifeToTheMost
Aaradhyaa.blog 