Name: Tali ⋆.˚🦋༘⋆'s review of The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera
Item: The First to Die at the End
Rating: 2.75
Author: Tali ⋆.˚🦋༘⋆

Adam Silvera

The First to Die at the End

Death-cast is calling for the very first time...

Orian Pagan has waited years for someone to tell him that he's going to die due to his serious heart condition. But now that he's signed up to Death-Cast, he's ready to begin living.

Getting an End Day call is the last thing on Valentino Prince's mind. He has a long and promising future ahead of him, and he's excited to spend the night at the Death-Cast launch party.

When Orion and Valentino cross paths, their bond is undeniable. But after the very first Death-Cast calls go out, the boys' lives are changed for ever - one of them receives a call . . . and the other doesn't.

Prequel to the No. 1 international bestseller They Both Die at the End

Dude with a heart condition (the first one to speak) wants to talk to an attractive guy. This is a conversation with his best friend (the second one to speak). Lol.

Elin Hakvoort

“I’m loving this attitude, O-Bro, but are you thinking with your dick by any chance?” 

“I think I’m thinking with my heart?” 

“Not exactly a reliable source either.”

“He must have a huge heart” ~Valentino

Alicia

«El amor es un superpoder —le había dicho su padre—. Es uno que todos tenemos, pero no es un superpoder que siempre puedas controlar. Se vuelve más complicado conforme creces. No te asustes si descubres que quieres a alguien a quien no esperas querer. Si es el indicado, lo es»

Signe

"I'm no longer a short story. I'm now a novel. Better yet, I'm a work in progress. I have all these new blank pages, and I'm going to live a life worth writting about."

'"It won't kill me. But it could heal me."

"I'm gulity because the stars were always aligning in a way where he would die so I could live."

"Life shouldn't be about to end before someone starts living."

"Isn't life more freeing when you let go?"

"Unfortunately, my memories are stronger than my imagination."

"It goes to show that even on your way out, there's still time to let people in."

"It's about saying something right to the person who matters the most. While you can."

"Your life will be divided into first and lasts and nevers."

"Everything didn't have to have meaning. Sometimes something that was beautiful was just beautiful. "

"This agency won't turn me into a star. Not even after everything goes dark for me, like an empty night sky."

"I guess I do have a death wish: don't die with any regrets."

"They'll remember soon enough who the real monsters are and realize that he was a hero all along."

"I write short stories because I am one. I wish I was a novel. Breaths away from midnight, I know my final chapter is close. I look up at Valentino, wondering what life could've offred if I had more pages in me."

"I want to make great memories. Something to look back on whenever existing seems hard."

"As long as you keep existing, you'll keep breathing, and if you're breathing, one day you'll start living again." 

"But I don't know if I can orbit around someone this beautiful and not just fall in love, stay in love, and die in love."

Miglė

It’s not fair how someone can do everything right and still be hurt because someone else does one thing wrong.

elly

In this prequel to #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon They Both Die at the End, two new strangers spend a life-changing day together after Death-Cast first makes their fateful calls.

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.

Told with acclaimed author Adam Silvera’s signature bittersweet touch, this story celebrates th

 is the prequel to Adam Silvera’s emotional and impactful 

. I was so excited when I found out there were two books a few months ago. Then I heard it's being adapted into a motion picture, and there were two more books coming. Now, this was before I read this book. I was riding the high of book 1, and I remember basically being one of the only ones in our fanbase of ten people defending that the standalone that suddenly became a duology, became a trilogy... and ended up as a four-book series.

the fuck out of this series. And I won't lie... I'm taking all my lashes to the people who shit-talked it, because oh my god it's starting to feel like 

series all over again. Milking that poor cow to the ground.

And, I went into this thinking (hopeful) that we'd finally learn the origin, intent, and how Death-Cast was 

made possible. Instead, I was met with a story that is painfully long, filled with POVs that don’t contribute much to moving the story forward. Unfortunately and surprisingly, this caused a huge lack in the worldbuilding I expected from a prequel.

The pacing is stretched far too thin for the story it’s carrying. Silvera builds up the pending launch of Death-Cast, but barely explores the “why” or “how”. It ends up feeling like 95% contemporary/realistic life, and then suddenly hints at sci-fi and fantasy in a way that never commits to being explained.

⏱ less instant love and more the main characters getting to know each other over the hours with less "omg he's so cute" "omg i wanna kiss him". because at this point, we JUST met a few min ago (i'm talking like within 10 min) and you're already telling me you're gonna die by midnight. and suddenly you're gonna spend the day with me cause i feel bad for you and i'm begging you for your heart. baby, i do not know you like that.

