“They Both Die at the End,” by Adam Silvera, was published on Sep. 5, 2017. A science fiction depicting themes of mortality, friendship, and grief, it’s the first book in a three-book series.

This story follows two main characters, eighteen-year-old Mateo Torrez and seventeen-year-old Rufus Emeterio, who live in a world where there’s a service called Death-Cast. This service informs them that they will die in the next 24 hours, as a way to give them a chance to live their life to the fullest before dying. Torrez is a shy and cautious person, and Emeterio is an impulsive, grieving teenager running away from his problems. They meet on an app called Last Friend, which provides a buddy system for Deckers, people who will die in the next 24 hours, a friend for their last day.

The book is written in a multi-perspective narrative; it not only centers on the main character’s perspective but also gives us other perspectives from side characters. This allows us to view different perspectives of being Deckers themselves, family or friends of Deckers, or working on providing Deckers with ways to live their lives to their fullest. As you continue reading the book, you can see how all the characters’ perspectives intertwine, leading up to the ending. 

One thing that surprised me was the message that the book provided for the audience. It showed us how short a life we have and why we shouldn’t waste the time we have because of fear. We should try all the things that we want to do, even if it embarrasses us or we’re afraid of what others think. It showed us how to deal with grief from the different perspectives of characters about loved ones who will die or dead loved ones we knew or wished we knew. Although the ending was a bit rushed, as if the author was trying to get it over with. It could have been slowed down in some parts, especially the ending.

Overall, this was an incredible book to read. It was an easy read that hooked you from the beginning and had a great message that provided you with insight into grief and learning to deal with it. It made you view life and death from a whole different perspective.