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Death-Cast #0
The First to Die at the End
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction (2022)In this prequel to the bestselling phenomenon They Both Die at the End, two new strangers spend a life-changing day together after Death-Cast first makes their fateful calls. #1 New York Times bestseller!
It’s the night before Death-Cast goes live, and there’s one question on everyone’s mind: Can Death-Cast actually predict when someone will die, or is it just an elaborate hoax?
Orion Pagan has waited years for someone to tell him that he’s going to die. He has a serious heart condition, and he signed up for Death-Cast so he could know what’s coming.
Valentino Prince is restarting his life in New York. He has a long and promising future ahead and he only registered for Death-Cast after his twin sister nearly died in a car accident.
Orion and Valentino cross paths in Times Square and immediately feel a deep connection. But when the first round of End Day calls goes out, their lives are changed forever—one of them receives a call, and the other doesn’t. Though neither boy is certain how the day will end, they know they want to spend it together…even if that means their goodbye will be heartbreaking.
Told with acclaimed author Adam Silvera’s signature bittersweet touch, this story celebrates the lasting impact that people have on each other and proves that life is always worth living to the fullest.
It’s the night before Death-Cast goes live, and there’s one question on everyone’s mind: Can Death-Cast actually predict when someone will die, or is it just an elaborate hoax?
Orion Pagan has waited years for someone to tell him that he’s going to die. He has a serious heart condition, and he signed up for Death-Cast so he could know what’s coming.
Valentino Prince is restarting his life in New York. He has a long and promising future ahead and he only registered for Death-Cast after his twin sister nearly died in a car accident.
Orion and Valentino cross paths in Times Square and immediately feel a deep connection. But when the first round of End Day calls goes out, their lives are changed forever—one of them receives a call, and the other doesn’t. Though neither boy is certain how the day will end, they know they want to spend it together…even if that means their goodbye will be heartbreaking.
Told with acclaimed author Adam Silvera’s signature bittersweet touch, this story celebrates the lasting impact that people have on each other and proves that life is always worth living to the fullest.
560 pages, Hardcover
First published October 4, 2022
About the author
Adam Silvera
22 books34.5k followersAdam Silvera is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at the End and More Happy Than Not and History Is All You Left Me and Infinity Son and Infinity Reaper and with Becky Albertalli, What If It's Us and Here's to Us.
His next book The First to Die at the End releases October 4th, 2022, with the final Infinity Cycle book to follow soon after.
He was born in New York and now lives in Los Angeles where he writes full-time.
He is tall for no reason.
His next book The First to Die at the End releases October 4th, 2022, with the final Infinity Cycle book to follow soon after.
He was born in New York and now lives in Los Angeles where he writes full-time.
He is tall for no reason.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 9,707 reviews
October 8, 2022
lmao i finished this masterpiece and now i’ve been staring at walls for hours just thinking about what i just read.
just like “they both die at the end” this prequel has multiple narrators but the main ones are Orion and Valentino. and they are some of the most real and deep characters. the timeline for their story is when Death Cast is being introduced and tried for the first time. we see a lot of doubt within almost every character for the trueness of the death cast system. like “does it actually work?” , “there’s gotta be errors in the system,” as many think. it was even more interesting reading from the pov of the death cast creator, Joaquin.
just like TBDATE this one was emotional and bittersweet towards the end. tears soaking the page type of shit. i will say, i appreciated how this work wasn’t a repetition of TBDATE, it fully stands on its own as a unique story set in the death cast world. the writing is captivating. and obviously fans of TBDATE will love this but surprisingly i can also see people that didn’t like that book like this one
and side note but we get 1 Mateo and Rufus pov in this one and i fully trained my brain into believing that they’re still breathing alive and well 🤧🤧🤧
just like “they both die at the end” this prequel has multiple narrators but the main ones are Orion and Valentino. and they are some of the most real and deep characters. the timeline for their story is when Death Cast is being introduced and tried for the first time. we see a lot of doubt within almost every character for the trueness of the death cast system. like “does it actually work?” , “there’s gotta be errors in the system,” as many think. it was even more interesting reading from the pov of the death cast creator, Joaquin.
just like TBDATE this one was emotional and bittersweet towards the end. tears soaking the page type of shit. i will say, i appreciated how this work wasn’t a repetition of TBDATE, it fully stands on its own as a unique story set in the death cast world. the writing is captivating. and obviously fans of TBDATE will love this but surprisingly i can also see people that didn’t like that book like this one
and side note but we get 1 Mateo and Rufus pov in this one and i fully trained my brain into believing that they’re still breathing alive and well 🤧🤧🤧
Want to read
March 1, 2022YES I CAN’T FUCKING WAIT YES
Theories:
• I WILL cry
• Mateo and/or Rufus cameo (or of their family, depending on much earlier the book takes place)
• More detail on Death-Cast and how they knows who dies (seriously HOW THE FUCK DO THEY KNOW?)
• MC relative of one of the side characters..?
• LGBTQ+ and BIPOC rep obviously
• Pain
• More pain
Theories:
• I WILL cry
• Mateo and/or Rufus cameo (or of their family, depending on much earlier the book takes place)
• More detail on Death-Cast and how they knows who dies (seriously HOW THE FUCK DO THEY KNOW?)
• MC relative of one of the side characters..?
• LGBTQ+ and BIPOC rep obviously
• Pain
• More pain
October 31, 2022
i wanted them to die quicker.
Want to read
May 8, 2022now why did no one tell me this is going to be released this year ??
but i swear if it's a cash grab and it's not done well ... 😃🔪
but i swear if it's a cash grab and it's not done well ... 😃🔪
October 8, 2022
I think I like this better than They Both Die at the End??
October 15, 2022
this is literally that "girl comes out of surgery asking where her bf is only to be told 'who do you think gave you your heart'" meme in book form
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2022
I really didn’t learn my lesson the first time found, huh?
October 9, 2022
Sweet prequel to They Both Die at the End. Although I liked it, it felt kind of like a rehash of the first book. I knew what to expect and the "embrace your life" theme that resonated so much with me in the first book just didn't feel as fresh and meaningful here.
What I loved:
Getting to see the origin of the Death-Cast and some of the hiccups that came with its release.
The romance is lovely and touching and sad.
The found family aspect is always great for me.
Getting to see Rufus and Mateo as kids and knowing where they would end up
What didn't really work:
As I said, it all felt too similar, too much the same as TBDATE, I mean why do we want to watch her try to figure out what app to develop when we already know what the app is?
We don't learn anything new about how Death-Cast works
It's too long, and we could have done without some of the extraneous POVs because they didn't really add anything meaningful to the story.
That said, it's totally worth reading but NOTE: Even though this is a prequel, you still want to read it second.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
What I loved:
Getting to see the origin of the Death-Cast and some of the hiccups that came with its release.
