50 Must-Read 50 Beta
← The Must-Read 50
Cover of They Both Die at the End by Adam SilveraThey Both Die at the End
Modern · Fiction, Young Adult, LGBT

They Both Die at the End

by Adam Silvera
2017 · 384 pages · Fiction
65.6Must-Read
Score Modern
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 10 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

A little after midnight on September 5, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: they're going to die today. Strangers until then, they meet and set out to live a lifetime in a single day.

Why it's worth reading

It has spent 163 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It's a phenomenon with young readers.

You'll love it if you liked

Cover of The First to Die at the End by Adam SilveraThe First to Die at the End
The First to Die at the EndAdam Silvera
Cover of The Fault in Our Stars by John GreenThe Fault in Our Stars
The Fault in Our StarsJohn Green
Cover of Heartstopper by Alice OsemanHeartstopper
HeartstopperAlice Oseman

Good to know

The title tells you the ending; it's still heartbreaking.

By the numbers

65.6Must-Read Score
  • Readers22 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller75 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Bestseller
163 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2017

Reads as

Adventurous

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

More by Adam Silvera

Cover of The First to Die at the End by Adam SilveraThe First to Die at the End
The First to Die at the EndAdam Silvera

If you like this, read next

Cover of Divergent by Veronica RothDivergent
DivergentVeronica Roth
Cover of These Violent Delights by Chloe GongThese Violent Delights
These Violent DelightsChloe Gong
Cover of True Believer by Nicholas SparksTrue Believer
True BelieverNicholas Sparks
Cover of Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon SandersonYumi and the Nightmare Painter
Yumi and the Nightmare PainterBrandon Sanderson
Cover of Outlander by Diana GabaldonOutlander
OutlanderDiana Gabaldon
Cover of Ready Player One by Ernest ClineReady Player One
Ready Player OneErnest Cline

Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Young adult booksTop 25 · 219 rankedModern booksTop 25 · 1,573 rankedBooks of the 2010sTop 25 · 736 rankedFantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedMysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 ranked

Quick answers

Is They Both Die at the End worth reading?

Yes. It has spent 163 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #1,800 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 65.6 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is They Both Die at the End about?

A little after midnight on September 5, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: they're going to die today. Strangers until then, they meet and set out to live a lifetime in a single day.

How long does it take to read They Both Die at the End?

About 10 hours (384 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after They Both Die at the End?

If you liked it, try The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green or Heartstopper by Alice Oseman.