They Both Die at the End

What would you do if you found out that you had one day to live? Set in an alternative world, where people are informed of their impending deaths in less than twenty-four hours, by people known as Death-Casts, Adam Silvera’s best-selling book, entitled They Both Die at the End, explores exactly this question. Whilst reading the book, it is never revealed how Death-Casts know that people are about to die, but that is not necessarily the point of the book. Arguably, the book’s main focus is what exactly you would do, when you know the time-sand of your life is running out in precisely one day.

For two teenage boys – who have never met before their last day – this is the situation they are faced with. Discovering that their time on earth is almost up, two young boys, named Mateo and Rufus, meet on an app designed to find their last friend; that is, those who share the fate of dying on the same day. The possession of this knowledge leads to an expected plethora of emotions for them both, as they both attempt to live their last day to the fullest – with both humour and sadness. Sadness, because they have to say goodbye to those that are dearest to them. Humorous, because both Mateo and Rufus possess opposite personality traits, and the clashes between the two – perhaps unexpectedly – lead to some laugh out loud moments in the book. Determined to make their mark and experience as much as they can before they are met with the grim reaper, the two teenagers live an action-paced final twenty-four hours.

Overall, the book is a fascinating read. The book tackles with this difficult existential question in ways that will lead you to deeply think about it: what would you do in Mateo and Rufus’ situation? Let us know, and also if you have read the book, please share your thoughts.