Hello all you readers out there!

How’s life treating ya? Good I hope! I’m starting the final stretch of grad school projects for the semester, so I’m feeling really good. I also finalized a vacation with my boyfriend (oh yeah, that’s a new development too!) right after the semester ends for my birthday. Exciting, right?

Anywho, with grad school in full swing I had to have some leisurely reading time. That’s why my book bestie Misty from Misty’s Book Space and I decided to buddy read They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera.

This blog post will be my individual book review, then soon I’ll have a buddy read and rant with Misty where we talk more about the book with minimal spoilers. Sound good? Okay, let’s get this book review started!

Blurb

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.

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.

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.

GoodReads

Amazon

***Brief disclosure***

I am an Amazon affiliate and earn a tiny commission for purchases made through the Amazon links in this post at no cost to you. It’s a great way to help me keep things running on my blog if you’re already intrigued enough to make a purchase. 

The Review

Wow, I was totally blown away by this dystopian YA book!

In a nutshell, this book is about two young men and the connection they form in their last day on Earth after being told by the app DeathCast they have a maximum of 24 hours to live. As the unlikely match between Rufus and Mateo is made, they spend their last days coping with hardships of life and learning how to live in the moment when on borrowed time.

This book had all the feels and then some.

Rufus and Mateo were an unlikely match, and that made me root for them even more. Rufus is a bi guy with a troubled past, while Mateo is gay and suffers from anxiety. He has issues branching out and living life in the here and now, choosing instead to stay in the apartment he and his dad shared before his dad fell into a coma. I loved the evolving relationship that formed between Rufus and Mateo. It felt so real to me, and it really broke my heart to see these two coming to terms with their mortality at such a young age.

I also really enjoyed all the other chapters with other POVs. It helped build this dystopian Earth to a new level and gave the world and story depth.

Speaking of worldbuilding, this novel had tons of it. DeathCast is this app that lets subscribers of their service know that they only have 24 hours to live. They can’t tell you how, just that it’s going to happen. This has altered this fictional Earth in a distinct and interesting way. There are bars, clubs, and other special locations and services that have formed around those on borrowed time (called Deckers), and it’s really a genius concept.

I tend to favor plot-based books, and while this novel did center more on Rufus and Mateo, there was plenty of plot to move things along. Knowing that either character could die at any time really had me looking out for them when they did seemingly mundane things like crossing the street or getting on a bus. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and I absolutely loved every minute.

In the end, this was a heartfelt dystopian book that I think any reader can appreciate if they want to look at life through a creative, bittersweet lens. Highly recommend!

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this book review. I hope you enjoyed it!

Have you read this book? Are there other similar books you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

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