January Book Review
Title: They Both Die at the End
Author: Adam Silvia
This book is about two boys, Mateo and Rufus, who get a call from Death Cast telling them that their life will end sometime in the next 24 hours. In this fictional future, people get an alert to know when they are dying, allowing them to have a funeral and spend their End Day resolving problems and avoiding regrets. Death Cast is a secretive operation; no one knows how they access their information, but it has become a household name, and a major part of their society.
Mateo was a homebody who had a large list of things in his life that he felt he missed out on. Upon getting the call, he had a panic attack, and set about trying to find someone to spend his End Day with. The public capitalized on the “Deckers” (which is what the dying people were known as) and there were many apps, discounts, and events going for Deckers to enjoy. Mateo downloaded an app called Last Friend, and this is how Rufus is introduced to the story.
Rufus is a foster kid whose family died after plummeting into the Hudson River in a bad car accident. The accident took place only a few months prior to his own End Day, and Rufus has spent a lot of time blaming himself for their deaths. He could’ve done more, he could have fought harder to get them out of the drowning vehicle.
The novel chronicles their adventures all the way until the boys die. There are other points of view throughout the story, smaller characters who get a voice, but they aren’t quite as significant.
Rating out of 5: 5/5. It was amazing, and I would buy a copy for my personal shelf. Since I read books mostly from the library, this is a good indication that I have found a GREAT book. I would definitely read this book multiple times.
Notable Quotes: "No matter how we choose to live, we both die at the end."
"It's mad twisted, but surviving showed me it's better to be alive wishing I was dead than dying wishing I could live forever."
How this book made me feel: Introspective. It was deep and reflective without having a "let's throw ourselves in this abyss" type of ambiance. This book offers quotes about living your life without actually living: "Yes, we live, or we're given the chance to, at least, but sometimes living is hard and complicated because of fear." You can spend your entire life wishing you were dead, or simply not living, but I think this book was meant to give the readers a small wake up call.
Question for You: How would you spend your End Day? Would you stay inside hoping to avoid it and prolong the inevitable? Would you go out and have a big ol’ party with some of your nearest and dearest friends? Would you do something terribly reckless that has been on your bucket list for years? Would you spend your time mourning what your life could’ve been? I’m genuinely interested in how you’d spend your final 24 hours. Please let me know.
Title: They Both Die at the End
Author: Adam Silvia
This book is about two boys, Mateo and Rufus, who get a call from Death Cast telling them that their life will end sometime in the next 24 hours. In this fictional future, people get an alert to know when they are dying, allowing them to have a funeral and spend their End Day resolving problems and avoiding regrets. Death Cast is a secretive operation; no one knows how they access their information, but it has become a household name, and a major part of their society.
Mateo was a homebody who had a large list of things in his life that he felt he missed out on. Upon getting the call, he had a panic attack, and set about trying to find someone to spend his End Day with. The public capitalized on the “Deckers” (which is what the dying people were known as) and there were many apps, discounts, and events going for Deckers to enjoy. Mateo downloaded an app called Last Friend, and this is how Rufus is introduced to the story.
Rufus is a foster kid whose family died after plummeting into the Hudson River in a bad car accident. The accident took place only a few months prior to his own End Day, and Rufus has spent a lot of time blaming himself for their deaths. He could’ve done more, he could have fought harder to get them out of the drowning vehicle.
The novel chronicles their adventures all the way until the boys die. There are other points of view throughout the story, smaller characters who get a voice, but they aren’t quite as significant.
Rating out of 5: 5/5. It was amazing, and I would buy a copy for my personal shelf. Since I read books mostly from the library, this is a good indication that I have found a GREAT book. I would definitely read this book multiple times.
Notable Quotes: "No matter how we choose to live, we both die at the end."
"It's mad twisted, but surviving showed me it's better to be alive wishing I was dead than dying wishing I could live forever."
How this book made me feel: Introspective. It was deep and reflective without having a "let's throw ourselves in this abyss" type of ambiance. This book offers quotes about living your life without actually living: "Yes, we live, or we're given the chance to, at least, but sometimes living is hard and complicated because of fear." You can spend your entire life wishing you were dead, or simply not living, but I think this book was meant to give the readers a small wake up call.
Question for You: How would you spend your End Day? Would you stay inside hoping to avoid it and prolong the inevitable? Would you go out and have a big ol’ party with some of your nearest and dearest friends? Would you do something terribly reckless that has been on your bucket list for years? Would you spend your time mourning what your life could’ve been? I’m genuinely interested in how you’d spend your final 24 hours. Please let me know.
Uncategorized Thoughts: I realize now as I am writing this review that we never officially meet the
main character’s father. Mateo’s dad is in a coma for the entire book, there is no great emotional
moment where Mateo is crying about his death and his dad squeezes his hand. Mateo’s dad will wake
up in a world without his son. All that to say this: Adam Silvia wrote a beautiful character through the
eyes of other characters. I felt connected to his father even though the reader never actually meets him.
There are stories and sentiments shared that make you feel like he is just as alive as the main characters.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. If you’re looking for a book to punch you in the gut with feels,
I think you should pick this book up.
Thanks for reading my review! I hope you enjoyed it, and I look forward to writing the next one! :) ~Suze
I think you should pick this book up.
Thanks for reading my review! I hope you enjoyed it, and I look forward to writing the next one! :) ~Suze
