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A review by lilifane
The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Uuuh, this is a hard one. Because I adored half of the book but was bored by the other, unfortunately.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Medical content, Death of parent, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content