They Both Die at the End
Adam Silvera
<p>Adam Silvera reminds us that there’s no life without death and no love without loss in this devastating yet uplifting story about two people whose lives change over the course of one unforgettable day.</p><p><em>New York Times</em> bestseller * 4 starred reviews <em> A </em>School Library Journal <em>Best Book of the Year * A </em>Kirkus <em>Best Book of the Year * A </em>Booklist *Editors' Choice of 2017 * A Bustle Best YA Novel of 2017 * A Paste Magazine Best YA Book of 2017 * A Book Riot Best Queer Book of 2017 * A Buzzfeed Best YA Book of the Year * A BookPage Best YA Book of the Year </p><p>On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.</p><p>Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.</p><p>In the tradition of <em>Before I Fall</em> and <em>If I Stay</em>, <em>They Both Die at the End</em> is a tour de force from acclaimed author Adam Silvera, whose debut, <em>More Happy Than Not</em>, the <em>New York Times </em>called “profound.”</p><p>**</p>From School Library Journal<p>Gr 9 Up—Everyone who is going to die on a given day gets a call to let them know; not the when, or the how, or the why, but just notification that they will die on that day. Mateo and Rufus each get that call and are facing their last day without a loved one. But there's an app for that. Combining a well-realized alternative present with a lovely romance, Silvera's latest delivers what readers want in a book about dying teens. There's no avoiding the cliches that go along with the idea that an impending end makes life more meaningful, but recasting a Lurlene McDaniel-style doomed teen romance with Latinx queer boys and having the societal changes wink at those clichés softens them and makes a better storytelling device. The overarching structure of meaningful coincidences making a magical day in New York has its predecessors—Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and Nicola Yoon's The Sun Is Also a Star being prime examples—but this title is a deft exploration of that trope. Silvera continues to masterfully integrate diversity, disability, and young queer voices into an appealing story with a lot of heart. VERDICT While most of the elements and themes of this work are not new, they are combined, realized, and diversified expertly in this title. A must-have for YA shelves.—L. Lee Butler, Hart Middle School, Washington, DC </p>Review<p>“A bold, lovely, and haunting story of loss, hope, and the redeeming power of friendship.” (Lauren Oliver, New York Times bestselling author of Before I Fall)  </p><p>★”Extraordinary and unforgettable.” (Booklist (starred review))  </p><p>★”It’s another standout from Silvera. Engrossing, contemplative, and as heart-wrenching as the title promises.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review))  </p><p>★”Over the course of an eventful day, these thoughtful young men speak honestly and movingly about their fate, their anger at its unfairness, and what it means to be alive, until their budding friendship organically turns into something more.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review))  </p><p>★ “Silvera continues to masterfully integrate diversity, disability, and young queer voices into an appealing story with a lot of heart. A must-have for YA shelves.” (School Library Journal (starred review))  </p><p>“Adam Silvera uses his ample skill to force readers to examine how they live life now and how they want to live it. <em>They Both Die at the E</em>nd is a prime example of his skill at asking the most relevant questions of all of us.” (Teen Vogue)  </p><p>“<em>They Both Die at the End </em>is beautiful and charged with emotion, and Silvera’s best work to date.” (Jordan April, The River’s End Bookstore, for the Autumn 2017 Teen Indie Next List)  </p><p>“Silvera not only poignantly captures the raw emotion of facing your own morality, but creates such relatable and authentic characters you want to follow on their journey. His gorgeous writing and wonderful storytelling will wreck you in the very best possible way.” (Buzzfeed)  </p><p>“Themes of friendship, love, loss, and fate combine in this novel that should be read with a box of tissues close at hand.” (Brightly.com) </p>