A little after midnight on September 5, Death-Cast, a company that alerts people the day they are going to die, calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to tell them of their fate. But the company doesn’t tell them exactly when or why they are going to die. What they do inform you is that it’s going to happen in the next 24 hours, giving them a chance to say goodbye and get their affairs in order.
Mateo and Rufus are complete strangers till they meet through the app called ‘Last Friend’ that allows those who are dying a chance to connect with someone on their ‘end day’.
The title gives away the book’s ending. You know Mateo and Rufus will die at the end. Nothing’s going to change that. But I found myself hoping the writer would deliver a twist and save these precious boys. It didn’t happen and that left me a little bereft. ‘They Both Die at the End’ isn’t the smartest story but it has some tender and heartfelt moments. It is a stark reminder that there’s no life without death and that love comes with the inevitable risk of loss. But that shouldn’t make you sick with worry. Rather, you would do well to live your life to the fullest, focusing on what matters and letting the rest go.
They Both Die at the End could have been a dark and depressing read. But peppered with the duo’s adventures as they live it up before they kick the bucket, it’s fun and engaging. It’s a story about death but it’s also a story about family, friendship and love. How Mateo and Rufus deal with their dear ones when they find they won’t be around for long makes you want to hug your parents and call your friends, lest they never realize just how much you love them. Also, the book is narrated from the perspectives of many other characters who are in some way or the other connected to either Mateo or Rufus. The effect is almost dizzying, but in a good way as it keeps things interesting.
Despite the fact that it’s a young adult book and the writing is simple (so much so that it feels dumbed down in places), I feel people of all ages will enjoy it as it’s really easy to put yourself in the characters’ shoes and start wondering what you would have done differently had you swapped places with them. Mateo and Rufus have such distinct voices that you will identify with one and empathize with the other. It’s not a hopeful tale but it urges you to get out of your comfort zone and live the life you want instead of just wishing for it. And to do it while there is still time.
Three stars
Fiction
They Both Die at the End
Adam Silver
Published: 2017
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 373, Paperback
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/7577278.Adam_Silvera
