They Both Die at the End

What role do you think the existence of Death-Cast plays in the psyche of the people living in this alternate society—regardless of whether they get a call or not?

Why do you think the author included chapters from the perspective of characters not interacting directly with Rufus and Mateo?

At the end of Part 2, Rufus and Mateo discuss whether their meeting was the result of fate. What role do you think fate plays in the story? Do you think the call from Death-Cast reflects what would have happened anyway on September 5, or do you think the call causes the events to happen? BAM! 2

Deirdre, the employee at Make-A-Moment, says that the company is providing Deckers with “fake experiences, fake memories.” What do you think she means? Does Rufus and Mateo’s experience there feel fake or real?

Did reading the book make you reconsider anything about how you live your own life?

What do you make of the author’s choice not to include more information about how Death-Cast works? What do you think this choice suggests about the reality of life in this alternate version of the world?

What are Mateo and Rufus doing when we first meet them? What do these actions tell us about who they are before they get their call? How do they change over the course of the story?

Would you want to want to live in a world where Death-Cast exists? Why or why not?

Given the title of the book, were you surprised by the ending?