The romance is lovely and touching and sad.
The found family aspect is always great for me.
Getting to see Rufus and Mateo as kids and knowing where they would end up
What didn't really work:
As I said, it all felt too similar, too much the same as TBDATE, I mean why do we want to watch her try to figure out what app to develop when we already know what the app is?
We don't learn anything new about how Death-Cast works
It's too long, and we could have done without some of the extraneous POVs because they didn't really add anything meaningful to the story.
That said, it's totally worth reading but NOTE: Even though this is a prequel, you still want to read it second.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Want to read
October 10, 2022gays really can't be happy
March 17, 2023
I can't believe I just heard about this!
Actual review-
Adam Silvera is one of those authors I put in the “I loved this book, but I’ll never be able to read it again,” category. This is usually due to how emotionally raw and painful his stories can be, and The First to Die at the End is no different. The story goes through several twists and turns and remains clever and surprising despite the title literally saying exactly what’s going to happen. One small issue is that I think there may have been too many pov’s in this book. In addition to Orion and Valentino, you get the friend, a guy who works at Death-Cast, his coworkers, the sister, the… landlord, and way more for some reason. It’s all a bit much. Otherwise, I appreciated this book’s melancholic tone. It takes what we would expect from this universe and expands on it in a way that’s unique, while still keeping the core beauty of the first book’s message intact. And though there were some pretty dark elements and hard-to-get-through-moments, this is still ultimately a love story with a lot of heart. I think it’s safe to say that this book will stay with me for a long while.
“Even after coming out, I still don’t know my way in.”
Actual review-
Adam Silvera is one of those authors I put in the “I loved this book, but I’ll never be able to read it again,” category. This is usually due to how emotionally raw and painful his stories can be, and The First to Die at the End is no different. The story goes through several twists and turns and remains clever and surprising despite the title literally saying exactly what’s going to happen. One small issue is that I think there may have been too many pov’s in this book. In addition to Orion and Valentino, you get the friend, a guy who works at Death-Cast, his coworkers, the sister, the… landlord, and way more for some reason. It’s all a bit much. Otherwise, I appreciated this book’s melancholic tone. It takes what we would expect from this universe and expands on it in a way that’s unique, while still keeping the core beauty of the first book’s message intact. And though there were some pretty dark elements and hard-to-get-through-moments, this is still ultimately a love story with a lot of heart. I think it’s safe to say that this book will stay with me for a long while.
“Even after coming out, I still don’t know my way in.”
October 8, 2022
My heart is shattered. I literally guessed everything that was going to happen and I was still heartbroken and shocked when it actually did. I will never get over this series and I will fight anyone who has anything bad to say about this or TBDATE.
I was so happy getting a few glimpses of Rufus and Mateo, and all the cute moments between ValentinOrion.
It's 4AM now and I have no idea how I'm supposed to sleep rn. My eyes burn from crying for hours.
Adam pls give us another one, I beg.
I was so happy getting a few glimpses of Rufus and Mateo, and all the cute moments between ValentinOrion.
It's 4AM now and I have no idea how I'm supposed to sleep rn. My eyes burn from crying for hours.
Adam pls give us another one, I beg.
November 12, 2022
after hearing a lot of bad things about this prequel, i was scared going into it because i feared it would just be a cash grab. i’m happy to say that i thoroughly enjoyed the first to die at the end. i loooved reading about the backstory, seeing the creator’s thoughts and struggles, the first deckers as well as glimpses of the lives of bystanders or workers for death cast. the lil cameos of mateo and rufus were also really lovely!
i’ve really missed reading adam silvera’s works and he did not disappoint with this one. i think people who enjoyed they both die at the end will also be liking this. those who hated it and are reading this prequel will most likely hate it too ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
the initial novel suddenly blowing up on booktok after four years really gave adam the chance to dive back into this because more stories in this world is all i’ve ever wanted <3
i’ve really missed reading adam silvera’s works and he did not disappoint with this one. i think people who enjoyed they both die at the end will also be liking this. those who hated it and are reading this prequel will most likely hate it too ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
the initial novel suddenly blowing up on booktok after four years really gave adam the chance to dive back into this because more stories in this world is all i’ve ever wanted <3
October 9, 2022
note to self: don't read silvera's books anymore
July 11, 2022
Agradezco a BookUp Mx por darme la oportunidad de leer este libro (ARC) antes de que salga públicamente.
Siento que mis expectativas estaban demasiado altas y por eso no disfruté tanto el libro.
No me malentiendan, los primeros capítulos me fascinaron porque estábamos conociendo el origen de “Death Cast”, ya que esto se desarrolla en el 2010, en el lanzamiento de la empresa. Pero está parte de la narrativa se quedó muy corta y no profundizó lo suficiente.
La relación romántica entre los protagonistas no me termino de gustar. Jamás sentí química entre ellos, por lo tanto no pude conectar con su narrativa. Además de que se vuelve muy repetitiva, por lo que llega a cansar. Aunque obvio tuvo sus momentos emotivos y unas frases preciosas.
Lo que si me gustó es que tuvimos más perspectivas, algunos cameos y también una gran diversidad de temas como lo es el terrorismo, pérdidas emocionales, abuso doméstico, homofobia y muchos más.
No me termina de gustar el estilo del autor, pero el concepto del universo sigue siendo atractivo y entretenido de leer. Me la pasé muy bien leyéndolo aún con los fallos que menciono.
Pronto haré una reseña mucho más completa en mi canal 🙌🏻💀
Siento que mis expectativas estaban demasiado altas y por eso no disfruté tanto el libro.
No me malentiendan, los primeros capítulos me fascinaron porque estábamos conociendo el origen de “Death Cast”, ya que esto se desarrolla en el 2010, en el lanzamiento de la empresa. Pero está parte de la narrativa se quedó muy corta y no profundizó lo suficiente.
La relación romántica entre los protagonistas no me termino de gustar. Jamás sentí química entre ellos, por lo tanto no pude conectar con su narrativa. Además de que se vuelve muy repetitiva, por lo que llega a cansar. Aunque obvio tuvo sus momentos emotivos y unas frases preciosas.
Lo que si me gustó es que tuvimos más perspectivas, algunos cameos y también una gran diversidad de temas como lo es el terrorismo, pérdidas emocionales, abuso doméstico, homofobia y muchos más.
No me termina de gustar el estilo del autor, pero el concepto del universo sigue siendo atractivo y entretenido de leer. Me la pasé muy bien leyéndolo aún con los fallos que menciono.
Pronto haré una reseña mucho más completa en mi canal 🙌🏻💀
May 22, 2024
I loved, loved, loved They Both Die at the End when I read it all the way back in February 2019. Trust me when I say, since that time it has lived rent free in my heart.
