They Both Die in the End by Adam Silvera

 

They Both Die in the End

February 29th, 2024

They Both Die in the End by Adam Silvera, 2017, Science Fiction 368 pages

Winner of the 2018 Rainbow Project Book List

Fast forward to the future where an app called Death-Cast can predict the day of your death. Mateo Torrez, a shy and selfless loner who has lived his life without risks, and Rufus Emeterio, a troubled teen living in the foster care system, are initially two complete strangers. However, one fateful night they both receive a call from Death-Cast telling them they are going to die within the next 24 hours. Without any more information of how much time they have left or how their lives will end, Mateo and Rufus find themselves unexpectedly lonely on their final day. With the help of an app called Last Friend, the two boys cautiously befriend one another. Together, Mateo and Rufus make sure to live one unforgettable last day --with absolutely no regrets. 

I chose to read They Both Die in the End because I've actually had it in my own classroom library for awhile now, but never had the chance to read it myself (it was "vetted" by other teachers). I had heard many of my colleagues rave about how fabulous this book was with twists you wouldn't expect. To be quite frank-the title also intrigued me: was it a spoiler from the get-go? I knew this title and concept would also grab the attention of my middle school readers; thus, I had to find out for myself. 

Teaching and Content Considerations:

They Both Die in the End would most likely work best as an independent reading novel. Students will be amazed at how quickly they connect to both of the main protagonists' blooming friendship and their looming fate. I think the story would be appropriate for both middle school and high school students. Due to some adult language and a brief references to sexual topics, this is probably more suitable for upper middle school grades and high school. Any student who is interested in futuristic technology, stories told from different perspectives, and unexpected romance plot lines (LGTBQ+) will simply not be able to put this powerful book down! I thought this book was so good that I have a hard time imagining students disliking the story. 

Instructional Ideas

Cause and Effect: One unique aspect of They Both Die in the End is the multitude of different perspectives it showcases. Although most of the chapters are centered around Mateo and Rufus' lives, there are many chapters about other characters who in some way have impacted the boys' lives--whether that be long before the Death Cast call or on their last day. Hence, I think one great activity would be having students create a giant web tracking how each character influences another character's timeline. Once a new character is introduced in the book, students could take a moment to predict how that person will come in contact with Mateo and Rufus, as well as the impact their interaction will have (will it be the cause of their deaths?!). When the connection between characters is revealed, students could cite textual evidence from the novel to show when the characters first meet and the result of their connection.

Characterization: Throughout the book we also see immense character development of our two main protagonists and the effect that they have on each other's feelings and personalities. Even if this novel is used an independent reading, students could focus on the characterization of Mateo and Rufus' dynamic characters and relationship. Students would be able to cite textual evidence of how Mateo and Rufus are in the beginning, middle, and end of the book using the S.T.E.A.L. characterization method. Another idea (perhaps for a book project) would to be have students either make an Instagram page with captions from the perspectives of Mateo and Rufus or create a series of blog posts on the website Counter Downers from their perspectives. The goal of these posts would be to demonstrate the characterization of Mateo and Rufus and how they both change immensely in 1 day.

Possible Read Aloud Passages

• Page 79: "I am a little concerned about spending my End Day with someone who's accepted dying, someone who's made mistakes...But not matter what choices we make--solo or together-- our finish line remains the same...No matter how we choose to live, we both die in the end"
• Mateo and Rufus are about to meet up to spend their End Day together after connecting on the Final Friend App. Students know a little bit about Rufus at this point and can make a prediction of what they believe the boys will do and if they'll get along.
• Page 94-98: "I'm looking both ways, getting ready to cross the street, when I spot a dead bird in the road, its small shadow cast from a bodega's lit awning..."
• As Rufus and Mateo are walking from one destination to the other, Mateo spots a dead bird in the road and is adamant about burying the bird. Readers get great insight into Mateo's character through Rufus's eyes and through Mateo's actions. This would be an excellent passage to focus on characterization or even comparing our two characters so far!
• Page 138-139: "'Getting up means leaving,' I say....'Nah . Leaving means living before you die. Let's bounce.'"  
• Rufus and Mateo have wrapped up eating breakfast at Rufus' favorite diner. Mateo, as always, is scared about leaving and the thought of dying. This is the first of many moments were readers see Rufus push Mateo out of his comfort zone. Students can begin to analyze the impact Rufus has on Mateo.
• Page 203-206: "The train's lights flicker and everything shuts off, even the hum of the fans. We're underground and we're in total darkness.."
• What an intense scene! As Mateo and Rufus are taking the subway, the train stalls and blackouts. Both the characters and the readers have no idea if THIS it is: the moment Mateo and Rufus die. Students can not only make a prediction of what will happen next, but they can analyze the kind gesture Rufus does for Mateo, showing he is changing as well. 
• Page 217: "I shut up because we've reached the corner, and in the space beside my mother's plot there's a man digging another grave while a caretaker installs a headstone with my name and dates of birth and death. I'm not even dead yet..."
• Mateo wants to visit his mother's grave and say goodbye. However, as he and Rufus approach the grave he sees a caretaker digging his own grave. Students can discuss the psychological impact this has on Mateo as well as the actions of Rufus to protect him. 
• Page 230-232: I've spent so much time being pissed at my family for leaving me, Mateo. Everyone's always running their mouth about survivor's guilt and I get it, but...I'm the one who left them, yo. I'm the one who got out of the sinking car and swam away..."
• Mateo brings Rufus to the pier where his family died to face his past and find some closure. This scene is wonderful for readers to learn more about the toll his family's deaths have taken on Rufus and the reconciliation he finally gets thanks to Mateo. 

Thoughts and Reflections

I cannot stress this enough-- I truly believe They Both Die in the End was one of the best books that I have read this year. Although this book is about dying, it is actually so much more about living. My heart warmed as I saw the positive effects Rufus and Mateo had on each other as their End Day progressed. I felt fiercely proud witnessing Mateo go out of his comfort zone and Rufus become more thoughtful with his actions. My heart began to ache once the two boys realized how much they actually cared for each other. Silvera does an incredible job showing the importance of living your life to the fullest and how even our smallest actions can have an immense impact on the livelihood of others. 

After reading They Both Die in the End, I am determined to read all of Adam Silvera's other novels. I would love to see if Silvera has other well developed LGTBQ+ characters in his stories. I certainly plan on doing book talks about this book to my students for independent reading choices. Check this book out, grab some tissues, and prepare for one heck of a ride!