Additionally, there were far too many POV segments that felt unnecessary. They read as filler rather than meaningful narrative advancement, which only made the length feel heavier.

I genuinely had to search what ages the characters were, cause I remember Rufus and Mateo were distinctively in their late teens. It made sense. Imagine my surprise when I find out Orion and Valentino were kids too lmao. They did not read like actual teenagers. Especially Valentino. That boy is 21 at least. They’re written so maturely in a voice that doesn't sound like their own. I don't know if that makes sense.

I couldn't connect with them at all though. I'm so exhausted everytime I think about this book or after reading this book. The additional side POV characters also lack development and purpose. I don't man, I just don't care at all. There are simply way too many characters introduced who don’t significantly move the story forward, which dilutes emotional connection.

Silvera’s writing is sentimental, and I know it's meant to be sincere… but sometimes it suffers from redundancy here. Emotional beats are repeated instead of deepened. Internal monologues circle the same reflections multiple times. Again, this could have been 150–200 pages shorter.

I read someone's review of the second book (book 2, not book 1) which is like 720 books, just a few minutes ago and the reviewer says something like "it's okay to tell Adam Silvera to cut his books shorter when he brings his manuscript. even if you think you're going to be mean or hurt his feelings." Yes, cause it feels like with every book that comes out in this series, the page count increases by a 150.

I have this hypothesis that if you read this book before 

Because you don't expect answers that the first book implied existed. Reading this after the first book means expectations are naturally higher. You assume you’ll finally understand Death-Cast and its origins.

Instead, this feels like a rehash of themes from book 1 without new revelations. They Both Die at the End felt meaningful, sharp, emotional and compact. This one feels... unfocused if I can say.

The premonition component and fatalistic thread occasionally feels like it’s reaching for that 

 eerie inevitability vibe. But without a defined supernatural law or scientific logic system, or rules, this comparison kind of highlights how unclear the rules of Death-Cast really are. We're all just as ignorant and in the dark as the characters themselves. We literally get povs from the creator, but I swear to god, we don't ever explicitly get told "oh hey I'm Joaquin Rosa and I'm a clairvoyant of some sort and I decided to make an application to help people and use my powers for the greater... good?"

It just flirts with the same genre energy as Final Destination, but it never actually explain itself. Or how it works. Like the people calling the "Deckers", where do they get their information about the people? Who provides said information? I didn't even finish the book to find out who "the first to die at the end" was, but I'm pretty sure it's obvious by page 20 at this point. And according to other people's reviews, apparently the questions never get answered about Death-Cast's origins.

There are touching moments, nostalgia tie-ins (seeing characters from the first book), and sentimental pieces that remind you why the concept of Death-Cast works. But overall, this prequel struggles under its own weight, redundancy, and a lack of substantive new information. It’s nice for extra emotional world texture, but doesn't 

satisfy the curiosity that the premise promises.

Tali ⋆.˚🦋༘⋆

Rating: ★★¾ (2.75/5) Stars

Introduction
The First to Die at the End is the prequel to Adam Silvera’s emotional and impactful They Both Die at the End. I was so excited when I found out there were two books a few months ago. Then I heard it's being adapted into a motion picture, and there were two more books coming. Now, this was before I read this book. I was riding the high of book 1, and I remember basically being one of the only ones in our fanbase of ten people defending that the standalone that suddenly became a duology, became a trilogy... and ended up as a four-book series.

And god, I was DEFENDING the fuck out of this series. And I won't lie... I'm taking all my lashes to the people who shit-talked it, because oh my god it's starting to feel like The Inheritance Games series all over again. Milking that poor cow to the ground.

Plot Analysis

And, I went into this thinking (hopeful) that we'd finally learn the origin, intent, and how Death-Cast was actually made possible. Instead, I was met with a story that is painfully long, filled with POVs that don’t contribute much to moving the story forward. Unfortunately and surprisingly, this caused a huge lack in the worldbuilding I expected from a prequel.

The pacing is stretched far too thin for the story it’s carrying. Silvera builds up the pending launch of Death-Cast, but barely explores the “why” or “how”. It ends up feeling like 95% contemporary/realistic life, and then suddenly hints at sci-fi and fantasy in a way that never commits to being explained.

I really wish it was only like:
⏱ 300 > pages > 200
⏱ less instant love and more the main characters getting to know each other over the hours with less "omg he's so cute" "omg i wanna kiss him". because at this point, we JUST met a few min ago (i'm talking like within 10 min) and you're already telling me you're gonna die by midnight. and suddenly you're gonna spend the day with me cause i feel bad for you and i'm begging you for your heart. baby, i do not know you like that.

