Revealing the end of the story from the beginning made the plot seem riveting. However, besides the ending and premise that is introduced to the reader before they even open the book, there isn’t much driving the story forward. The middle of the story—the only piece that is left unknown to the reader—is mostly small misadventures with no real impact. Little to nothing happens in the book that would shock the reader. In other words, there are no twists or surprises. The writing style irks me to no end. I have a personal vendetta against books with little to no description of their characters or surroundings. I can appreciate how the author writes in the colloquial way that the average person’s thoughts would sound, but it lacks the depth and detail that makes a novel different than a story a friend would tell over lunch. With this, paired with chapters from the perspectives of nearly every character mentioned, I found it hard to stay invested in the story. Overall, the novel itself leaves room for improvement. The “carpe diem” moral of the book is over-exhausted and cliché. If the writing was more immersive, or the romance more captivating, it might have saved the book for me.

The core flaw in this book is how quickly everything develops, while still being mostly filler. Although I knew immediately from the synopsis that the two main characters, Mateo and Rufus are going to end up together, the author makes their relationship seem desperate and more as if Mateo wants someone to be with⁠—not Rufus. Perhaps this was intended—knowing you will die soon makes everything desperate—but it didn’t quite sell me. Their relationship hints at being nothing but platonic until one chapter, Mateo is suddenly fascinated by Rufus’ eyes. There is no build-up or tension to make the readers excited for them to suddenly confess they have fallen in love in less than a day. Their bond is that of people who are going through something hard together, not love. If Adam Silveria had spent more time showing their feelings develop and establishing a genuine connection, I could root for the couple despite how little time they had together.

Even though the concept, constant recommendations, and pop-art book cover make the story seem worth a read, They Both Die At The End is more than underwhelming. Although I think this story had potential, the book itself fell flat. I urge you to read it regardless; even though everything about it made me frustrated, I enjoyed the ride anyway.