They Both Die at the End is a young adult novel that was written by Adam Silvera. The story follows two young boys named Mateo and Rufus, who both find out that on September 5th, their lives are going to end.
This book is divided into four parts: “Death-Cast”, ”The Last Friend”, ”The Beginning”, and ”The End”. At the beginning of the story, Mateo and Rufus receive a phone call from the Death Cast service, which notifies them that they have only one day to live. These boys don’t know how or why this is happening, but it leads to them meeting through the Last Friends app.
From there on, these boys are known as “Deckers”. As they take on eventful adventures together, Mateo and Rufus also refer to each other as “my Last Friend”.
What I find unique about They Both Die at the End is that it is told within the span of a day. It starts off with the two boys receiving the calls at midnight, leaving them 24 hours to live their lives to the fullest.
Although Mateo and Rufus are the main characters of the story, Silvera also includes the perspective of other characters. Some of which, like celebrity Howie Maldonaldo, are also Deckers. Other characters just happen to have close ties with the two boys.
The pure connection between Mateo and Rufus is unforgettable. Even though they have only known each other for a few hours, they won’t leave one another’s side. This makes it seem that they have been friends for so long. As time goes on, the two boys also fall in love, and Rufus expresses that Mateo has “helped me find myself again” and “made me better”.
One criticism I have is that Silvera does not give a backstory on the idea of the Death Cast. The service is only mentioned mysteriously, and he does not explain why the characters only receive the notice 24 hours before they are gone. Also, why aren’t the Death Cast workers allowed to tell Deckers how they are going to die?
All in all, They Both Die at the End is a heart-wrenching story that left me wanting to know more. Silvera teaches us that life is short, and no matter how much we may fear death, it is a part of everyone’s lives. Especially at a time like this, living through a pandemic is tough. But it is also important for us to realize the value of life. Spend time with your loved ones or learn a new hobby. Keep moving forward and do the things that make your heart happy, before it is too late.
If you would like to know more about this story, don’t hesitate to grab a copy from a bookstore near you. And if you like books like this one, feel free to check out our review of It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover.
