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A review by jpaulthunders77
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
3.0
I really wanted to like this, but unfortunately, the entirety of this novel failed to bring me into an emotional mess. The concept is intriguing and promising: what would you do if you were told the exact day of your death? It's an interesting question that will surely elicit different answers from people. What I really liked about the concept (which, conversely, is a problem to some readers) is that the whole 'dystopian' arrangement of this world remains a mystery. It wasn't properly elucidated how the Death Cast can predict the death of a person or where it even began or who even founded it? It's just there, and I love the unfamiliar and disturbingly quiet atmosphere of the book.
However, the execution of the story and the characters somehow fell a little flat to me. Mateo and Rufus are cliché characters. They are your common, cookie-cutter boys from books you've probably read before. One who seemingly is a soft boy, and the other one with a questionable degree of angst. Their backstories didn't entice me in any way that even though something tragic had happened to them, I couldn't make myself care. Also, the plot is generic and predictable. The dialogue lacked chemistry because they lacked subtexts, they're didactic and sometimes downright cringey. The message of the story is pretty much shoved down your throat, without leaving any room for interpretation.
The romance, or should I say the slight sexual tension, in the end is very much unnecessary. I believe that the two boys should have remained friends, and that would make the book even more impactful. The shift in their relationship is so abrupt and random. From the first moment they met, all I could feel was a decent friendship. Their dialogues, their interactions with each other was only to be interpreted as something platonic. Let's not force a romantic relationship, especially if it will only come off as unnatural. It's annoying!
And the ending? What in the god-forsaken earth is that? Is that supposed to be the moment that will trigger my lacrimal glands? It's underwhelming, it breaks the momentum of a potential tear-inducer sequence, and it just left me scratching my head in disappointment.
To be fair, this is a young adult book and not a heavy literary fiction, so I guess Adam did a good job relating to his target audience. Is this really what the teens are into? I dunno, I still don't understand the hype. [b: History is All You Left Me|25014114|History Is All You Left Me|Adam Silvera|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462807691l/25014114._SY75_.jpg|44686341] is still Adam's best book for me and the one that deserves more attention.
However, the execution of the story and the characters somehow fell a little flat to me. Mateo and Rufus are cliché characters. They are your common, cookie-cutter boys from books you've probably read before. One who seemingly is a soft boy, and the other one with a questionable degree of angst. Their backstories didn't entice me in any way that even though something tragic had happened to them, I couldn't make myself care. Also, the plot is generic and predictable. The dialogue lacked chemistry because they lacked subtexts, they're didactic and sometimes downright cringey. The message of the story is pretty much shoved down your throat, without leaving any room for interpretation.
The romance, or should I say the slight sexual tension, in the end is very much unnecessary. I believe that the two boys should have remained friends, and that would make the book even more impactful. The shift in their relationship is so abrupt and random. From the first moment they met, all I could feel was a decent friendship. Their dialogues, their interactions with each other was only to be interpreted as something platonic. Let's not force a romantic relationship, especially if it will only come off as unnatural. It's annoying!
And the ending? What in the god-forsaken earth is that? Is that supposed to be the moment that will trigger my lacrimal glands? It's underwhelming, it breaks the momentum of a potential tear-inducer sequence, and it just left me scratching my head in disappointment.
To be fair, this is a young adult book and not a heavy literary fiction, so I guess Adam did a good job relating to his target audience. Is this really what the teens are into? I dunno, I still don't understand the hype. [b: History is All You Left Me|25014114|History Is All You Left Me|Adam Silvera|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462807691l/25014114._SY75_.jpg|44686341] is still Adam's best book for me and the one that deserves more attention.