Belle's Reviews > The First to Die at the End

brb ugly crying

No, but really, I was hesitant when I picked this up and saw how massive it was compared to They Both Die At the End. But Adam Silvera is such a master storyteller, I shouldn't have had any doubts that this would be exceptional. Silvera has such a way of sucker-punching you with a single line and making you care so deeply about characters who you only met a couple of pages ago. And just like with They Both Die At the End , this doesn't just follow our two main protagonists but a number of other background characters whose stories we follow, however briefly in this moment in time. I've always loved that aspect of this universe, showing that even minor characters have a story to tell that will leave just as much of a lasting impression on us.

I should probably give this 4.5 stars, but I just... physically cannot give this anything less than five stars. However, I will say that one critique I have is that it's basically a rehashing of They Both Die At the End with different characters and a slightly different story. But a lot of the same elements from the first book--young love, a race against time, learning to live in the moment-- are still there. So in that way, this isn't so much a "prequel." I mean, yes, it is interesting to see how Death Cast got itself started and what those very first days were like. But we still don't really have any answers by the end. We still haven't unraveled the mystery behind how Death Cast works and who the entity behind the green curtain is, who is able to accurately know the day that any given person is going to die. So if you're looking for those kinds of answers, this book might be a bit of a letdown. But if you're wanting another great epic story told in this universe that is guaranteed to make you ugly cry (again!), then I highly recommend picking this up.