Additionally, there were far too many POV segments that felt unnecessary. They read as filler rather than meaningful narrative advancement, which only made the length feel heavier.

Character Analysis

I genuinely had to search what ages the characters were, cause I remember Rufus and Mateo were distinctively in their late teens. It made sense. Imagine my surprise when I find out Orion and Valentino were kids too lmao. They did not read like actual teenagers. Especially Valentino. That boy is 21 at least. They’re written so maturely in a voice that doesn't sound like their own. I don't know if that makes sense.
I couldn't connect with them at all though. I'm so exhausted everytime I think about this book or after reading this book. The additional side POV characters also lack development and purpose. I don't man, I just don't care at all. There are simply way too many characters introduced who don’t significantly move the story forward, which dilutes emotional connection.

Writing Analysis

Silvera’s writing is sentimental, and I know it's meant to be sincere… but sometimes it suffers from redundancy here. Emotional beats are repeated instead of deepened. Internal monologues circle the same reflections multiple times. Again, this could have been 150–200 pages shorter.

I read someone's review of the second book (book 2, not book 1) which is like 720 books, just a few minutes ago and the reviewer says something like "it's okay to tell Adam Silvera to cut his books shorter when he brings his manuscript. even if you think you're going to be mean or hurt his feelings." Yes, cause it feels like with every book that comes out in this series, the page count increases by a 150.

Comparison to Book One

I have this hypothesis that if you read this book before They Both Die at the End, you might enjoy it far more. Why?

Because you don't expect answers that the first book implied existed. Reading this after the first book means expectations are naturally higher. You assume you’ll finally understand Death-Cast and its origins.

Instead, this feels like a rehash of themes from book 1 without new revelations. They Both Die at the End felt meaningful, sharp, emotional and compact. This one feels... unfocused if I can say.

Comparison to Final Destination

The premonition component and fatalistic thread occasionally feels like it’s reaching for that Final Destination eerie inevitability vibe. But without a defined supernatural law or scientific logic system, or rules, this comparison kind of highlights how unclear the rules of Death-Cast really are. We're all just as ignorant and in the dark as the characters themselves. We literally get povs from the creator, but I swear to god, we don't ever explicitly get told "oh hey I'm Joaquin Rosa and I'm a clairvoyant of some sort and I decided to make an application to help people and use my powers for the greater... good?"
It just flirts with the same genre energy as Final Destination, but it never actually explain itself. Or how it works. Like the people calling the "Deckers", where do they get their information about the people? Who provides said information? I didn't even finish the book to find out who "the first to die at the end" was, but I'm pretty sure it's obvious by page 20 at this point. And according to other people's reviews, apparently the questions never get answered about Death-Cast's origins.

Conclusion

There are touching moments, nostalgia tie-ins (seeing characters from the first book), and sentimental pieces that remind you why the concept of Death-Cast works. But overall, this prequel struggles under its own weight, redundancy, and a lack of substantive new information. It’s nice for extra emotional world texture, but doesn't quite satisfy the curiosity that the premise promises.

Final Rating: ★★¾☆☆ (2.75/5)

Isn't biblically accurate because I've heard somewhere that gay means happy, hENCE WHY WAS I CRYING A RIVER TO THIS. 

OMG! the ending was so tragic i was crying so much it was so sad. I'm glad Frankie died, though I feel for Paz having to do it. I love that Scarlett has been introduced to Team Young and they're now all friends. VALENTINO LOVES/LOVED HIM!! ValentinOrion for life!

Lily

dezzy

In love with the couple (again more in love with those characters than the book) but the ending was clear from the start 

Merasemer

I’d recommend reading they both die at the end, but this book is like an extra to me!! it was a bit hard to go through and the pacing was a little off for me, the characters weren’t super loveable so it was a bit hard to care really, but it was still a good book!! 

this book explores the times when Death cast first made an appearance in the world!! you see how the people have doubts abt the system, and how things can go wrong. you learn more about how Death cast works (without divulging its secrets of course).

it’s heartbreaking, and sacrificial.

i could see how this book could definitely suit someone else’s tastes more than mine, so it’s more of a it wasn’t for me. i take this book as more of world building than anything:)

also mateo and rufus have a scene of when they were kids in here, it’s cute and it hurts!

Had this in my shelf for over a year. Decided last night to pick it up. Finished in basically one sitting. I CRIED 😭 

Katie Roberts

Lila Roberts

crying screaming throwing up i love this book so much

i don’t know why i hope for the best when the cover literally tells me what’s going to happen but this book was so good i read it in like three days

Arianna

I enjoyed this one way more than they both die at the end

#1 New York Times bestselling author Adam Silvera returns to the universe of international phenomenon They Both Die at the End in this prequel. New star-crossed lovers are put to the test on the first day of Death-Cast’s fateful calls.

marta 

I WRAPPED THIS UP READY TO GIVE TO MY FRIEND AND I FORGOT TO ADD QUOTES SO THATS WHY I HAVENT DONE ANY !!

