Plot summary
Shortly after midnight on September 5, 2017, Mateo receives a phone call from Death-Cast, a company that is able to predict the deaths of individuals, informing him that he is a Decker, someone with only twenty-four hours (or less) left to live. The introverted Mateo decides to try to push himself to truly live, reluctantly downloading Last Friend, an app developed to help lonely Deckers find someone to spend their End Day with.
Rufus is in the middle of beating up Peck, his ex-girlfriend Aimee's new boyfriend, when he receives a call from Death-Cast. He allows Peck to leave so that he can return to his foster home to say his goodbyes. Rufus, Aimee, Malcolm and Tagoe, collectively known as The Plutos, hold a funeral for Rufus at his foster home but it is interrupted by Peck, who calls the police to have Rufus arrested for assault. Rufus flees and goes on the run, downloading Last Friend so that he won't live out his final day alone.
Mateo and Rufus meet through Last Friend and decide to spend the day accompanying each other. Rufus agrees to go with Mateo to the hospital so Mateo can visit his father, who has been in a coma for two weeks. Mateo says goodbye to his father and leaves him a note for him to read when he wakes up. Mateo and Rufus then go to see Lidia, Mateo's best friend, and her baby daughter. Not wanting to make Lidia upset, Mateo pretends everything is normal, but leaves her an envelope of cash before leaving and blocks her phone number.
Rufus receives a call from Aimee telling him that Malcolm and Tagoe were arrested when they attempted to hold off the police to give him more time to escape. Rufus and Mateo discuss the plans they had for their life. As their friendship deepens, Mateo becomes bolder and Rufus begins to take color photos for his Instagram page, as opposed to his usual monochrome posts, to signify his End Day. Rufus and Mateo barely manage to escape an explosion at a nearby gym. They then head to the cemetery so that Mateo can visit his mother's grave, only to find a groundskeeper is in the process of digging Mateo's grave beside hers. Mateo discusses the afterlife with Rufus, debating what will happen to them in the near future.
Rufus and Mateo go to Make-A-Moment, a center for Deckers where they can experience dangerous activities without fear. Mateo asks Lidia to meet them there, and the three do some of the Decker activities at the center. Rufus receives a call from Malcolm and Tagoe, who were released from custody, and tells them to bring Aimee and meet him at the a club for Deckers.
At the club, Mateo finally works up the courage to kiss Rufus. Rufus says goodbye to the Plutos and Mateo says goodbye to Lidia. Peck and his gang arrive at the club, having tracked Rufus using his Instagram posts, with a loaded gun. Aimee tries to talk him down, giving Mateo enough time to cause a commotion, making Peck drop the gun. Mateo and Rufus return to Mateo's apartment. They lie in bed and confess their love for one another, falling asleep together.
Mateo wakes up first and goes into the kitchen to make tea, hoping to cheer Rufus up. He absentmindedly turns on the burner which he had told his neighbor not to fix earlier that day since he knew he would be dying. The burner explodes, and Rufus wakes up flees and the building. Mateo is declared dead at the scene and a devastated Rufus calls Lidia to inform her. Rufus visits Mateo's father in the hospital and tells the unconscious man all about their day. He leaves a note telling Mateo's father who Rufus was and to look at the photos of Rufus and Mateo on the Instagram account.
On his way to the park to spend his final hours, Rufus puts on his headphones to listen to the video he took of Mateo singing at the club and steps out into the road without looking.
Subplots
Subplots focus on minor characters that are intertwined with the main plot line.
Delilah's story: she receives a call from Death-Cast, but believes it to be a prank. She conducts an interview with Howie Maldonado but he is killed by Peck and his gang when they run in front of his car. The last chapter focusing on her is her at Althea's Diner. She calls Victor, her ex-boyfriend, who says that he didn't prank her with the Death-Cast call. Delilah breaks out in sobs, saying she wasted her last day because she thought he pranked her to get back at her for breaking up with him. Victor tells her to stay put and rushes to the diner. This diner is across the street from where Rufus went to spend his final hour. It is implied Victor is the one that hits Rufus with his car. Her fate remains unknown.
Zoe's story: she is a Decker who only has one chapter, where she spends the day with Gabriella.
Deirdre's story: like Zoe, she only has one chapter, where she contemplates suicide but is dissuaded by the appearance of Mateo and Rufus.
Dalma's story: she only has one chapter as well, where she discusses the uses and benefits of her app, Last Friend.
Vin's story: his only chapter is his decision to murder-suicide with the bomb that nearly killed Rufus and Mateo.
Officer Andrade's story: his only chapter talks about his release of Malcolm and Tagoe from custody, his partner Graham's death, and his efforts to shut down the website that caused it.
Reception
They Both Die at the End is a New York Times and IndieBound best seller, [2] as well as a Junior Library Guild selection. [3]
The book received starred reviews from Booklist, [4] Publishers Weekly , [5] School Library Journal, [6] and Kirkus Reviews, [2] as well as positive reviews from The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, [7] American Review, [8] BookPage, [9] Common Sense Media, [10] BuzzFeed, [11] Children's Book and Media Review, [12] and Teen Vogue. [13]
Booklist called the novel "extraordinary and unforgettable." [4] Kirkus Reviews noted that the book was "another standout from Silvera who here grapples gracefully with heavy questions about death and the meaning of a life well-lived" before concluding that They Both Die at the End is "engrossing, contemplative and as heart-wrenching as the title promises". [2]
BuzzFeed noted that "Adam Silvera not only poignantly captures the raw emotion of facing your own mortality but also creates entirely relatable and authentic characters you'll want to follow on their journey." [11]
American Review stated that "this book is an important contribution to young adult literature because of its humanizing portrayals of queer, adolescent characters of color." [8] They note this is especially important "given the repeatedly cited issues of hegemonic Whiteness and heteronormativity in young adult publishing, particularly in speculative fiction." [8]
The audiobook, narrated by Michael Crouch, Robbie Daymond, and Bahni Turpin, received a favorable review from Booklist, who noted that the voice actors brought "the full range of this story’s anguish and joy to the listener. Crouch and Daymond, voicing Mateo and Rufus, respectively, emphasize how the characters change yet remain true to themselves." [14]
BuzzFeed named They Both Die at the End one of the best young adult books of the decade. [15] Kirkus Reviews, [2] BookPage, School Library Journal, Amazon, [3] and BuzzFeed [16] named it one of the best young adult novels of 2017, and Book Riot named it one of the best queer books of the year. [17]
They Both Die at the End has also been analyzed in academic journals for its depiction of LGBT teens of color. [18] [19] [20] [21]
