BLOG 05 : They Both Die at the End | Alyssa

    Adam Silvera’s, They Both Die at the End, was a book centered around the idea of a company with the ability to know the exact day someone would die, and call them the morning of to warn them. The book follows the company’s victims, Mateo and Rufus, who live their last day together.

    The story starts with Mateo and Rufus receiving the call from Death-Cast and follow both of their perspectives as originally their own stories. With Mateo reading through blogs of people who received the call when he himself received it, completely alone. And Rufus surrounded by people watching as he beat up someone senseless, receiving the call while in action. The book continues with Mateo and Rufus being separate people living their last day as an individual. Though, one action ties their stories together. Mateo and Rufus downloaded an app made for those on their last day with a need to find a friend to hang out with until their demise. When they matched, their stories merged into one as they lived their last day together.

    They Both Die at the End is an incredibly slow book, but not for no reason. While reading I found myself as if I’m there with the characters and moving the pace they do. The author calls attention to their conversations as they walk, as if they are in no rush. The pacing really focuses on details that feel like seconds go by, rather than most books focusing on minutes at a time. As I read hours felt longer than typical books, and I feel the intention was to put the reader in the character’s shoes. Their last day didn’t feel rushed and instead felt like one step at a time.

    This book was criticized for its missing character development. None of the characters in the book change any behaviors or improve. I honestly disagree. The whole book is one day and while having details that are fiction, the characters stay realistic. Most novels follow characters over a span of multiple days, weeks, months, or years with gradual change throughout that leaves the characters different from how they started. However, characters in They Both Die at the End have no change in character because it follows the realistic way that people don’t drastically change their habits or behaviors in just one day. Mateo and Rufus through the one day that the book talks about don’t change any values or characteristics, which I think isn’t a bad decision at all.

    To be honest, this book was one I had wanted to read for a long time but only recently got around to it. They Both Die at the End had my attention the whole time. Emotions are portrayed perfectly and combined with a unique story concept, it's one I’d recommend to read.