I loved the book from beginning to end! The story focuses on a gay Puerto Rican and bisexual Cuban character, Mateo and Rufus. The concept of the book is what made me want to read it. Deathcast is a company that calls people to inform them of their last day in order for them to say goodbye to their loved ones and live their day to the fullest and those affected are called Deckers. The company also has an app called Last Friends in which Deckers can connect with others to spend their last day together.
Mateo and Rufus have completely different lives, they connect through the Last Friend app without thinking they would have a great connection at the end. I liked having the perspective from other characters aside from Mateo and Rufus because it connects the story a lot more.
The story shows how aside from the pain and grief one will suffer due to death, there is also opportunities through life to connect with other individuals that have nothing in common with one another. Some Deckers realize how many adventures they want to have and how they want to make every opportunity count since they do not know how they'll die or when.
Mateo and Rufus get to know each other on a deep level through their journey. Mateo gets to realize how much he missed out since he was holding himself back and Rufus gained happiness from the moments they shared together. Rufus says, "That was no way for him to go out. Mateo should've gone out saving someone, because he was such a selfless person,. No, even if he didn't die a hero's death, he died a hero. Mateo Torrez definitely saved me." While Mateo shared a moment with Rufus, he was able to open himself in a way he hadn't before, "And you wouldn't have waited for me to be brave. Maybe it's better to have gotten it right and been happy for one day instead of living a lifetime of wrongs." They both value their loved ones a lot more knowing it's their last day with them and they also learned from each other, something he didn't think would have happened when they met.
The story is an emotional one as it allows us to realize how we should enjoy every interaction with those we love. Also, to appreciate and give an opportunity to those people that may seem and are different from us as we get to learn from each other. As Rufus' friends the Plutos said, "Entire lives aren't lessons, but there are lessons in lives. You may be born into a family, but you walk into friendships. Some you'll discover you should put behind you. Others are worth every risk." As even Rufus said, "I know I helped Mateo live his life, but he helped me get mine back in shape. I wanna be remembered as who I am right now, not that dumbass mistake I made"
They Both Die at the End is worth reading, you'll get attached to the characters and see how their stories intertwine and also how much we can change or impact someone else's life.
