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lucyford's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Murder, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Death of parent, and Medical content
Moderate: Mass/school shootings and Homophobia
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"The First to Die at the End" follows Valentino and Orion, two young men who meet on the day Death-Cast launches, technology that alerts you if you will die within the next 24 hours. Valentino is excited to start his life over in New York City with his twin sister. He was not super interested in signing up for Death-Cast, until his sister almost dies in a car accident. Now he wants to know if his end is coming. Orion does not want to sign up for Death-Cast because he needs a heart transplant, so he already knows his death is imminent. When Death-Cast goes live at midnight, one of them gets a call, and they decide to live one more day together, even though they know how their story will end.
It was really interesting to get more of an origin story for Death-Cast because I think it opens up more discourse about whether this technology is really as great as the creators hope it is. On the one hand, knowing when you will die will definitely light a fire under you to live like it is your last day. However, it can also make your last day completely unbearable because you will inevitably keep waiting for death. I think this idea makes for a great story, but I definitely hope this technology remains as fiction.
Adam Silvera has an amazing ability to write characters that I absolutely swoon over. Both Orion and Valentino are such good-hearted people, and even though I knew the ending from the beginning, I held out so much hope that their story would be happy. Maye Death-Cast has some errors and will be inaccurate at launch.
Orion and Valentino were perfect for each other. They were the person the other needed and I loved seeing them support each other through 24 hours. Their's was a love story that I ached for.
I 1000% will read more from Adam Silvera in the future, and I hope he writes more of this Death-Cast world.
Graphic: Medical content, Mental illness, Homophobia, Death, Murder, Gun violence, Violence, Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Terminal illness
Minor: Sexual content
_happilyeverafter_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Medical content and Terminal illness
iremesu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, and Homophobia
Minor: Car accident, Toxic relationship, and Violence
ewarde's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content and Medical content
ashsparrow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Cursing, Death, Chronic illness, and Violence
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Sexual content
mmm_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
mild character spoiler:
Moderate: Death of parent, Homophobia, Violence, and Death
Minor: Toxic relationship and Injury/Injury detail
lilifane's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I really loved the second half of the book when you start to realize how the different POVs are connected or how things are connected to the previous book. In fact, every time details from book one were mentioned, I had tears in my eyes because I am still so emotionally invested in that story and the characters.
And here is the problem: I did not feel much for the 2 protagonists in this book. I liked Valentino a lot at the beginning. How innocent and naive he was and his relationship with his twin sister. But this all mostly disappeared the moment he met Orion. And I didn't feel it, I didn't feel any chemistry between them. While I fell in love with Rufus and Mateo in book one, I was not invested in Orion and Valentino. Sadly. Because in these kinds of books, the chemistry between the two main characters is kind of the point.
However, I was there for all the side characters. They managed to stand out, even if we got little time with them. I was rooting for them, feeling for then, was heartbroken for them.
But I also think there were 1–2 choices where it felt like the only reason they were there was for the shock factor/forced emotional reaction. They definitely accomplished it, but it felt cheap to me in retrospect.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Medical content, Death of parent, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content
emburke's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Death of parent, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Mass/school shootings, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Homophobia
rachelizx's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Physical abuse, Medical content, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Murder
Moderate: Homophobia