“Why can't we have a chance?" I ask Rufus. "A chance at what?" He's looking around, taking pictures of the arena and the lines. "A chance at another chance." I say.”
Let me begin by saying YA, in most part, is not my preferred genre of books. But with a title like that how could I not be intrigued. I found the concept of this story fascinating yet a wee bit morbid. They say live each day like it’s your last, what would you do when a stranger over the phone tells you that it is?
In an alternate time, a company called Death-Cast is founded, where they call people and inform them that today is the day they’re going to die. Mateo was at home when he got the call just after midnight. Rufus was in the middle of throwing a hard punch when he heard the haunting ringtone coming from his phone. After the initial shock subsided, their very contrasting worlds collide when they find each on “The Last Friend”, an app and choose to kick the bucket together, because they don’t want to spend this last day alone.
We follow them through the day walking around New York City, trying to live those last few hours, the best way they think felt right. Just the fear or the acceptance of it being their last day gave them the courage to truly open up and be themselves. Through that day’s excursion, you meet Mateo and Rufus; you discover them as they discover each other and themselves. And before you know it, you realize you don’t want the inevitable to happen to these young boys!
The notion of this book is refreshing in its creativity. Silvera has taken this idea of death-cast and has created a whole new world around it, with a sense of normalcy. There are arenas and such other amusements, where the deckers can spent their last day, taking a world tour in 80 minutes or go sky diving; To tick things of their bucket list.
“Yes, we live, or we're given the chance to, at least, but sometimes living is hard and complicated because of fear.”
We all fear death in some way or other and we know that death is unavoidable, and take it as lightly as we can; for something we think won’t happen for years. But when death is staring right at you, you want to do as much before the time comes. Things you were too afraid to do; set the wrongs right; live. What is it about the fright of death suddenly lights that spark within that wasn’t there before?
“They Both Die at the End” is an easy to read and though it slows down in between, it keeps you engrossed till the end. Silvera makes these boys empathetic and endearing, you do end up getting slightly caught up in their lives, to give you all the feels when the end is approaching. The storyline of these young boys floats on the surface that kept it from going deeper. I really liked this read, however I felt that the genre of the book kept it from becoming something more.
“But no matter what choices we make - solo or together - our finish line remains the same … No matter how we choose to live, we both die at the end.”