Review by juligestoeber - The Survivor Wants To Die At The End

juligestoeber 's review for:

The Survivor Wants To Die At The End by Adam Silvera

3.75

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

Spoilers ahead

I enjoyed the book highly for what it is, but I'm unsure if I like it as part of the Death Cast series. What I enjoyed most about "They Both Die At The End" and "The First To Die At The End" were the fact that they're finite. That it is very clear from the start that someone (or more than one) will die at the end. That no matter what happens between the first and last page, a story will end. This is not the case with "The Survivor Wants To Die At The End". The clear difference of "wants to die" took some of that resolute knowledge from me. While both Paz' and Alanos stories are devastating, it was a different kind of devastation than losing Mateo or Rufus or Valentino at the end of their books. I'm also unsure how I like that the book ended on a cliffhanger and a promise that Paz and Alano will return. I'm always happy to get more of Adam Silveras writing and world. But this one feels so different from the other two. I enjoy the cameos, the callbacks, but I've enjoyed that the other 2 books tell stories that are finished. I kept thinking "how are they gonna wrap all this up? There's not much left". The answer is that they aren't. Paz' and Alanos journey continues.
I will say, I totally understand and actually highly value that the story of two suicidal and mentally ill boys does not end in death. That instead they both make a conscious choice to live and heal. I love that their struggles are taken seriously and it is clearly shown how recovery can mean setbacks and falling back into dark holes. And that recovery means getting up again and again and again. I enjoyed the parallels of being famous- Alano for being and heir to an empire and Paz for his past.
I also simply love the way Adam Silvera writes, how he switches perspectives and allows the reader to effortlessly experience a story from multiple POVs and angles. The flow is fantastic and makes reading the book, as heavy as it gets, very engaging and easy.

Lastly, I'm glad the book dived deeper into what it means to live in a world with Death Cast, how that is bound to affect politics, jobs, daily life. An interesting insight in the service that literally changed the world and how people experience death.

Content Warnings