I, along with most other people, believed it to be a standalone novel. Then shockingly, a prequel novel was announced. The First to Die at the End is that prequel. I'll be honest, I've been so scared to pick this up.
I wasn't sure any other content was necessary. How could it possibly live up to the story told in TBDATE?
Finally, however, I could resist my curiosity no more. I had to read it and ultimately, I am really glad that I did. Silvera successfully pulled off the unasked for prequel.
In this story, our main characters are Valentino and Orion. The stage is set on the eve of the launch of Death Cast. Valentino, with dreams of becoming a professional model, has just, as in this very day, moved to New York City.
Orion, is a life-long New Yorker with a tragic past. He is anxious for the launch of Death Cast due to the way death has previously touched his life. Also, he has a very serious heart condition. He always feels the clock is ticking for him.
Through a twist of fate, these two boys meet in Times Square and feel an instant connection. As Death Cast goes live, one of them gets a call and the other does not.
They decide, no matter how it is going to turn out, they are going to spend the next 24-hours together. Death Cast is untried. Will their prediction be correct, or will it all end up being nothing more than an elaborate hoax?
Woven throughout the over-arching storyline, we also get vignettes of side characters that Valentino and Orion encounter along the way.
I know not everyone is crazy about the inclusion of these types of tiny slivers of life, but I loved them and the way it demonstrated the interconnections in general.
It's like all the tiny connections that we may never realize or understand, but we are all connected in one way or another. I think Silvera showed that beautifully.
As far as the main characters go, they were fantastic. They were complex with plenty of backstory to make you want to fight for them. I enjoyed the relationship that developed between the boys.
Of course it is a bit instalovey, but it sort of had to be, considering the brief time-frame of the narrative. I actually didn't mind it. I sort of feel like if I had met Valentino on the streets, I could have fallen in love with him just as quickly.
The banter was great and Silvera provided plenty of hard-hitting issues to consider. It really showed a range for emotion and difficult circumstances, but also the power to rise above and keep living every day with intent.
There were also some fun connections to the original book and the NYC setting was vivid. So, while this wasn't quite as powerful for me as the first book, I still really, really liked it and appreciate the characters and the heartfelt way Silvera told their stories.
I, along with most other people, believed it to be a standalone novel. Then shockingly, a prequel novel was announced. The First to Die at the End is that prequel. I'll be honest, I've been so scared to pick this up.
I wasn't sure any other content was necessary. How could it possibly live up to the story told in TBDATE?
Finally, however, I could resist my curiosity no more. I had to read it and ultimately, I am really glad that I did. Silvera successfully pulled off the unasked for prequel.
In this story, our main characters are Valentino and Orion. The stage is set on the eve of the launch of Death Cast. Valentino, with dreams of becoming a professional model, has just, as in this very day, moved to New York City.
Orion, is a life-long New Yorker with a tragic past. He is anxious for the launch of Death Cast due to the way death has previously touched his life. Also, he has a very serious heart condition. He always feels the clock is ticking for him.
Through a twist of fate, these two boys meet in Times Square and feel an instant connection. As Death Cast goes live, one of them gets a call and the other does not.
They decide, no matter how it is going to turn out, they are going to spend the next 24-hours together. Death Cast is untried. Will their prediction be correct, or will it all end up being nothing more than an elaborate hoax?
Woven throughout the over-arching storyline, we also get vignettes of side characters that Valentino and Orion encounter along the way.
I know not everyone is crazy about the inclusion of these types of tiny slivers of life, but I loved them and the way it demonstrated the interconnections in general.
It's like all the tiny connections that we may never realize or understand, but we are all connected in one way or another. I think Silvera showed that beautifully.
As far as the main characters go, they were fantastic. They were complex with plenty of backstory to make you want to fight for them. I enjoyed the relationship that developed between the boys.
Of course it is a bit instalovey, but it sort of had to be, considering the brief time-frame of the narrative. I actually didn't mind it. I sort of feel like if I had met Valentino on the streets, I could have fallen in love with him just as quickly.
The banter was great and Silvera provided plenty of hard-hitting issues to consider. It really showed a range for emotion and difficult circumstances, but also the power to rise above and keep living every day with intent.
There were also some fun connections to the original book and the NYC setting was vivid. So, while this wasn't quite as powerful for me as the first book, I still really, really liked it and appreciate the characters and the heartfelt way Silvera told their stories.
November 11, 2022
When you find the sequel ‘alright’ and the prequel suddenly shatters your heart in a million pieces.
Okay, okay, I shouldn’t say anything because when you’re known as the one who is a sucker for sadder and darker stories and picks those books up time and again, you know what to expect, right?
Yes and no.
Because this one was less sad and less dark than They Both Died at the End, and still, it pulled my heart out of my chest and broke it, but also mended it beautifully together.
I hate death, and I’m afraid to die. I don’t want to think about it and feel time slipping away as I get older. And when I think that family or friends might die, my chest tightens, and a voice in my head screams NO. But I also know that while grieving, my life will go on.
As long as you keep existing, you’ll keep breathing, and if you’re breathing, one day you’ll start living again.
And that’s what Adam so perfectly shows us. To live our life to the fullest. To do everything we want to do and to love wholeheartedly. Even when people around us are dying or have died. Even when we might die ourselves. The story reminded me in many ways of One Republic’s I Lived.
Orion and Valentine, Valentine and Orion. One gets to live, and the other one dies. At moments, tears crept into my eyes and streamed down my cheeks. But I also loved that ending. Even though one of them dies, the other one lives and breathes on and starts living, a beautiful, glorious life in front of him.
There’s a reason why Adam Silvera is one of my favorite authors. For a long time, I wanted to rate this story four stars but the last part shattered my heart and mended it back together, full of love for those two boys. And that’s why I can’t do anything else than rate this book five beautiful stars!
Okay, okay, I shouldn’t say anything because when you’re known as the one who is a sucker for sadder and darker stories and picks those books up time and again, you know what to expect, right?
Yes and no.
Because this one was less sad and less dark than They Both Died at the End, and still, it pulled my heart out of my chest and broke it, but also mended it beautifully together.
I hate death, and I’m afraid to die. I don’t want to think about it and feel time slipping away as I get older. And when I think that family or friends might die, my chest tightens, and a voice in my head screams NO. But I also know that while grieving, my life will go on.
As long as you keep existing, you’ll keep breathing, and if you’re breathing, one day you’ll start living again.
And that’s what Adam so perfectly shows us. To live our life to the fullest. To do everything we want to do and to love wholeheartedly. Even when people around us are dying or have died. Even when we might die ourselves. The story reminded me in many ways of One Republic’s I Lived.
