They Both Die at the End

by Adam Silvera

First published 2017

Mateo Torrez receives the call just after midnight on September 5. Death-Cast delivers the notification he never wanted: he will die within 24 hours. Across the city, Rufus Emeterio gets the same devastating news. Both teenagers face their final day as strangers, but neither wants to spend their last hours alone. They turn to the Last Friend app, designed to connect people on their End Day. When Mateo and Rufus meet, they decide to pack an entire lifetime into their remaining time together. They venture beyond their comfort zones, seeking experiences they never dared pursue. As the clock counts down, their friendship deepens into something neither expected. Silvera follows these two boys as they navigate family goodbyes, personal fears, and the weight of knowing exactly when their story ends. The novel explores how people choose to spend their final moments and whether true connection can happen in the space between a phone call and death.

Genres: fiction, romance, contemporary, young-adult

Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking

Tropes: found-family, friends-to-lovers

Period: September 5

389 pages · Hardcover · Quill Tree Books

Content warnings: death, terminal-illness

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