They Both Die at the End: A Story About Mortality, Friendship, and Making the Most of Life (They Both Die at the End Series, 1)

By Adam Silvera

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.

#1 New York Times bestseller * four starred reviews * A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year * A Kirkus Best Book of the Year * A Booklist Editors' Choice * A Bustle Best YA Novel * A Paste Magazine Best YA Book * A Book Riot Best Queer Book * A BuzzFeed Best YA Book of the Year * A BookPage Best YA Book of the Year

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.

In the tradition of Before I Fall and If I Stay, They Both Die at the End is a tour de force from acclaimed author Adam Silvera, whose debut, More Happy Than Not, the New York Times called “profound.”

Featuring a map of the novel’s characters and their connections, an exclusive essay by the author, and a behind-the-scenes look at the early outlines for this critically acclaimed bestseller.

Plus don't miss The First to Die at the End: #1 New York Times bestselling author Adam Silvera returns to the universe of international phenomenon They Both Die at the End in this prequel. New star-crossed lovers are put to the test on the first day of Death-Cast’s fateful calls. 

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Published Dec 18, 2018

416 pages

Average rating: 7.25

969 RATINGS

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What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *They Both Die at the End* offers a powerful, emotional exploration of mortality that prompts deep reflection on life. Many praise its bel...

Carli Petow
Jul 18, 2026
8/10 stars
I said this from the beginning, but I knew this book was going to make me feel all the feels at the end. I really liked how Matteo and Rufus were very easily polar opposites in how the lived their lives, how they dealt with the news of their imminent deaths, as well as their outlooks on how to spend their last day on earth. It really brought out a good balance between them and I loved watching them teach each other things and watch how their relationship formed in the short time they knew each other.

The concept itself, the idea of Death-Cast and receiving a phone call stating that you’re going to die within 25 hours, is super creative and unique. I really liked the cast of characters and this is one of the few books I’ve finished where I truly wanted to know what happened to each character in the months after the book takes place. I thought I was going to hate all of the different character perspectives, and while
I did find some of the tertiary characters’ perspectives a little arbitrary, I liked how the author connected all of them back to Rufus and Matteo in some minor way.

Overall, I thought I going to be a bigger mess emotionally than I ended up being. But, this book still hit me emotionally.
DrewBReading
Jul 16, 2026
8/10 stars
This was like a heartbreaking Black Mirror episode. It was introspective and really pushed the narrative that we really only have one life to live. There were some parts that read a little off. The “slang” didn’t feel like it belonged but it didn’t take away from the story too much so I don’t mind. I just keep asking myself: what would I do if I found out I only had 24 hours to live?
Across the Globe Book Buddies
Oct 19, 2025
6/10 stars
This was just not my favorite book. While there were some parts I “mad enjoyed”, I overall just kept waiting for something less monotonous to occur. I chalk it up to having high expectations based on others’ reviews/recommendations.
Cindy Huskey
Jul 25, 2026
8/10 stars
Such a good read! The characters are realistic; the story line is new and fresh; and the ending was bittersweet. I’m going to have to read something fluffy to get over this book.
Sam Rosenheck
Apr 20, 2026
4/10 stars
Honestly, not my favorite book. I was not a fan of the concept of this novel and I also felt like the plot moved very quickly. Personally, I felt as though the character development was poor and there were certain aspects of the plot that did not quite fit. Initially, I believed this book was going to have a lot of strong LGBTQ themes, but this was not the case. I felt as though the LGBTQ theme was very rushed and had little time to develop. Overall, I did not enjoy.

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