They Both Die at the End

I decided to read something different this time around: a book that has come out in the last five years. Usually I do not do this, usually because I try not to let hype dictate my decision or what I read. My husband and I were exploring through a thrift store and I found They Both Die at the End and Burning Bright. I had seen in my book recommendation groups that They Both Die at the End was supposed to be really good. So I gave it a try.

They Both Die at the End is about a universe where there is a company called Death-Cast where employees call randomized people to let them know they will be dead in twenty-four hours. There is no hit put out on the person, but somehow they just know when a person will die. In response there is an app called Last Friend, which is similar to Tinder, but you just find a person to hang out with on your last day. That is how Rufus and Mateo meet. Rufus is an average guy with some issues, whereas Mateo has become a recluse, afraid to try anything different. Together, they bring the best out of each other as they do simple things to enjoy their last day.

The concept for the book was not bad. The questions of how Death-Cast knows when people will die are brought up and answered to the best of the characters’ abilities, which is enough for me. Not everything has to be answered perfectly. I could see where this universe could be expanded into a bigger story, like someone trying to beat the system, or employees rebelling.

I hit a roadblock writing; sorry.

I guess the issue(??) that I face is how campy this book is. I mean, I should have realized that it was teen fiction. I will say though, even if the atmosphere is continually depressing and negative because of Death-Cast, there is always a continuous positive with it, which is interesting to me. There is positive growth. There is love and friendship. Overall, I come away from They Both Die at the End with a campy feel. Like everything was very predictable, even the ending was depressingly positive.

I think this was a one-and-done for me. Personally, I think this was overhyped by people because I was left disappointed with the overall book. There were elements of it that were alright, but just alright. I guess I also learned that I am not into teen fiction. I personally need to be challenged, and might need to talk through what I am reading so that I can figure it out. It also leaves me a little disappointed that this is kind of reading that the loudest voice of my book groups read. To each their own, I guess. If you would like to read They Both Die at the End, you can find it here.

7/10