# data[].attributes.body
USO Indo-Pacific and USO Europe | Middle East | Africa will host our monthly Overseas Virtual Book Club discussing "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera on June 13th at 2000 JST on Zoom

Stay up to date with the Overseas Virtual Book Club by joining our Facebook Group: USO Overseas Virtual Book Club

Register here:

https://register.uso.org/4111BMB7/4a3I8XJUXV

#usoovbc #usoreading #bookclub

# data[].attributes.body
Do you enjoy USO Overseas Virtual Book Club? Let us know what you think: Post Event Survey

We appreciate your feedback as we strive to continue to support our service members, their families, and the community!

# data[].attributes.body
Since we're spread out across the world, please share your location (without sharing your exact address) on the padlet map! ** Feel free to share a quick bio in the thread, and/or directly on the padlet map (link below). -- What's your name? How do you identify (pronouns)? Where do you live?

USO OVBC Intros

# data[].attributes.body
What are you currently reading?

# data[].attributes.body
Any book recs to share with us?

# data[].attributes.body
About the Book

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Adam Silvera is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at the End, The First to Die at the End, More Happy Than Not, History Is All You Left Me, theInfinity Cycletrilogy, and the What If It's Us duology with Becky Albertalli. His novels have received many starred reviews. He previously worked in children's publishing and bookselling. He was born and raised in the Bronx and now lives in Los Angeles. He is tall for no reason.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Adam Silvera is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at the End, The First to Die at the End, More Happy Than Not, History Is All You Left Me, theInfinity Cycletrilogy, and the What If It's Us duology with Becky Albertalli. His novels have received many starred reviews.

# data[].attributes.body
Instagram

# data[].attributes.body
Facebook

# data[].attributes.body
X

# data[].attributes.body
Tiktok

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
EXCLUSIVE: In a very competitive situation, with five streamers/networks bidding, Netflix has nabbed a series adaptation of Adam Silvera's No. 1 New York Times bestselling YA novel They Both Die at the End, I have learned. The project, which hails from Bridgerton creator Chris Van Dusen, Yellowjackets executive producer Drew Comins and studio eOne as well as music superstar Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known professionally as Bad Bunny, has received a significant, script-to-series commitment, I hear. It marks Van Dusen's return to Netflix where he created and served as executive producer/showrunner on the first two seasons of Shondaland's hit period drama Bridgerton, each of them ranking as Netflix's most popular English-language TV series at the time of their launch.

Your Complete Guide to Pilots and Straight-to-Series orders

Emmy and PGA Award-nominated Van Dusen is writing the pilot script and is executive producing through his CVD Productions alongside Silvera, Ocasio, and Comins via his eOne-based Creative Engine.

Entertainment One, which is the studio on the project, acquired U.S. rights to Silvera's novel in the spring of 2021 for Comins, a growing force in the YA premium space on the heels of the success of Showtime's Yellowjackets. Van Dusen came on board a year later when he was wrapping his two-season run on Bridgerton and had identified the They Both Die at the End novel as the kind of project he would like to tackle next.

At eOne, the project is overseen by Jacqueline Sacerio.

They Both Die at the End had been previously in development as a series at HBO with J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot and The Other Two co-creator Chris Kelly.

The novel is a devastating yet uplifting story about two people whose lives change over the course of one unforgettable day. The book synopsis reads: On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They're going to die today. 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: There's an app for that. It's called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure-to live a lifetime in a single day.

They Both Die at the End, which made history as the first YA novel with queer Latinx characters to hit No. 1 on the New York Times bestsellers list, was a breakout when it was first published in 2017. The novel then experienced a resurgence during the pandemic and hit No. 1 again in April 2021 after it became a fixture under the TikTok hashtag #BookTok, propelling it to spend 15 consecutive months at #1 YA on the NY Times Best Seller list and become the #1 best-selling YA book of 2021.

Globally, the novel has surpassed the latest Twilight book as the #1 YA Best Seller in the UK and Australia. A prequel, The First To Die At the End,, was published Oct. 4, 2022, again hitting #1 on the NY Times Best Seller list, and has remained on the list for 13 consecutive weeks since its release.

Bad Bunny had a big 2022. His LP "Un Verano Sin Ti" was the most streamed album of the year, breaking several records, and the year-end No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Albums recap. He was the year's top grossing touring act with 81 concerts culled from two separate tours, which each set a new record for the biggest Latin tour ever, and "Un Verano Sin Ti" became the first Spanish-language album to be nominated for album of the year at the Grammys.

As an actor, Bad Bunny will be seen in the Spider-Man universe for Sony/Marvel in his own standalone film, El Muerto. His credits also include Bullet Train, American Sole and Narcos: Mexico. He is repped by UTA and Rimas.

With Van Dusen at the helm, Bridgerton last spring became the only Netflix series to date to simultaneously hold both first and second place on the their Most Popular list with its first two seasons. The series has garnered multiple Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Drama for Season 1, as well as multiple SAG Award, TCA Award, and HCA nominations. Van Dusen's series credits also include Scandal and Grey's Anatomy. He is repped by Literate Management/Production and The Nord Group.