Orion and Valentine, Valentine and Orion. One gets to live, and the other one dies. At moments, tears crept into my eyes and streamed down my cheeks. But I also loved that ending. Even though one of them dies, the other one lives and breathes on and starts living, a beautiful, glorious life in front of him.
There’s a reason why Adam Silvera is one of my favorite authors. For a long time, I wanted to rate this story four stars but the last part shattered my heart and mended it back together, full of love for those two boys. And that’s why I can’t do anything else than rate this book five beautiful stars!
April 16, 2023
To było bardzo dobre. Ta historia urzekła mnie znacznie bardziej niż Nasz ostatni dzień. Uwielbiam fakt, że mogliśmy poznać genezę Prognozy Śmierci. Cieszę się również, że zostały wspomniane różne aspekty organizacyjne, które musiały ulec zmianie pod jej wpływem.
Orion i Valentino. To był wspaniały wspólny dzień.
Pojawiło się tu więcej przemyśleń życiowych. Ta historia zdecydowanie była pełniejsza.
Ocena: 4,0.
Orion i Valentino. To był wspaniały wspólny dzień.
Pojawiło się tu więcej przemyśleń życiowych. Ta historia zdecydowanie była pełniejsza.
Ocena: 4,0.
January 1, 2023
Was gonna give this two stars but then my dude started dancing on the train and I simply cannot put up with this
October 27, 2022
it is so bad i want to give you a zero but that's not possible so i give you a one because my head hurts from rolling my eyes for 10 hours straight
a tak na serio to 24 godziny i dwa ataki serca, dwie strzelaniny, pokaz mody, sesja zdjęciowa i ruch@ńsko czego chcieć więcej
a tak na serio to 24 godziny i dwa ataki serca, dwie strzelaniny, pokaz mody, sesja zdjęciowa i ruch@ńsko czego chcieć więcej
October 9, 2022
this sucks ass im never listening to tiktok book recs ever again
Want to read
December 4, 2021My patience is dying day by day😩
November 25, 2022
3.5 ⭐️
Now, it’s been quite a few years since I read ‘They Both Die at the End’ and I gave that one 4.5 stars. But, if I reread it now, that might be different.
I can only go on what I could remember when I opened this prequel.
We begin on Death Cast eve. The evening death cast is first introduced to America, and the first Decker will receive a phone call to say that they will die in the next 24 hours.
There are several POVs but the main two are Orion, a New Yorker living with a severe heart condition, wondering everyday if it will be his last. The second is Valentino - who has recently moved to New York to start his new life as a model.
Their paths collide on death cast eve and the calls are made. One of them will die in 24 hours. They spend the next 24 hours together, and it changes their lives.
I know I am bitter and cynical now. I wasn’t when I was younger, but ya know - life. So the whole insta-love wasn’t great, even though one of them thinks they are going to die.
It was still very readable and I liked the other POVs such as an old man who receives a death cast call and numerous others with relevance to the overall story.
It was ok, just not like the previous book as I remember it.
Now, it’s been quite a few years since I read ‘They Both Die at the End’ and I gave that one 4.5 stars. But, if I reread it now, that might be different.
I can only go on what I could remember when I opened this prequel.
We begin on Death Cast eve. The evening death cast is first introduced to America, and the first Decker will receive a phone call to say that they will die in the next 24 hours.
There are several POVs but the main two are Orion, a New Yorker living with a severe heart condition, wondering everyday if it will be his last. The second is Valentino - who has recently moved to New York to start his new life as a model.
Their paths collide on death cast eve and the calls are made. One of them will die in 24 hours. They spend the next 24 hours together, and it changes their lives.
I know I am bitter and cynical now. I wasn’t when I was younger, but ya know - life. So the whole insta-love wasn’t great, even though one of them thinks they are going to die.
It was still very readable and I liked the other POVs such as an old man who receives a death cast call and numerous others with relevance to the overall story.
It was ok, just not like the previous book as I remember it.
April 13, 2024
I’m on BookTube now! =)
”I understand that the person who gets the Death-Cast call isn’t the only one dying. If you really hold someone in your heart, you die too.”
Adam Silvera did it again. T_T I think by now everyone who ever picked up a Silvera book knows that they almost never have a happy ending. He’s the kind of author who writes heart-breaking and beautiful stories that leave you with a lot of thoughts. His “Death Cast” series however is different. You already know that it won’t end well, it’s made pretty clear right from the beginning. I mean, alone the titles of those two books “The First to Die at the End” and “They Both Die at the End” honestly don’t leave any room for interpretation. You get exactly what you’re reading in the title, but oh, the way how the story gets there... I don’t know how he does it, but while you read the books you still hope that the title isn’t the truth, that there is a way out somehow, that everything will end up being fine. And then there comes the ending, the surprise, the little tiny puzzle pieces that all lead to that one singular culmination, that one moment that makes the title come true and I can’t help but always feel like: “Oh.”
”It’s hard to live when it feels like death is lurking around every corner.”
It’s the way I finished reading both of those books. With an “Oh.” forming on my lips, all the tiny clues coming together and leaving my mind reeling. Admittedly, this time around, it didn’t hit as hard as with the first book, but considering this is the prequel Silvera did an amazing job still! There are so many important topics that are addressed in here and since this plays on the first day Death Cast was established and introduced many issues around the program are raised. It’s the first time Death Cast is trying to predict the deaths of people and of course this leaves the entire world holding its collective breath while the first calls go out. Both of our protagonists meet a couple of minutes before midnight and feel an instant attraction to each other. While Orion Pagan signed up for Death Cast because of his heart condition, Valentino Prince didn’t have any intention to even sign up before he met Orion and his bestie. But then they start talking and Valentino decides to sign a last minute subscription for just one day. Little did he know that this was him signing his own death warrant.
"I don't want to go first," I say.
Valentino ends up being the first person to get a call from Death Cast and makes international headlines. The creator of the program Joaquin Rosa himself tells him that he’s going to die in the next 24 hours. He doesn’t know how or why but he knows that Valentino is a Decker and that his life will be over soon. It’s a hard pill to swallow, especially because it’s Valentino’s first day in New York City and he came there to start a new life with his twin sister after his parents kicked him out of their house when he came out to them. Even worse, his sister is still back at home and won’t get to him until morning and no one can guarantee that he’s even going to live that long. It’s one hell of a horrible situation to be in, but at least he’s not completely alone.
”This isn’t fair,” I say.
“How you’ve been living isn’t fair either,” Valentino says.
“But that’s not your problem. You deserve to live –“
“I’m not going to!” he shouts, his cheeks flushed.
