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They Both Die at the End  By  cover art

They Both Die at the End

By: Adam Silvera
Narrated by: Michael Crouch, Robbie Daymond, Bahni Turpin
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Editorial reviews

Editors Select, September 2017

Even though the entire premise of Silvera’s new YA novel is about impending death, this poignant tale of two teen boys knowingly going about their last day alive is all about the promise of life. As the socially stunted yet giant-hearted Mateo meets and gets to know rough-around-the-edges yet thoughtful Rufus, they explore what it means to be alive and who constitutes family. Michael Crouch, Robbie Daymond, and Bahni Turpin embody these and more characters in nuanced ways that tease out the many emotions of preparing for death (from regret to acceptance and growth) and embracing the most important thing about life: love. —Abby, Audible Editor

Publisher's summary

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.

New York Times bestseller * 4 starred reviews * A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year * A Kirkus Best Book of the Year * A Booklist Editors' Choice of 2017 * A Bustle Best YA Novel of 2017 * A Paste Magazine Best YA Book of 2017 * A Book Riot Best Queer Book of 2017 * 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.”

©2017 Adam Silvera (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers

Featured Article: The Best YA Audiobooks for Listeners of All Ages


Young adult audiobooks offer some of the most affecting, original stories that, despite the genre’s name, make an excellent choice for all listeners. Unforgettably poignant coming-of-age stories, hopeful tales of youth resistance, and brave teens reckoning with questions that stump even the wisest adults are at the heart of this exceptional genre. Our list features diverse characters and ensembles that will make it impossible to press pause.

What listeners say about They Both Die at the End

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

My heart..

I knew what i was getting myself into when i made the decision to buy this book. What i didnt know is that no matter how much i thought i have prepared myself for it, i wasnt even close.
The title says, they both die in the end, and you know in the back of your mind that eventually they will. However, you get so infatuated by the idea of they could’ve been, and THERE IS NO GOING BACK FROM THERE.
My heart will ache for a very long time, and i am too devistated to write an full review. All i know is that, this book needs to be read. It will stay with you. It will break your heart, and you will allow it, because thats what great stories are supposed to do.
Read it, you wont be sorry.

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134 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

You try and prep yourself, but it won't help.....

This book is super emotional for me, because it's reminds me of personal stuff; that being said, I can see people enjoying the book and not having this crazy personal reaction and cry like a baby (like I did). I did say in my title for the review that you know what's going to happen. A book has never just laid it out there like this (as far as I know), but you still can't help falling in love with the two major and all the minor characters. Adam Silvera painted a picture so beautifully with his characters, but also this world. Death-Cast calls every person that is going to die that day between midnight and three. The point is so each individual will have that opportunity to do the things they put off and to say their final goodbyes. Whether, in reality, this is a good thing or not, I'm not even going to say. It's just the world Mr. Silvera puts the reader in.

Mateo and Rufus meet through "The Last Friend" phone application, which gets people who want to just hook up on their last day, one man who claims to have "the cure for death in his pants," people who are not dying who want to be there for others, and many more. Mateo is a very shy and sheltered eighteen-year-old, who feels like he spent his life playing it too safe when he gets the call from Death-Cast. Rufus is in the middle of beating up his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend when he gets the call. When he's doing his own funeral with his foster family and gang, the cops have been called and he's forced to flee his friends in order to not spend his last day in jail. He finds the app and Mateo reaches out to him and they meet. They start their day and do things that are awful and things that are great, but they end up doing things for each other that they never thought could happen.

The voice acting was stellar. I'm a huge fan of Michael Crouch, but this is the first time I've heard Robbie Daymond and Bahni Turpin. All three made this story so wonderful that I gave them 5 stars. As far as my personal rating, I give Michael Crouch an A, Robbie Daymond an A-, and Bahni Turpin a B+. The only reason why I'm giving Ms. Turpin a lower score is that I found parts of her performance to be stilted, but she did have to play everyone else who was not Mateo or Rufus. Still, I think she could've done a slightly better job.

