Scan barcode
A review by elocoel
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
2.0
I hate to say this about a book I was so excited to start, but alas, I am disappointed. The concept by itself is very intriguing and brings out many questions within oneself; however, that is unfortunately not enough to salvage the book.
As someone who bawls her eyes out in practically every sad scene in existence, I was ready to get very emotionally attached and cry for maybe two hours straight. Instead, having put down the book just now, I feel nothing towards any of the characters. They all fell flat in my opinion, and because I didn't care about the characters, the story just kept on dragging. Rufus and Mateo practically had no chemistry, honestly, and even with all the emotions being high due to their approaching deaths, their love story still felt forced. The side characters whose POVs kept interrupting the story were nothing but a nuisance in my eyes and kept pulling me out while adding practically nothing to the story, maybe except the implied ending. The writing, especially the dialogues, was one of the most forced-feeling I've read in a while as well, which is a shame because I've heard nothing but praise for Silvera's style before.
Overall, I enjoyed the diversity, the point Silvera is trying to make, and the idea of what could have been. I wish the concept was explored more, but the way They Both Die at the End is just did not hit the spot for me.
As someone who bawls her eyes out in practically every sad scene in existence, I was ready to get very emotionally attached and cry for maybe two hours straight. Instead, having put down the book just now, I feel nothing towards any of the characters. They all fell flat in my opinion, and because I didn't care about the characters, the story just kept on dragging. Rufus and Mateo practically had no chemistry, honestly, and even with all the emotions being high due to their approaching deaths, their love story still felt forced. The side characters whose POVs kept interrupting the story were nothing but a nuisance in my eyes and kept pulling me out while adding practically nothing to the story, maybe except the implied ending. The writing, especially the dialogues, was one of the most forced-feeling I've read in a while as well, which is a shame because I've heard nothing but praise for Silvera's style before.
Overall, I enjoyed the diversity, the point Silvera is trying to make, and the idea of what could have been. I wish the concept was explored more, but the way They Both Die at the End is just did not hit the spot for me.