This time i wasn’t as emotionally attached as i was with the characters in the sequel, however i still very much felt for them. The plot kept me guessing the entire time, my theories were almost never correct, unfortunately and fortunately. The only thing different about how i feel towards this book and its sequel is that i didn’t cry as much, due to how emotionally invested i was in the other characters. But nevertheless i still cried. It was so beautiful and once again i just love how everything connects, it had me gasping audibly.

Aimee :)

I WRAPPED THIS UP READY TO GIVE TO MY FRIEND AND I FORGOT TO ADD QUOTES SO THATS WHY I HAVENT DONE ANY !!

This time i wasn’t as emotionally attached as i was with the characters in the sequel, however i still very much felt for them. The plot kept me guessing the entire time, my theories were almost never correct, unfortunately and fortunately. The only thing different about how i feel towards this book and its sequel is that i didn’t cry as much, due to how emotionally invested i was in the other characters. But nevertheless i still cried. It was so beautiful and once again i just love how everything connects, it had me gasping audibly.

Laura Dobie

Madhuri Kasam

** spoiler alert **
           I couldn't help but sob throughout part 4 and 5. It left me desolated even though I knew this was supposed to happen right from the beginning. I loved the Rufus - Mateo cameos in here (ifykyk). And not to mention the star Last Friend App which led to the whole "They both die at the end". 

Finally we also meet the creator who is the ultimate reason our characters meet. The whole Death cast scenario is explored a bit more compared to TBDATE and the beginning of it all is quite whimsical. It took me quite long to finish because of my slump but this was worth every memory Oreo-Val captures in the day.

Me han encantado las referencias al otro libro, ha sido un detallazo, aunque es poco triste verlos de chiquitos y saber cómo morirán 😞

Poncho Bosque

Great book it had nice references to "they both die in the end." but manages to pull a great story that can be read as a stand alone. Loved the characters and how everyone interacted with each other. But I specially loved how even tho it's stated early in the story that a person will die, the circustances allow the reader to have hope and feel dread about the fates of everyone in the story.

I loved it so much, I litterally could get enough if it, and I'm heartbroken by the ending but I don't think it could have been any better either. All i want is to live a life like Orion and Valention did on their day together. Plenty of minded changing qutoes too. 

What an amazing theory! Death Cast! Still not sure if I loved it it hated it! ❤️❤️🤘🏻🤘🏻

Carli McNaught

Autumn

What a great book to start off the year! I loved this story so much I may have even liked it better than the first book! The Death Cast concept is so interesting to me and I loved how we got more of the story of how it all started this time around. There even was a little more mystery in this prequel as we didn’t 100% know which characters would die in the end like we did with the first. I flew through this 550 page book and didn’t want it to end! We’ll done Adam Silvera!

This book broke me mentally and emotionally in the best way possible. 

Chiara 

Lia Morris

A good sequel to the first book. It felt great to read a little more about this world although I could feel the teasing from the author with some small comments that referred to the first book. 

Pia 

Mack Carroll

i will never be able to recover from this. 

laci fryman <3

riven

I think it’s safe to say that TFTDATE was more heartbreaking than TBDATE. I know this because of the amount of tissues currently on my bed. (Adam, you owe me at least two boxes of tissues and therapy) No one can make me ugly cry and simultaneously laugh at dark humor like Adam Silvera can. 

Getting to know Valentino and Orion and all the others has been an incredible ride. Seeing their dynamics and the way they all fit together like one big perfect puzzle, brought so much warmth to my heart. Reading about how much they all mean to one another was enough to bring tears to my eyes and made getting attached to them all the more worth it. The cameos warmed my heart and shattered it all in the same breath. I wish I could say more, but I won’t. At least not until a few weeks after the book has been released. 

Adam never fails to astound me with the world that he’s built around Death-Cast. The creativity, the rawness of it all, just utterly flawless and ground shattering. He’s created a set of characters that come from different traumatic events and heartache, and they somehow still manage to live every single day to the absolute fullest. Thank you for the representation that you’ve given with every single story you’ve written. You’ve made me feel seen. You’ve made thousands of people feel seen. 

Adam has been one of my favorite author’s for a very long time, and an inspiration to the worlds I create too. So being able to be so privileged to review an ARC copy, is one of my many ‘firsts that I hope doesn’t double as a last.’ Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers and to Adam for the ARC copy.

elly &
The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

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