Orion decides to stick around with him and they both try to make the best out of Valentino’s last day on earth. I swear… those two boys broke my heart. I know their growing relationship was pretty insta-lovey but considering they had only a day together, this was to be expected. I loved both of those boys so much and the worst part about the entire book was the fact that they could have been so perfect for each other if they’d have been given more time. In another world, they might have been a couple for years to come and would have lived happily ever after, but not in this one. In this world, Death Cast called Valentino and told him that he’s going to die at the age of 19. It’s cruel, it’s not fair, he was only just getting started with his dream of becoming a model and with one phone call it’s all taken away from him.
”I hate that you’re dying, Valentino, but I want you to remember that everything isn’t over just because you’re a Decker. I’m going to keep fighting through whatever your End Day throws your way to turn your life into something beautiful.”
There’s no doubt in my mind that Orion means every word.
To add insult to injury nothing goes as planned and Valentino finds himself confronted with people who either don’t believe in Death Cast and think that he’ll be fine or believe so strongly in it that they don’t even want to be around him because they are worried his death might be contagious. Well, and then there are the people who feel sympathy for him and try to help him to make his last day as amazing as possible. It were those moments that hit the hardest and all the cameos we got throughout the book had me gasping, sighing and hurting in the best way possible. It was so bittersweet to get those POVs and to see glimpses of Rufu’s and Matteo’s lives long before it was their time to go. Boy, was it painful, though.
"Beautiful," the man says, handing me the camera. "This will make for a great postcard to send to your family."
"Not for my family it won't," Valentino sadly says.
"I'm sorry to hear that," the man says. "I'm happy you're living your life as you should."
I mean THIS!! My heart!!!! ARGH! Also Fernan’s thoughts! Ugh! I am in pain!!! Make it stop, don’t make it stop. Damn, I need to suffer through this because it hurts to good. T_T Okay, I’m fine. Just had a little mental breakdown there. Nothing to worry about, let’s move on! XD No, but seriously, it was so hard to follow Valentino’s journey. To see him go through all the stages of grief and to know that his parents didn’t give a damn about whether he lived or died. I will never understand parents like that. It’s your child, your kid you brought into the world, you should love it unconditionally and support it with everything you’ve got. So yeah, Valentino’s parents and Frankie’s POV were a red flag for me and I disliked them so much, I can’t even put it into words.
”Do Valentino’s parents even know that he’s dying? Or that he’s restored to hanging out with a boy he met ten hours ago? One’s final hours should be spent with their family.”
Thankfully Valentino had Orion with him, who was there for him when no one else was. That fact alone made Orion so damn precious. I mean it, if you have to live an end day, Orion is the kind of boy you’d want to have at your side. Because of his heart condition, he was forced to deal with the possibility of death his entire life and the early death of his parents caused him to grow up even faster than he should have. He was wise beyond his years and he knew exactly how to accompany Valentino during his last hours on earth. I don’t know a lot of people who would have been as compassionate, caring and encouraging, but Orion was all those things and even more.
I crouch beside Valentino, gazing into his reddened blue eyes. "What you want to do for me is so beyond beautiful that I'm already indebted to you, even if nothing happens. But I'm not going to live the life you want for me if it means you not living yours out while you can."
And Valentino… this boy was something else. I loved how he always thought of Orion first and did everything to protect him. Val accepted that he wasn’t going to live another day, but despite that he still cared about others and did the best he could. On his last day he laughed, he cried, he was angry, he fell in love, he put someone else first, he thanked people that were kind to him, he didn’t take anything for granted, he desperately wanted to be with his sister, he enjoyed every second with Orion, he just… well, he lived. On his last day and despite all the odds, Valentino got to live his life. Fully, with all its ups and downs. It was beautiful to witness, it was heart and soul crushing, it was bittersweet, it was hopeful and sad at the same time, and it was… Life.
”As I’m rising, I lift Orion by his hamstrings and he wraps his legs around my waist. I’ve always wanted to carry another boy like that.
Orion kisses me from above, and I’m seeing stars.
Add this kiss to the list of things I don’t want to end.”
I’m still grieving for the life they could have had. *sigh* Still, Adam Silvera didn’t just focus on the romance between Orion and Valentino, but also on the world building and on how Death Cast affected people’s actions and thoughts during the first day it was live. There were a lot of serious questions and issues that were raised and even though we didn’t get a concrete answer to them, the mere fact those topics they were addressed and broached was already enough. There is no easy answer and I think it’s great the author let the reader chew on those questions instead of answering them himself. It has a deeper impact on the reading experience and it forces you to think about your own actions and how you’d deal with the situation if you were in it yourself. You, as a reader, find yourself confronted with morals and values that never were an issue before but suddenly become pressing matters when Death Cast is involved.
"There's been a lot of debate since Death-Cast was announced about what the roles of medical professionals will be when it comes to attending to Deckers. Are resources worth using on a patient who won't live regardless? Should doctors treat everyone without knowing their End Day status?"
Will the person die because their doctor refused to help them? Is it some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy because Death Cast called the Decker and the hospital knew about the person going to die and therefore didn’t bother to help them. Would the person have lived if Death Cast wouldn’t have called them? Or would they have died anyway, no matter if the docs tried to save their life or not? It boggles the mind. Would Valentino’s agent have acted differently if she had believed in Death Cast? So many questions and no answer. And the weird thing is, I’m totally okay with that because it’s up to you how you want to go about dealing with those questions. No one can give the answer and sometimes things just need to stand in the room. ;-)
”Here’s the truth no one ever wants to admit when death is on the horizon, or when you’re deep in that grief – as long as you keep existing, you’ll keep breathing, and if you’re breathing one day you’ll start living again.”
Conclusion:
“The First to Die at the End” might not have hit as hard as “They Both Die at the End” but it still packed a pretty hard punch. It’s one of those books that doesn’t leave you once you’ve read the last page and follows you around for a while instead. Both the MCs were amazing and had their own background stories. They were fleshed-out and relatable characters that made the best out of an unexpected and extremely tough situation. And the ending… if you’re not affected by that kind of ending, I dunno. T_T Bottom line: Another amazing book by Adam Silvera! I can’t wait to find out what he’s going to come up with next!
”You okay?”
“It’s strange seeing the other side of this call in print.”
“It’s history, I guess.”
Valentino trashes the newspaper. “I’m not history, Orion. I’m here.”
___________________________
This book! T_T
I swear Adam Silvera loves to make his readers cry and suffer.
I loved Valentino and Orion so much. <3 Those two boys. Ugh!
It will take me a while to get over this ending and to write a review.
You know what’s coming now: Full RTC soon!
___________________________
Don’t mind me being way too optimistic and starting yet another book. *lol*
I just borrowed a lot (and when I say a lot I mean A LOT) of them before I started my new job.
Well, joke’s on me because I need to give them all back soon. Still, I wanted to read “The First to Die at the End” ever since I heard it was a thing and Adam Silvera’s writing style is so genius and heart-breaking I just need to read this!
