"They Both Die at the End"

    "No matter how we choose to live, we both die at the end." 

Adam Silvera, They Both Die at the End. 

    Imagine a world where everyone receives a phone call on the day they're going to die. On the morning of September 5, teenage boys Mateo and Rufus both get their call. They find each other on an app called "Last Friend", which is an app for lonely Deckers (people who are going to die that day) to find someone to spend their last day with. Mateo and Rufus's day of adventures, close-calls, and deep talks brings them closer than they'd ever expected in their final hours. 

    It is not a spoiler because it is literally the title... they do indeed both die at the end. I knew it was coming, and yet-- the emotion and love I felt for these characters by the end of the book had me crying on the couch over the loss of them. Adam Silvera did a great job writing these two very distinct characters, each struggling with their own issues in their life that leads them to find each other on their final day. The entire book takes place in less than 24 hours, but I really felt like I got to know both of these boys and the depth of their relationship that Silvera was able to capture in such a short time frame was impressive. The book goes back and forth between character perspectives in each chapter so we get to see a little bit of who they both are and how they're feeling about their lives and each other as the day progresses. 

The story flowed really well, and I was worried numerous times throughout that their time would come too soon. Mateo and Rufus have close calls with death a few times on their final day, and the way they both actually die is the last thing I expected. The simplicity of that plot twist really drove home the message of living life to the fullest because you never know when it'll be your last day. The ending is given away in the title; but even though I expected both of them to die, I still hoped maybe they wouldn't because I wanted to know more of their story. The thing that disappointed me a bit in the end wasn't the fact that they both died, but the way they died because it felt a little lackluster compared to the intensity of the rest of the book. But I guess that just hits the nail on the head even more that you never know how it'll happen. For a book about death and living your final day, it's surprisingly feel-good, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a short, sweet story about friendship, love, and living life to the fullest.

K: 

3.5 ★★★★☆