First Impressions: They Both Die at the End
Jamie Lumetta
Adam Silvera is an American gay author who has multiple best-selling young adult novels that center around queer characters. Silvera has written other books such as More Happy Than Not, What If It’s Us and Here’s To Us that all follow his exploration of queer identity.
It is important for teens to see representation of all different types of people in literature and, as Silvera says, “I'm a queer man. I don't need to contribute to the canon of heterosexual literature. If no other books were published about straight people, we would still be outnumbered for years.” Silvera has used his personal experience to fuel the backstories of his own characters; he worked as a barista, bookseller, and reviewer before publishing his first successful novel.
They Both Die at the End centers around the relationship between Mateo and Rufus in a dystopian society where people get a call the day they’re going to die - their End Day. Two complete strangers, Mateo and Rufus are both called early one morning and decide to download the Last Friend app, looking to make a last friend on their End Day. Mateo and Rufus meet up, hoping to make a lifetime of memories in one day. Although they only know each other for less than 24 hours, they fall in love, challenging each other to explore New York City together. As the title of the book gives away, the ending is not a happy one, but the readers still achieve a sense of satisfaction knowing that the main characters’ last day was a happy one.
The novel takes on a dystopian-like genre, with the idea of a world where people know they are going to die. However, Silvera cleverly weaves in a romantic subplot and, more importantly, highlights two very different characters with two very different queer experiences. Mateo is an introverted, hesitant guy whose fears hold him back at the beginning, but as his relationship with Rufus grows, he becomes more comfortable in his identity. Rufus is an extroverted, charismatic guy who pushes Mateo to try new things and explore a new side of himself. Rufus is confident in his queer identity but struggles with regret in his life as a whole.
Overall, Silvera is able to communicate the feelings and thoughts of Mateo and Rufus onto paper and allows the reader to understand their experiences. The reader develops a close bond with Mateo and Rufus throughout the book and it makes the end all the more heartbreaking. Personally, even though I had already predicted the end, because of the bond I felt towards the characters, I was significantly saddened by the concluding few chapters. However, the main message of Silvera’s book allows us to reflect on our own experiences and think about how we spend our limited time. I myself reflect on how scary it was to come out for the first time and exploring how it feels to be attracted to another person of the same sex.
