The novel They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera is a young adult fictional romance book that follows two young men, Mateo and Rufus, who have completely opposite personalities. The story starts when the two boys receive news that they only have a day left to live. In a world where death is determined by Death-Cast, both characters find one another on Last Friend, an app to connect people who also have received news of their soon deaths. From this, Mateo and Rufus meet up and are determined to live the rest of their life to the fullest, and with no regrets.
Mateo Torrez is a kind, caring, and timid person. However, due to his anxiety, he finds it difficult to live his last hours of life with complete enthusiasm and excitement. This all changes when he meets Rufus Emeterio, someone who is impulsive and driven by their emotions – opposite of Mateo, who often acts more timid. This is mostly due to the event that changed his life, when his family drowned in an accident. Through their different experiences in life and how they deal with various problems, they end up learning a lot from each other.
When the two characters live their lives however they wish, they both demonstrate much character development. Mateo visits his father and his friend first, and Rufus goes to his favorite diner. When Mateo sees his grave being prepared for him when he dies, he shows his maturity and makes peace with the fact that he will soon die. On the other hand, Rufus is still struggling with his family’s incident, but Mateo encourages him to find peace with it. Despite the polar traits, they learn and push one another to make their last moments truly memorable.
Since Mateo wants to be with his friend before he dies, he and Rufus hangout, causing Mateo to discover his feelings for Rufus. When they adventure to a club, Mateo reveals his feelings by kissing Rufus. This is the first time Mateo made a bold statement to someone he likes. Mateo illustrates character growth when he is comfortable in coming out as gay and showing that through his love to Rufus. As for Rufus, he changes by overcoming his fear of water by jumping off a cliff. He also shows growth through learning how to handle his emotions and how to cool down in thrilling moments, especially when he backs down from possibly killing a rival or enemy.
They Both Die at the End is both creative and fascinating. I loved reading parts where both characters had to step out of their comfort zone to have the best adventure even if their time is limited. The book was different from others as it was structured with the times of the day, and is kind of like a countdown to their last moments. A world such as theirs with Death-Cast is very fiction, but similar themes still apply to us like how we are most happy and confident when we are true to ourselves, and explore various things that can help us sway away from comfort.
I also enjoyed how you can clearly see how Mateo and Rufus are so different but they find ways to get along while bringing the best out of one another. The way both Mateo and Rufus slowly start to develop feelings with each other is extremely compelling , as Mateo doesn’t fully come out until his last hours with Rufus. This shows how despite only meeting within 24 hours, they still manage to be extremely close and develop a strong bond.
They Both Die at the End is packed with exciting adventures and thrilling moments in which both characters experience their last day of living while also depicting the story of LGBTQ romance and feeling comfortable with oneself. This book may leave you with heartbreak, but it is a fascinating read about the growth of each character and how they become the best versions of themselves.
