Book Review :: The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera
ISBN: 1398519995
Series: Death-Cast #0
Published by Simon & Schuster
on 4 October 2022
Genres: Young Adult
Pages: 571
Source: HarperCollins NZ
Goodreads

It’s the night before Death-Cast goes live, and there’s one question on everyone’s mind: Can Death-Cast actually predict when someone will die, or is it just an elaborate hoax?

Orion Pagan has waited years for someone to tell him that he’s going to die. He has a serious heart condition, and he signed up for Death-Cast so he could know what’s coming.

Valentino Prince is restarting his life in New York. He has a long and promising future ahead and he only registered for Death-Cast after his twin sister nearly died in a car accident.

Orion and Valentino cross paths in Times Square and immediately feel a deep connection. But when the first round of End Day calls goes out, their lives are changed forever—one of them receives a call, and the other doesn’t. Though neither boy is certain how the day will end, they know they want to spend it together…even if that means their goodbye will be heartbreaking.

Last updated on 25 September 2023

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What is The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera about?

The First to Die at the End is the prequel to They Both Die at the End, a young adult book by Adam Silvera. In The First to Die at the End, we’re taken back to the beginning of Death-Cast and are introduced to our characters the night before Death-Cast’s big launch. Everyone is asking the same, burning question: Can Death-Cast really predict when someone will die, or is it all just a big farse?

Enter, our two main characters.

“Here’s the truth no one ever wants to admit when death is on the horizon, or when you’re deep in that grief—as long as you keep existing, you’ll keep breathing, and if you’re breathing, one day you’ll start living again.”

Orion Pagan has a serious heart problem. Every day he lives with the knowledge that at any moment, he could die. When Death-Cast is announced, Orion signs up to get the call to tell him when he’s going to die. Then he’s ready. Then he’s prepared.

Valentino Prince is starting a new life in New York. He’s ready for the big city, to experience new things, to start his modelling career, to live. On a last-minute whim, he signs up to Death-Cast, but only because he and his twin sister, Scarlett, almost died in a car crash. It might be a fake ploy, but wouldn’t it be better to know when your last day will be?

Orion and Valentino meet in Times Square and instantly feel a strong connection. But when Death-Cast makes its first End Day calls, one of them gets a call, and the other doesn’t. Despite not knowing how the day will end, they decide to spend it together, even if it means a heartbreaking goodbye.

My Thoughts on The First to Die at the End

After reading They Both Die At the End a number of years ago and a bunch of other Adam Silvera books, I knew that I wanted to get my hands on The First to Die at the End. The concept of having a company that can tell what day you’re going to die is a wild one, and if I’m honest, I don’t think if Death-Cast were real, I’d sign up. I’d rather not know.

Death-Cast calls people to say they’ll die today. It can happen to anyone, anywhere, and you can’t prevent it. It’s not like a secret society out to murder you; it’s more about accidents within the next 24 hours, like things falling on you or accidents happening. While murder is possible, accidents are more likely. That kind of situation. Pretty extreme. And I’d definitely not want that happening in real life.

But in book form, with the characters that Silvera creates, and the way he weaves the story together, integrating minor and side characters into the main story in a way that is engaging and adds to the story … it makes for a great read.

“Life doesn’t care how young you are. It forces you to grow up anyway.”

I said in my review of the first book that I found it to be ‘enjoyable but heartbreaking’. And, while I think that The First to Die at the End was similar in sentiment, I don’t think it was as emotional as They Both Die at the End. Perhaps it was because I understood the concept before going into the book, or I knew what the outcome was going to be, more so than in the first one. Perhaps it was because of the nature of the story, or the different themes that were pulled out …

Don’t get me wrong! It was really enjoyable and it was nice to go back into that world (even if I didn’t want it to be real ha),  but it didn’t quite hit me as hard as the first one did, and it did feel very similar to the first one. Not quite a rehash, but definitely the same vibes and storylines.

While it was cool to see the beginning of Death-Cast and how it got started, we didn’t actually learn anything about how it works. And, granted that’s totally fine, because at the end of the day, it’s rather Science Fiction-like and I don’t think they’d be able to make it work without some sort of magical or scientific explanations, which would take away from the main points of the story.

Buuuuut I do kind of wish we got a bit more about Death-Cast information. No just the struggles and thoughts of the founder and creator – though that was interesting too! – but more on the science behind it. Or something. I’m not convinced I quite know what I wanted … but it was something!

I’d love to know what your thoughts are on this! Let me know in the comments.

Having said that, I did really enjoy it.

I liked Orion’s best friend, Dalma, and it was beautiful to see the way that that friendship had grown over the years, with their backstory coming up every so often. The other characters were okay, and the ones that added little tidbits to the story but weren’t directly in the story also helped direct some of the thinking and some of the ways that Death-Cast affected people.

The idea of meeting someone in Times Square and then spending the entire day with them … now THAT I would love to experience. Under different circumstances, perhaps. Ha.

So should you read The First to Die at the End?

If you’ve read They Both Die at the End, then do pick up The First to Die at the End. We do get some really sweat cames of Rufus and Mateo (who are the characters in the TBDATE), which was a lot of fun, and it is a really lovely story of living your best life, relationships – family, friends and romantic relationships – and the wonders of life and death.

I’d love to know: Have you read The First to Die at the End? What did you think? 

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Disclaimer: I received this book from HarperCollins NZ for free in exchange for a review. This does not affect my review, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.