The first book was so good, fingers crossed this will be amazing too! <3
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”I understand that the person who gets the Death-Cast call isn’t the only one dying. If you really hold someone in your heart, you die too.”
Adam Silvera did it again. T_T I think by now everyone who ever picked up a Silvera book knows that they almost never have a happy ending. He’s the kind of author who writes heart-breaking and beautiful stories that leave you with a lot of thoughts. His “Death Cast” series however is different. You already know that it won’t end well, it’s made pretty clear right from the beginning. I mean, alone the titles of those two books “The First to Die at the End” and “They Both Die at the End” honestly don’t leave any room for interpretation. You get exactly what you’re reading in the title, but oh, the way how the story gets there... I don’t know how he does it, but while you read the books you still hope that the title isn’t the truth, that there is a way out somehow, that everything will end up being fine. And then there comes the ending, the surprise, the little tiny puzzle pieces that all lead to that one singular culmination, that one moment that makes the title come true and I can’t help but always feel like: “Oh.”
”It’s hard to live when it feels like death is lurking around every corner.”
It’s the way I finished reading both of those books. With an “Oh.” forming on my lips, all the tiny clues coming together and leaving my mind reeling. Admittedly, this time around, it didn’t hit as hard as with the first book, but considering this is the prequel Silvera did an amazing job still! There are so many important topics that are addressed in here and since this plays on the first day Death Cast was established and introduced many issues around the program are raised. It’s the first time Death Cast is trying to predict the deaths of people and of course this leaves the entire world holding its collective breath while the first calls go out. Both of our protagonists meet a couple of minutes before midnight and feel an instant attraction to each other. While Orion Pagan signed up for Death Cast because of his heart condition, Valentino Prince didn’t have any intention to even sign up before he met Orion and his bestie. But then they start talking and Valentino decides to sign a last minute subscription for just one day. Little did he know that this was him signing his own death warrant.
"I don't want to go first," I say.
Valentino ends up being the first person to get a call from Death Cast and makes international headlines. The creator of the program Joaquin Rosa himself tells him that he’s going to die in the next 24 hours. He doesn’t know how or why but he knows that Valentino is a Decker and that his life will be over soon. It’s a hard pill to swallow, especially because it’s Valentino’s first day in New York City and he came there to start a new life with his twin sister after his parents kicked him out of their house when he came out to them. Even worse, his sister is still back at home and won’t get to him until morning and no one can guarantee that he’s even going to live that long. It’s one hell of a horrible situation to be in, but at least he’s not completely alone.
”This isn’t fair,” I say.
“How you’ve been living isn’t fair either,” Valentino says.
“But that’s not your problem. You deserve to live –“
“I’m not going to!” he shouts, his cheeks flushed.
Orion decides to stick around with him and they both try to make the best out of Valentino’s last day on earth. I swear… those two boys broke my heart. I know their growing relationship was pretty insta-lovey but considering they had only a day together, this was to be expected. I loved both of those boys so much and the worst part about the entire book was the fact that they could have been so perfect for each other if they’d have been given more time. In another world, they might have been a couple for years to come and would have lived happily ever after, but not in this one. In this world, Death Cast called Valentino and told him that he’s going to die at the age of 19. It’s cruel, it’s not fair, he was only just getting started with his dream of becoming a model and with one phone call it’s all taken away from him.
”I hate that you’re dying, Valentino, but I want you to remember that everything isn’t over just because you’re a Decker. I’m going to keep fighting through whatever your End Day throws your way to turn your life into something beautiful.”
There’s no doubt in my mind that Orion means every word.
To add insult to injury nothing goes as planned and Valentino finds himself confronted with people who either don’t believe in Death Cast and think that he’ll be fine or believe so strongly in it that they don’t even want to be around him because they are worried his death might be contagious. Well, and then there are the people who feel sympathy for him and try to help him to make his last day as amazing as possible. It were those moments that hit the hardest and all the cameos we got throughout the book had me gasping, sighing and hurting in the best way possible. It was so bittersweet to get those POVs and to see glimpses of Rufu’s and Matteo’s lives long before it was their time to go. Boy, was it painful, though.
"Beautiful," the man says, handing me the camera. "This will make for a great postcard to send to your family."
"Not for my family it won't," Valentino sadly says.
"I'm sorry to hear that," the man says. "I'm happy you're living your life as you should."
I mean THIS!! My heart!!!! ARGH! Also Fernan’s thoughts! Ugh! I am in pain!!! Make it stop, don’t make it stop. Damn, I need to suffer through this because it hurts to good. T_T Okay, I’m fine. Just had a little mental breakdown there. Nothing to worry about, let’s move on! XD No, but seriously, it was so hard to follow Valentino’s journey. To see him go through all the stages of grief and to know that his parents didn’t give a damn about whether he lived or died. I will never understand parents like that. It’s your child, your kid you brought into the world, you should love it unconditionally and support it with everything you’ve got. So yeah, Valentino’s parents and Frankie’s POV were a red flag for me and I disliked them so much, I can’t even put it into words.
”Do Valentino’s parents even know that he’s dying? Or that he’s restored to hanging out with a boy he met ten hours ago? One’s final hours should be spent with their family.”
Thankfully Valentino had Orion with him, who was there for him when no one else was. That fact alone made Orion so damn precious. I mean it, if you have to live an end day, Orion is the kind of boy you’d want to have at your side. Because of his heart condition, he was forced to deal with the possibility of death his entire life and the early death of his parents caused him to grow up even faster than he should have. He was wise beyond his years and he knew exactly how to accompany Valentino during his last hours on earth. I don’t know a lot of people who would have been as compassionate, caring and encouraging, but Orion was all those things and even more.
I crouch beside Valentino, gazing into his reddened blue eyes. "What you want to do for me is so beyond beautiful that I'm already indebted to you, even if nothing happens. But I'm not going to live the life you want for me if it means you not living yours out while you can."
And Valentino… this boy was something else. I loved how he always thought of Orion first and did everything to protect him. Val accepted that he wasn’t going to live another day, but despite that he still cared about others and did the best he could. On his last day he laughed, he cried, he was angry, he fell in love, he put someone else first, he thanked people that were kind to him, he didn’t take anything for granted, he desperately wanted to be with his sister, he enjoyed every second with Orion, he just… well, he lived. On his last day and despite all the odds, Valentino got to live his life. Fully, with all its ups and downs. It was beautiful to witness, it was heart and soul crushing, it was bittersweet, it was hopeful and sad at the same time, and it was… Life.
”As I’m rising, I lift Orion by his hamstrings and he wraps his legs around my waist. I’ve always wanted to carry another boy like that.
Orion kisses me from above, and I’m seeing stars.
Add this kiss to the list of things I don’t want to end.”
