Author: Adam Silvera
Genre: Young Adult; LGBT
Rating: 8.5/10
On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast gives Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio a call to deliver some bad news: they are both going to die within the next 24 hours. In search of a lifetime of adventure on their last day alive, the two of them meet through the app, ‘Last Friend’.
I was so curious when I heard about this book. I mean, aren’t you? The title literally tells you how the story ends. I was fascinated by the title, fell in love with the cover, but was also really intrigued by the plot. Someone calls you on the day you are going to die, to tell you to brace yourself. The concept just blew me away.
My expectations rose along with my curiosity, though I was also equally skeptical about how the author was going to pull this whole thing off without losing the reader’s attention. I must say, he did an amazing job. This story is quite the masterpiece.
The book is completely driven by the characters. The character interactions, dynamics and relationships are what really bring this story to life. Undoubtedly, the plot is well-crafted and sustains interest, but looking at the big picture, it is quite straightforward. There aren’t any major reveals or massive twists that throw the reader off-guard. So I was very impressed by how the author captivates us, from start to finish, by mainly focusing on the characters alone.
“Maybe it's better to have gotten it right and been happy for one day instead of living a lifetime of wrongs.”
When I first started reading the book, Rufus and Mateo just sounded so different. They led completely different lives and had diverse interests; hence, I was very confused about how the two would click. And so after they did finally meet, I liked how their initial interactions portrayed the awkwardness and the wariness they had for each other. It made the flow of the narration feel very natural.
I loved watching their relationship bloom over the course of a day – from strangers, to acquaintances, to friends, to something more. The character growth was very well written, and after a while, it was hard to imagine the two not being together.
I also appreciated how the POVs of various other side characters were incorporated in the story. Instead of viewing the story through just Mateo’s or Rufus’ eyes, we got to see them from the perspectives of other people. It was really cool, how we knew the characters’ inner thoughts, but could also view them like outsiders would.
At the same time, these other perspectives would also sometimes reveal little plot points that the main characters themselves are unaware of, and so Silvera kept us anticipating and freaking out over how they would react and get out of the problem that was heading toward them. This aspect served to keep the tension levels up throughout the book, and also made the story really fascinating as we found out how different characters were related to each other in very unexpected ways.
And then comes the ending. We already know the ending, of course, and yet there was this part of me that was in denial, especially as the characters started to break out of their shells and I got to learn so much more about them. It’s hard to accept their deaths when they seemed like actual people. Knowing they were going to die before I even started the book didn’t make the last few pages any easier to read, and those pages still managed to break my heart – which is saying something, considering how short the book is.
I thought the book raised some really thoughtful points on mortality. When suddenly faced with your own imminent mortality, what would you do? I really loved how the story emphasised living life to the fullest, and didn’t just linger on the death that loomed over the characters’ heads. The themes, when conveyed through the various characters’ voices and actions, really showed how they each coped with the fact that they were going to die in the next few hours. It felt very raw and real. The insights may not have been phrased with the prettiest words, but they held a profound truth to them, making this book very meaningful..
“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.”
Overall, I really loved this book. It may not have been the most intricate of plots, but it definitely took me on a whole rollercoaster of emotions.
Reviewed by: S.R. Scribbles (1st reading)
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