Mundie Moms

Saturday, September 2, 2017

THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END by Adam Silvera / Book Review #TheyBothDieAtTheEnd



By: Adam Silvera
Published by: Harper Teen
To Be Released on: September 5th, 2017
Purchase from: The Publisher | Amazon | B&N
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A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review

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 and to live a lifetime in a single day.

A haunting story with hope, friendship and love at it's core. What would you do if you found out that today would be your last? For Mateo and Rufus, their call from death brings them unexpectedly together. What transpires is an unforgettable adventure as two strangers, who become friends, find solace in each other, and make their last day together count. 

Silvera delivers an interesting take on death. Instead of being unprepared for it, you get a phone call letting you know if today would be your last day. You're not told when or how you'll die. That prompts characters to either really embrace their last day and live it fully or fall into the pit of despair and give up. Mixed into Rufus and Mateo's story are various other characters who's minor points of views paint a larger scale picture on how the call from death effects them in a variety of ways. For good or bad. 

This is one heck of an emotionally coaster of a read. While I didn't cry, I was surprised at how invested I became in both Mateo and Rufus's story. Together, they embraced their fate, found strength, courage, and comfort as they lived their last day adventurously and without a second thought. I really enjoyed watching these two polar opposites become more than a last friendship. They gave each other a means to really live their last day. I liked that they both challenged each other, and made the other reach beyond their limits to truly enjoy their last day as though it was an adventure of a life time. 

These two quotes from the book, best describe the differences in both Rufus and Mateo. For the sake of spoilers, I won't mention which character thought which. By the end of the book, their differences in thought are what brought strength, and courage to each other to really make the most of their last day, together. 
"Twelve hours ago I received the phone call telling me I'm going to die today, and I'm more alive now than I was then."  

"... a little over twelve hours ago, I got a phone call telling I'm going die today, and I thought I made my peace with that, but I've never been more scared in my life of what's gonna go down later." 
This story ended up being so much bigger than just Mateo and Rufus's stories. It made me question what would I do if I received the same phone call they two guys did. I love it when a story makes me think, while at the same time taking on the emotional journey these two characters went on, living their last day, not knowing when or how they'd die, or if they'd cheat death later that day. 

I'm not a huge contemporary fan, but this was a story I enjoyed. It's so different than so many books out there, and I loved the diversity mixed into this story. After reading this book, I now understand why Adam Silvera's books are huge hits with YA readers. 

On a side not, I really dig this cover. It's not spoiler mentioning the hidden skull and grim reaper shadow on the front to it. Not to mention the city skyline at night, all work together to make a perfect cover for this book. Don't let this cover fool you though. This story isn't so much about death, but instead it's about choosing to live in the face of death. There's a difference and this story is about that. 

*There is some mild language in this book, and mild violence. 

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