I’m still grieving for the life they could have had. *sigh* Still, Adam Silvera didn’t just focus on the romance between Orion and Valentino, but also on the world building and on how Death Cast affected people’s actions and thoughts during the first day it was live. There were a lot of serious questions and issues that were raised and even though we didn’t get a concrete answer to them, the mere fact those topics they were addressed and broached was already enough. There is no easy answer and I think it’s great the author let the reader chew on those questions instead of answering them himself. It has a deeper impact on the reading experience and it forces you to think about your own actions and how you’d deal with the situation if you were in it yourself. You, as a reader, find yourself confronted with morals and values that never were an issue before but suddenly become pressing matters when Death Cast is involved.
"There's been a lot of debate since Death-Cast was announced about what the roles of medical professionals will be when it comes to attending to Deckers. Are resources worth using on a patient who won't live regardless? Should doctors treat everyone without knowing their End Day status?"
Will the person die because their doctor refused to help them? Is it some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy because Death Cast called the Decker and the hospital knew about the person going to die and therefore didn’t bother to help them. Would the person have lived if Death Cast wouldn’t have called them? Or would they have died anyway, no matter if the docs tried to save their life or not? It boggles the mind. Would Valentino’s agent have acted differently if she had believed in Death Cast? So many questions and no answer. And the weird thing is, I’m totally okay with that because it’s up to you how you want to go about dealing with those questions. No one can give the answer and sometimes things just need to stand in the room. ;-)
”Here’s the truth no one ever wants to admit when death is on the horizon, or when you’re deep in that grief – as long as you keep existing, you’ll keep breathing, and if you’re breathing one day you’ll start living again.”
Conclusion:
“The First to Die at the End” might not have hit as hard as “They Both Die at the End” but it still packed a pretty hard punch. It’s one of those books that doesn’t leave you once you’ve read the last page and follows you around for a while instead. Both the MCs were amazing and had their own background stories. They were fleshed-out and relatable characters that made the best out of an unexpected and extremely tough situation. And the ending… if you’re not affected by that kind of ending, I dunno. T_T Bottom line: Another amazing book by Adam Silvera! I can’t wait to find out what he’s going to come up with next!
”You okay?”
“It’s strange seeing the other side of this call in print.”
“It’s history, I guess.”
Valentino trashes the newspaper. “I’m not history, Orion. I’m here.”
___________________________
This book! T_T
I swear Adam Silvera loves to make his readers cry and suffer.
I loved Valentino and Orion so much. <3 Those two boys. Ugh!
It will take me a while to get over this ending and to write a review.
You know what’s coming now: Full RTC soon!
___________________________
Don’t mind me being way too optimistic and starting yet another book. *lol*
I just borrowed a lot (and when I say a lot I mean A LOT) of them before I started my new job.
Well, joke’s on me because I need to give them all back soon. Still, I wanted to read “The First to Die at the End” ever since I heard it was a thing and Adam Silvera’s writing style is so genius and heart-breaking I just need to read this!
The first book was so good, fingers crossed this will be amazing too! <3
Find me on:
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October 17, 2022
I HAVE TO WAIT FOR BASICALLY ANOTHER YEAR?????????
5 STARS ALREADY BECAUSE I LOVE CRYING AND HURTING MY OWN FEELINGS ON PURPOSE AND I AM CERTAIN THIS WILL DELIVER
update: am about to go get this book finally and am very excited
UPDATE I FINALLY FINISHED IT I AM CRYING RN AND I CRIED MANY TIMES THROUGHOUT, HIGHKEY RECOMMEND MAKING A SAD PLAYLIST AS YOU READ THE BOOK IN ALMOST ONE SITTING, MCR’s THE GHOST OF YOU WAS WHAT WAS PLAYING AS I FINISHED IT, 10/10 CRYING EXPERIENCE, THAT BOOK SO PAID OFF THAT YEAR OF WAITING
5 STARS ALREADY BECAUSE I LOVE CRYING AND HURTING MY OWN FEELINGS ON PURPOSE AND I AM CERTAIN THIS WILL DELIVER
update: am about to go get this book finally and am very excited
UPDATE I FINALLY FINISHED IT I AM CRYING RN AND I CRIED MANY TIMES THROUGHOUT, HIGHKEY RECOMMEND MAKING A SAD PLAYLIST AS YOU READ THE BOOK IN ALMOST ONE SITTING, MCR’s THE GHOST OF YOU WAS WHAT WAS PLAYING AS I FINISHED IT, 10/10 CRYING EXPERIENCE, THAT BOOK SO PAID OFF THAT YEAR OF WAITING
Shelved as 'no-never'
October 21, 2022i don't really want to read a prequel of a book i didn’t even like 😭 especially one that is 400 pages... I'm curious though.
November 2, 2022
Don't do this to yourself. Use your time to do literally anything else.
I thought i was reading a proper book, not a run down version of a fanfiction. I've read better one direction gay fanfictions and i wish i was joking.
First, no wonder the book is 500 pages long. Why do we need to hear from the perspective of the random old dude clint, of gloria, rolando or frankie?! All of them? Rosa was fun to read since he's the creator of death cast and we want to know how it was created, (but we don't find out cause the constant repeatition of how we should live so that excuses why this book has no plot whatsoever) it's also the same reason for ridiculous scenes all throughout the book, i want to give special attention to the unexperienced a-hole of a dude that sang and danced for his love interest in the metro, cause his LI wanted to see professionals doing this, so our O-bro went "you better be grateful" yeah, romantic. And Valentino's sister's not going to say goodbye cause...well, the book is about the very interesting main couple. Oh and like the original story this is, they had to "do it" with a bit of details as well, without fade-to-black. As i said, book bricking with romance.
I get it was meant to be a sad book but i signed up for the last day of a couple/boy, not for the random bad lives of random people ALL OVER the book. I thought it will just stop in two chapters but it never did :/ i wouldn't have lost my time reading about rolando, gloria etc had i known they take like a hundred pages from the book. :/ infact i would not have read this had people given their true opinion on it/how it's actually different than the original. The original was much better, the writing was better and the storyline itself, i cried every page at the original. Both of them were likeable and here Orion was quite a whiny annoying cussing "oh i'm so important and special" dude. The love story also felt more real in They both die at the end. And it's random but it was a bit weird how Orion was dying but his sister went screaming for help calling him "o-bro" even then 🤷
The scene with the hoodie over valentino's eyes ( a dead man walking but walk him down 30 steps of stairs blindfolded WITH A HOODIE) very much gave the same energy as "i blew on my fist and the fire vanished" aka a boy with superpowers from another book from Adam Silvera.
The more i kept reading the worse and worse it got, until i couldn't force myself to finish it. Seriously, ironically this was the BIGGEST lost of time for me.
