They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Pages: 368

Intended Audience: Mature Teens

Genre: Speculative – Contemporary Dystopian

Notes for Parents: Contains violence, mature scenes.

 

The Back Cover

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to deliver some bad news; They’re going to die in less than twenty-four hours. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news is there’s an app for that. It’s called Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo meet up for one final epic adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.

 

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

It was the winner of the Lincoln Award (Illinois Teen Readers’ Choice Award) in 2020, and was a Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction in 2017.

 

What’s good?

In this alternate world, two boys meet to spend their last day alive together. Mateo and Rufus are beautifully constructed characters who couldn’t be more different but find common ground as they traverse the city and try new things. We’re given just enough world-building to understand the solemnity of their predicament, but not so much that we’re bogged down with trying to understand the mechanics. The emotional ending packs a punch.

Best Part: The interwoven stories of the minor characters they meet along the way. (There’s a bonus chart at the end that shows how everyone is connected.)

 

What isn’t good?

While the story is consistently poignant, it’s not always exciting. There’s action, but not a lot of it, and there’s tension, but we already know what it’s leading up to.

Worst part: Nothing was terrible.

 

Recommendation ☺☺☺ (3.5/5)

They Both Die in the End was worth the read. The premise was thought-provoking, and the characters, both main and supporting, were note-worthy. It’s not exactly a page-turner, but it’s a very unique story told adeptly in the span of the day. Recommended.

 Silvera, Adam. They Both Die at the End. New York: HarperTeen, 2017.

Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick

Pages: 265

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: Contemporary

Notes for Parents: Contains some mature scenes.

 

The Back Cover

“Alex Peter Gregory, you are a moron!” Laurie slammed her palms down on my desk and stomped her foot. I get a lot of that.

One car crash.

One measly little car crash. And suddenly, I’m some kind of convicted felon.

My parents are getting divorced, my dad is shacking up with my third-grade teacher, I might be in love with a girl who could kill me with one finger, and now I’m sentenced to baby-sit some insane old guy.

What else could possibly go wrong?

 

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This book was a South Carolina Young Adult Book Award nominee (2009), Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominee (2008), Iowa Teen Award Nominee (2011), Missouri Gateway Readers Award Nominee (2009), and a Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award Nominee (2011)

 

What’s good?

Alex is assigned to be a companion to an elderly gentleman at a local nursing home as punishment for killing a garden gnome while drinking and driving. The premise is serious, but the story is a lot of fun. The simple plot is punched up by Sol’s stinging wit and Alex’s funny narration. With Jewish terminology, musical references, and a blossoming friendship, this is a comical yet sentimental story about a dying man who teaches a teen how to live.

Best Part: The chapter called “Coda.”

 

What isn’t good?

The romance, while sweet, was totally predictable. And there was no action. Nevertheless, the strong characters and engaging narration prevailed.

Worst part: There was nothing terrible.

 

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺(4/5)

I can see this story as a movie. The visual setting and comical dialogue would translate well onto the screen. Definitely recommended.

Sonnenblick, Jordan. Notes from the Midnight Driver. New York: Scholastic, 2006.