Scan barcode
A review by tashasbooks
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
dark
emotional
reflective
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
5.0
I can tell that for some people this won’t be their cup of tea, but it was definitely mine. I have read a couple of "emotional books" lately that were supposed to make me cry (Addie LaRue, Ugly Love, It Ends With Us) and this is the first one in a long time that actually made me sob and it broke my heart. I read it in one sitting.
I absolutely love the concept of the Death cast and how you know the day you will die. It's so interesting, especially when the story begins with both Mateo and Rufus learning that this is the day they die. I saw some complaints in the reviews about how these characters aren't three dimensional enough but I found that the author did a great job considering we only read about one day in their lives where they are trying to focus on the now. Most books span multiple days, weeks, or months where you learn about the character. I don't think we are supposed to learn their entire life stories in this day, and I believe that is a huge point by the author.
You see Mateo and Rufus develop throughout this story and their relationship grow stronger. Additionally, all of the side POV chapters were so interesting because you learn how literally everything is interconnected throughout the book. Every single character has a connection, all the way to Rufus and Mateo despite how different they may seem. It was this complexity that was so interesting to me and had me thinking even when the book was over. If you want to hear about the ending, spoiler below lol:
I mean the title is literally a spoiler in itself, so I don't know why I need to spoiler tag.. but I guess I will save it for the one hopeful who thinks they come out of this alive. They don't. As much as you wish they did. And the deaths were the most heartbreaking/coming around point of the novel. You see Mateo die after feeling invincible, only a couple of hours before 12 am. If he wasn't with Rufus in the apartment to make tea, would his death have happened? That's one of the huge questions this book begs and it drives me insane. Rufus' death is even more sad because he dies without Mateo's hand to hold him back from crossing the street. Does Death cast set these events in motion when it calls? Or does it just know that every scenario that day will leave them dead? This is what qualifies a book as 5 stars for me. When it makes me ask questions about the book and characters and I can't get it out of my head.
I really, really enjoyed this book. I just read it and I want to re-read it again right after. I haven't felt that urge to re-read a book so recently ever. While everyone may not like it, it was a 5 star read for me.
I absolutely love the concept of the Death cast and how you know the day you will die. It's so interesting, especially when the story begins with both Mateo and Rufus learning that this is the day they die. I saw some complaints in the reviews about how these characters aren't three dimensional enough but I found that the author did a great job considering we only read about one day in their lives where they are trying to focus on the now. Most books span multiple days, weeks, or months where you learn about the character. I don't think we are supposed to learn their entire life stories in this day, and I believe that is a huge point by the author.
You see Mateo and Rufus develop throughout this story and their relationship grow stronger. Additionally, all of the side POV chapters were so interesting because you learn how literally everything is interconnected throughout the book. Every single character has a connection, all the way to Rufus and Mateo despite how different they may seem. It was this complexity that was so interesting to me and had me thinking even when the book was over. If you want to hear about the ending, spoiler below lol:
I really, really enjoyed this book. I just read it and I want to re-read it again right after. I haven't felt that urge to re-read a book so recently ever. While everyone may not like it, it was a 5 star read for me.