They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Narrated by Michael Crouch,

Robbie Daymond & Bahni Turpin

Synopsis (via Goodreads): On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.

Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day. 

“I've spent years living safely to secure a longer life, and look where that's gotten me. I'm at the finish line but I never ran the race.”

I should have known that reading a book called They Both Die at the End would not end well for my face. The title literally says people are going to die, but I couldn't stop myself from wishing for the best. I feel like I've known these characters my entire life, and I only met them on their last day. Rufus and Mateo grew and accomplished so much in a very short amount of time. They were exactly what the other needed, and I'm so in love with both of them.

The audiobook for this is amazing. I already want to listen to it again, which is why I bought it for myself as soon as I returned my copy to the library. 

I cannot imagine knowing when my last day will be. It isn't possible for me to do everything I want in less than 24 hours. How could I be okay with dying when I know what I would be leaving behind? My kids... ugh, I can't talk about this. It's killing me to even consider the possibility. There was a situation in the book where a child was dying and the mother received the call, and I nearly lost it right there.

I love how Adam Silvera managed to connect every single character in this book. It shows us how the actions of others (or our own) can impact people more than they (we) realize, and They Both Die at the End really brings that into focus. Rufus and Mateo are intertwined with so many other characters, and they never really noticed. It's only our outside perspective that shows us the connections they made.

Rufus and Mateo are vastly different characters, but they genuinely care about each other. They make a point to try and help one another overcome issues they've been dealing with for a long time. They wanted to die without regrets, and I really enjoyed watching them live their last day.

They Both Die at the End mesmerized me.