"They Both Die at the End" (Book Review)

"They Both Die at the End"

a book review by curioshittii

  In a day, I have successfully finished and took in Adam Silvera’s They Both Die at the End— it was an easy read, it was fast-paced and it had a simple message. They Both Die at the End is set in an era where Death Cast exists, a company that calls a person the day before their End Day, or their death, to alert them that in the next 24 hours, you will inevitably face the terrifying scythe of death himself. The protagonists, Mateo Torrez, and Rufus Emeterio, were alerted by the said company about their demise. In search of a friend that will help them live out the remaining hours of their lives, the two meet using the app, Last Friend, which helps Deckers look for a friend before their demise. 

  In a world where your death is inevitable, who would have thought that friendship and love would spark in a matter of hours? Adam Silvera was able to successfully portray not only the sadness and grief associated with death, but was also able to portray the

"I have successfully finished and
took in Adam Silvera’s They
Both Die at the End— it was
an easy read, it was fast-paced

and it had a simple message."

adrenaline alongside it— it makes you want to feel alive, it makes you want to live out your best life, before you go and kick the bucket. Aside from this, he was able to successfully portray the power of friendship and love to heal and change who you are— before meeting Rufus, Mateo is very much “closeted”; in the context of sexuality, and in life in general, but Rufus, the energetic and lively person that he is, was able to put Mateo out of his element by teaching him how to have fun and how to take risks. On the other hand, Mateo was able to rub off his caring personality towards Rufus’ trauma. He was able to help him get through the trauma of having to deal with seeing your family drown to death, alongside his recent breakup with his girlfriend. 

  Silvera had a very simple message, and that is to live our lives to the fullest. It had such a simple theme in the plot, but the way Silvera unfolded the events to follow were powerful. It successfully portrayed trauma, happiness, friendship, love, loyalty, grief, and death in a mere span of 368 pages. Aside from this, he gave us the different effects of death, as well as the effects of the way we live or the way we inspire other people to live. 

  Overall, I think that this is a great read. It has given me another round of existential crisis, but the way Silvera played with this novel is marvelous. Definitely a top-tier read.