The Book, for me, is going to get a B+, which is a totally different way of judging than how I look at narrators. This book was great and I enjoyed most of it. For me, the books that get 5's or A's in my system only happen 1-3 times a year. This was a solid book and did exactly what it was supposed to do, but I cannot say that it was in the top five. It is definitely something that should be read and I think it shows a version of a M/M relationship that isn't as "offensive" to a conservative audience. While I find LGBT books to be fine in general, I think some can be offended by stupid things like two boys who kiss or something like that. So, this is a book that should be read; it has lessons about regrets, last days, and so much more. I think this book is an important one and I really hope that people can give this book a chance.

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115 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Tear jerker Performance

The tale is a beautiful story of connection and giving life a second chance. It meets all the requisites of a great narration, subtle ruses and emotionally inclined.

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50 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Not sure how to feel

I had a skipping problem but I am also not sure how I feel about the book. The story was good, but I feel like it could have been better. In addition to that the author used the work "mad" too much. Something was mad cool, mad crazy, mad good, etc. I swear I think they said it maybe 20 times each chapter to the point where I would roll my eyes.

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43 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Well the premise is good . . . .

SPOILER ALERT!!
There are stories within the main story that don't seem to have much to do with anything.
You never find out much of anything about the death calls, why they occur or the reason for them and that's disappointing. No back story. The book is slow moving and painful to listen to, totally contrived, I was hoping for an ending that made my hours of listening worthwhile, before I was done I was hoping death cast would call me. The main character only discovers his true sexual attraction on the last day of his life???? Seriously? Zero stars for the story.

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42 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Nice quick read

Not a great book but not a bad book either. Interesting fictional subject matter, probably more suitable for a younger reader (teen-young adult). Obviously the end of the book is no secret but getting to their end is interesting enough. Narration was good.

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29 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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Young people book

Didn’t realize this book was for teenagers/young adults. I was bored from the beginning but wanted to see if it got better (it didn’t) and then I was roped in because I was curious how they die. Disappointed that it was about teenage boys figuring they sexuality. It lacked substance, it was mindless and empty. I thought a book about dying would be deep and meaningful. This one talked about Instagram and being popular.

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27 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Amazingly depressing

I knew from the moment I saw the damn title that I was in for a crying session at the end. Tears kept dropping down my face until i couldn't breath.

This book didn't teach me anything, it merely enforced what I knew already. However, the enforcement that I received was much needed. The book is a metaphor that death will come any day and we have to live for today not for tomorrow and not for yesterday. The choices we make today will impact our lives forever. Rufus’ call would have never come if he and Amy were still together, if he didn't beat peck, if he never met Mateo. Meeting and falling in love with Mateo made Rufus the strong and selfless individual he became. Love, friendship, and purpose changes a person's outlook on life. In a way Rufus self-sabotaged himself but I think it was all worth it.
This book has made me want to go through life with a purpose in everything I do and pride in whatever I accomplish, will it be small tasks or big ones. I don't want to be wired to live by society's rules and act how people want me to act just so I can hide my true self with a mask. I want to experience I want to live right now, while I'm still young.
I would only change one thing, the tragic death of my favorite characters. They had so much ahead of them and the love they built in a day. Mateo and Rufus both represent me in a way. Mateo is my inner, more quiet and thoughtful side and Rufus, my louder impulsive side. The two made such a great opposite pair and I wish Silvera could write the endings out and put Mateo and Rufus together.

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23 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

100%

i listened to this while i worked as a security guard. looked like a baby.

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20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Fleeting and mindless

I though I'd enjoy this book more, but the characters felt empty. And somehow knowing they would die at the end made the listening experience distant and fabricated, like the all of the adventures they had throughout the day. Their insights were interesting, but not enough to keep the book going.

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19 people found this helpful