They Both Die at the End: A Tale of Two, Yet a Tale of Many

They Both Die at the End: A Tale of Two, Yet a Tale of Many

Written by Amanda Pate

WARNING: This post contains minor spoilers for Adam Silvera’s They Both Die At The End. Nothing too experience-ruining, but read at your own risk.

In Adam Silvera’s alternate 21st century, living revolves around death. With the introduction of Death-Cast, a service that calls you on the day you’re going to die, countless establishments have been founded to ensure that those who are about to die–called “Deckers”–get the most out of their last days alive. They Both Die At The End primarily follows two teens, Rufus Emeterio and Mateo Torrez, as they try to live their entire lives in one last, remarkable day.

Rufus and Mateo are, without a doubt, the main characters of this story. However, it’s made abundantly clear that the world doesn’t revolve around them. Along with the first-person chapters from the alternating perspectives of the two main characters, there are countless short, third-person chapters about other people–from the main character’s best friends to strangers whose lives have just briefly intersected with Mateo and Rufus’s. Whenever a new character is introduced, the chapter begins a little like this:

“Death-Cast called Delilah Grey at 2:52 a.m. to tell her she’s going to die today, but she’s sure it’s not true” (Silvera 127).

“Death-Cast called Vin Pearce at 12:02 a.m. to tell him he’s going to die today, which isn’t that surprising” (Silvera 234).

“Death-Cast did not call Deirdre Clayton because she isn’t dying today, but she’s going to prove them wrong” (Silvera 245).

This haunting repetition shows just how deeply Death-Cast and the prospect of dying have embedded themselves into the lives of every single person in this world, whether they’re dying today or not. Some side characters have entire plotlines laid out across multiple chapters, while others only ever show up once. Every background character has a story to tell, no matter how insignificant they are to the narrative advertised on the back cover. Getting a call from Death-Cast would seem anecdotal if the novel revolved entirely around Mateo and Rufus, but with every new character, every mention of death as they’re introduced, the idea of a society built around death is further reinforced.

I’ve read so many books where being the “main character” is taken to an extreme. The protagonist seems like the center of the entire world–everyone they ever meet sees them as special, and they’re always the most important person in a room. I’ve found the lack of a centralized narrative in They Both Die At The End to be incredibly refreshing–not only are there two protagonists with different motivations and ideals, but countless unfinished tales that remind us how everyone has a part to play and a story to tell. While making my way through Silvera's masterfully crafted narrative, I’ve found myself looking at the background characters mentioned in passing, the ones I would usually forget moments later, and asking, “what’s their story?”

Works Cited

Silvera, Adam. They Both Die At The End. New York NY, Quill Tree Books, 18 Dec 2018.