They Both Die at the End - Adam Silvera
They Both Die at the End was a hard read to start off with. Its writing was definitely penned for youth readers, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it is to be missed by all readers. Adam Silvera is a brave author for essentially spoiling the end for the readers, and his bravery to do so absolutely completed the book by allowing the reader to not dwell upon their death, but their ability to live one last day as two boys finally begin to find themselves in a world that is inevitably fatal.
Adam Silvera writes his story through the perspective of every character introduced in the book. This style of writing has always been particularly captivating for myself as a reader because so often I am engaged in the biases of the single narrator story, and through this style readers are able to connect through the story of dying and living characters on a deeper personal level.
It is not about dying, but about learning to live.
“...stories can make someone immortal as long as someone else is willing to listen.”
― Adam Silvera, They Both Die at the End
Silvera’s representation reaches the LatinX community through a gay Puerto-Rican main character and a bisexual Cuban main character. The concept behind Silvera’s alternate universe is outstanding. Silvera creates a world in which people receive phone calls from a company called Death-Cast that informs them of their last 24 hours on earth. Hypothetically it allows people to say goodbye to their loved ones, and it is absolutely inescapable. Two boys from New York city share completely different experiences and meet together under the same circumstances - an inevitable death.
Adam Silvera’s characters are imperfect and relatable. Rufus is portrayed as a foster kid who fumbles through life with motives of art and perception and Mateo a completely soft and nervous 18 year old who has lived his whole life in fear of the unknown.
“I've spent years living safely to secure a longer life, and look where that's gotten me. I'm at the finish line but I never ran the race.”
― Adam Silvera, They Both Die at the End
The complete opposite personality pulls together a relationship that is incredibly beautiful and endearing. By sharing each other's lives with one another they are able to build a new one even if it is just for 24 hours.
“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.”
― Adam Silvera, They Both Die at the End
I absolutely recommend this book to everyone in the LGBTQ+ community. It is a heart breaker for romanticists and a frustration like no other for idealists who cannot bare the thought of falling in love the day you are going to die.
“I kiss the guy who brought me to life on the day we’re going to die.”
― Adam Silvera, They Both Die at the End
I mentioned that this book was a difficult read to begin with because its intent is for the YA reader, but I would be a liar if I did not also mention that this book had me sobbing uncontrollably for hours at the very last page. As the relationship between the two boys progresses, the readers love for their identities grows incredibly fast. The book proves that there is beauty in the unknown and that the most beautiful people exist inside the worlds we forget to notice.
“People have their time stamps on how long you should know someone before earning the right to say it, but I wouldn't lie to you no matter how little time we have. People waste time and wait for the right moment and we don't have that luxury. If we had our entire lives ahead of us I bet you'd get tired of me telling you how much I love you because I'm positive that's the path we were heading on. But because we're about to die, I want to say it as many times as I want---I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.”
― Adam Silvera, They Both Die at the End