I thought i was reading a proper book, not a run down version of a fanfiction. I've read better one direction gay fanfictions and i wish i was joking.
First, no wonder the book is 500 pages long. Why do we need to hear from the perspective of the random old dude clint, of gloria, rolando or frankie?! All of them? Rosa was fun to read since he's the creator of death cast and we want to know how it was created, (but we don't find out cause the constant repeatition of how we should live so that excuses why this book has no plot whatsoever) it's also the same reason for ridiculous scenes all throughout the book, i want to give special attention to the unexperienced a-hole of a dude that sang and danced for his love interest in the metro, cause his LI wanted to see professionals doing this, so our O-bro went "you better be grateful" yeah, romantic. And Valentino's sister's not going to say goodbye cause...well, the book is about the very interesting main couple. Oh and like the original story this is, they had to "do it" with a bit of details as well, without fade-to-black. As i said, book bricking with romance.
I get it was meant to be a sad book but i signed up for the last day of a couple/boy, not for the random bad lives of random people ALL OVER the book. I thought it will just stop in two chapters but it never did :/ i wouldn't have lost my time reading about rolando, gloria etc had i known they take like a hundred pages from the book. :/ infact i would not have read this had people given their true opinion on it/how it's actually different than the original. The original was much better, the writing was better and the storyline itself, i cried every page at the original. Both of them were likeable and here Orion was quite a whiny annoying cussing "oh i'm so important and special" dude. The love story also felt more real in They both die at the end. And it's random but it was a bit weird how Orion was dying but his sister went screaming for help calling him "o-bro" even then 🤷
The scene with the hoodie over valentino's eyes ( a dead man walking but walk him down 30 steps of stairs blindfolded WITH A HOODIE) very much gave the same energy as "i blew on my fist and the fire vanished" aka a boy with superpowers from another book from Adam Silvera.
The more i kept reading the worse and worse it got, until i couldn't force myself to finish it. Seriously, ironically this was the BIGGEST lost of time for me.
Want to read
December 15, 2021the feminine urge to give this 5 stars even though it doesn't even exist yet😭
OCTOBER 4TH BETTER HURRY TF UP BC I CAN'T WAIT ANY LONGER
OCTOBER 4TH BETTER HURRY TF UP BC I CAN'T WAIT ANY LONGER
January 17, 2023
I'm not crying, you're crying. 😭😭 Okay I'm totally crying. So many parts made me smile and go "awww" and also there were many parts that made me teary eyed. The last half of the book I was crying half the time. Adam Silvera NEVER fails me. I'm so glad I took the chance on this one after loving the first book so much. Such a beautiful piece of literature, completely grips you the entire time. Moving, breathtaking, captivating and heartbreaking all in one neat package.
October 11, 2022
Holy. Fucking. Shit. This book was a few things:
1.) Perfection. Complete perfection.
2.) Even better than They Both Die at the End.
3.) Probably Adam Silvera’s best solo book.
4.) A 550-page epic of enormous emotional proportions.
I loved They Both Die at the End. This book completely blew the original out of the water for me. I completely adored our two protagonists, Valentino and Orion. I connected more with them than Rufus and Mateo (who I still love!) and felt we got to see a larger amount of character development, likely due to the longer length of the book. They were both fantastic humans, and I can’t think of a single thing I didn’t like about them. They were so easy to root for.
I love that the romance aspect was introduced closer to the beginning of the book, because the emotional payoff that came from Valentino and Orion actually falling in love over the course of their day made the overall story and ending even more impactful. The things that they made time to do: the secret train station, the 9/11 memorial, the bridge… every single moment was a beautiful use of their short time together, which was so heartwarming.
The references, easter eggs, and cameos from characters in They Both Die at the End made this book more than just the first in the Death-Cast timeline … it actually made the book a true prequel by setting us up for the plot in the future with characters we knew we would encounter again. It was great to read from the POV’s of other characters as well. Especially tiny Rufus and tiny Mateo!
*COMMENCE SPOILER ALERT*
The ending. Y’all. I am NOT okay, and I finished the book a few days ago. It has stuck with me. Valentino giving Orion his heart was one of the most amazing, moving, emotional, gut-wrenching, bittersweet plot points I have encountered in a book this entire year. Valentino living on through the boy he loved, who loved him, was fucking BEAUTIFUL. I had no words. Valentino’s video at the end of the book. The final lines (see below). All of it. Absolutely incredible.
The way this book had me a complete emotional wreck at 2:30 AM. Full-on sobbing. This story (especially the ending) will hold a special place in my heart, because I truly cherished this book. It was moving and meaningful. It was brilliant. Adam truly outdid himself with this one, and I cannot wait for whatever the next installment in the Death-Cast series has in store for us.
“…my heart. His heart. Our heart.” ❤️
1.) Perfection. Complete perfection.
2.) Even better than They Both Die at the End.
3.) Probably Adam Silvera’s best solo book.
4.) A 550-page epic of enormous emotional proportions.
I loved They Both Die at the End. This book completely blew the original out of the water for me. I completely adored our two protagonists, Valentino and Orion. I connected more with them than Rufus and Mateo (who I still love!) and felt we got to see a larger amount of character development, likely due to the longer length of the book. They were both fantastic humans, and I can’t think of a single thing I didn’t like about them. They were so easy to root for.
I love that the romance aspect was introduced closer to the beginning of the book, because the emotional payoff that came from Valentino and Orion actually falling in love over the course of their day made the overall story and ending even more impactful. The things that they made time to do: the secret train station, the 9/11 memorial, the bridge… every single moment was a beautiful use of their short time together, which was so heartwarming.
The references, easter eggs, and cameos from characters in They Both Die at the End made this book more than just the first in the Death-Cast timeline … it actually made the book a true prequel by setting us up for the plot in the future with characters we knew we would encounter again. It was great to read from the POV’s of other characters as well. Especially tiny Rufus and tiny Mateo!
*COMMENCE SPOILER ALERT*
The ending. Y’all. I am NOT okay, and I finished the book a few days ago. It has stuck with me. Valentino giving Orion his heart was one of the most amazing, moving, emotional, gut-wrenching, bittersweet plot points I have encountered in a book this entire year. Valentino living on through the boy he loved, who loved him, was fucking BEAUTIFUL. I had no words. Valentino’s video at the end of the book. The final lines (see below). All of it. Absolutely incredible.
The way this book had me a complete emotional wreck at 2:30 AM. Full-on sobbing. This story (especially the ending) will hold a special place in my heart, because I truly cherished this book. It was moving and meaningful. It was brilliant. Adam truly outdid himself with this one, and I cannot wait for whatever the next installment in the Death-Cast series has in store for us.
“…my heart. His heart. Our heart.” ❤️
October 24, 2022
Literally they both die at the end 2.0. Also no new info on death cast really so it was meh
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