[Review] They Both Die at the End - Adam Silvera

Summary: 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 is: 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—an unforgettable day that will change both their lives forever. (Pub Date: Sep 5, 2017)


Great world building, not a great pacing. I have rounded the 2.5 it deserves up to 3 because it wasn't exactly bad but... well, you'll see.

The government has now Death-Cast, an agency that calls people to inform they'll die in 24 hours. Having received the call, both Mateo and Rufus meet through a social media app designed for them and they'll spend their last hours together. While one needs help living all he couldn't stuck in his apartment for whole his life and the other needs company to compensate the fact he can't be with his friend and loved ones on his last day.

The story alternates points of view between not only the two main boys but also some other side characters. This was my first problem, because I couldn't care less for them. Rufus was also one I took long to warm up to. So I only really enjoyed what I was reading when it focused on Mateo's issues. On the bright side, even from the author's notes in the beginning, he is the main message.

And the message was very clear, because we don't have the luxury of knowing when our last day is going to be. This book would be great for group discussions, as in addition to that, it also deals with grief, death, family, friendship. I feel it goes beyond the target readers, too.

I should also add this cover is gorgeous! Even before I noticed the ripper in their shadows, all that blue and the art had already gripped me. And the title was perfect too. I have no idea what attracted me to this book first: the cover or the title? 

But it was still a bit boring. I loved the world building so much, I really wanted to love everything. Now I wonder if a less patient reader would even want to reach the ending at all. By the way, the ending seems to be in the title already, but a part of me didn't know if that was to be trusted. And yet, that doubt is not enough to keep you from putting it down.

Now that I mentioned that world, I alert any potential readers the author never goes into details of how Death-Cast works. All friends I mentioned about this book asked me the same thing but the truth is that I didn't feel disappointed in the lack of an explanation. In fact, it may have been a good choice because it would either be some cliché of a reason or it would deviate the story from the purpose and I'd enjoy it even less.

Still, I'm sorry to say that the fact is that I didn't like this very much and expected more from the story itself. Aside from how good the idea was, very little kept me going.

Review based on an ARC provided by Edelweiss. I also want to thank the publisher for giving me this opportunity.

Rating: 3 out of 5.