Yellowjackets, which Comins was instrumental in putting together and executive produces, has been a breakout hit for Showtime, with its freshman season ranking as the second-most streamed show in the network's history and streaming viewership more than quadrupling over the course of the season.

In a big vote of confidence the series, which garnered seven Emmy nominations including Outstanding Drama, a Peabody Award Nomination, and a Critics Choice Award for its first season, was recently renewed for a third season ahead of its Season 2 premiere.

Read More About:
JavaScript is required to load the comments.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Netflix Lands eOne's 'They Both Die At The End' Series Adaptation From 'Bridgerton' Creator Chris Van Dusen With Bad Bunny Executive Producing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
EXCLUSIVE: In a very competitive situation, with five streamers/networks bidding, Netflix has nabbed a series adaptation of Adam Silvera's No. 1 New York Times bestselling YA novel They Both Die at the End, I have learned. The project, which hails from Bridgerton creator Chris Van Dusen, Yellowjackets executive producer Drew Comins and studio eOne as [...]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Adam Silvera gets as close to his characters as his readers do. The first-and only-time he cried while writing was at the death of one of the main characters in his third young-adult novel, 2017's They Both Die at the End. He'd spent so much time outlining the story, he says, that "I knew that kid." But his new prequel, The First to Die at the End, offers more hope for new characters he's also come to love.

Both books follow queer love stories with Latinx protagonists. "I am dead set on writing queer characters for the rest of my life," he explains. "I'm a queer man. I don't need to contribute to the canon of heterosexual literature. If no other books were published about straight people, we would still be outnumbered for years." At 32, Silvera has published eight young-adult novels, all of them centering the experiences of queer characters.

Anita Lashey

They Both Die at the End saw an unexpected spike in sales in August 2020, when fans on BookTok-the corner of TikTok dedicated to books-began recommending it in droves. That popularity, which led to its forthcoming TV adaptation from the creator of Bridgerton, is the realization of a dream that began when he started writing fan fiction for franchises like Harry Potter and Marvel at age 11. At 21, the idea for his debut novel came to him. He'd been surrounded by books when he started working in the café of a Barnes & Noble. Because he was regularly recommending novels while serving up coffees, his managers moved him to the sales floor, where he got an informal education in YA literature.

For Silvera, his books have been a way to reimagine his life had he felt safe enough to be out as a teen in the South Bronx. He wants to provide a safe space, especially at a time when book bans are proliferating. "There are teenagers still struggling to come out. They're in my inboxes, at events-sometimes I'm the first person they've come out to, which is really special," he says. "That's the power of visibility within a novel."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Adam Silvera Is Writing the Books He Wished He Had as a Queer Teen

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
At 32, Silvera has published eight young-adult novels, all of them centering the experiences of queer characters.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Adam Silvera put it right there in the title: They Both Die at the End. But readers still didn't believe him. "People thought I was going to do a fake-out," the author says. "None of us is going to be the exception to death."

Silvera's heartbreaking YA novel follows teens Mateo and Rufus, who were both just notified by Death-Cast-a service that alerts subscribers when they are going to die within 24 hours-that their time has come. The story follows their romantic adventures together as they try to make the most of their last day. The novel was published in 2017, but it saw an unexpected surge in sales three years later thanks to BookTok, the subsection of TikTok that has proven powerful when it comes to launching best sellers. In 2020, when the world was on lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, bookworms on the platform helped catapult Silvera's novel to the top of the New York Times best-seller list. Now, building on that momentum, the author will publish a prequel, The First to Die at the End, on Oct. 4.

Silvera, 32, says he feels " indebted" to the BookTok community: "They've allowed me to return to the Death-Cast universe, which is something I've always wanted to do." The First to Die at the End takes place on the day that Death-Cast first launches and offers another queer love story, this time centered around protagonists Orion Pagan and Valentino Prince, who meet in Times Square. The two are instantly drawn to one another and explore the city together as the threat of death looms over them both-Valentino has received the call, while Orion is living with a heart condition that could end his life at any moment. The new book dives deeper into the lore of Death-Cast as readers hear about it from the perspective of the man who created the service, as well as his wife. Silvera wrote the book so that a new reader could start with the prequel and then read the original novel. "You want things to be in conversation with the other book but not fully reliant upon it," he says. "There's no real sequence to read these books."

For the author, whose path to writing started with a barista job at Barnes & Noble, exploring teen love stories is a way of processing his own past. "YA has really allowed me to deal with my own trauma, as well as reimagine what my life could have looked like had I been out as a teenager," he says. "I grew up in the South Bronx. It didn't feel safe to be so openly queer. I didn't feel fully confident in myself yet. Today I love being queer-it's one of my favorite things about myself."
Read More: The 100 Best YA Books of All Time
Silvera spoke to TIME about The First to Die at the End, plans for another book in the series, and whether he would subscribe to Death-Cast if given the choice.

TIME: When did you decide to write a prequel, and why?

Adam Silvera: I've always loved the Death-Cast universe, and I always wanted to write more books in it. My original editor wisely cautioned me against doing too many Death-Cast novels because we didn't want to dilute the beauty of Mateo and Rufus' love story. Something that I have said from the beginning with these novels is that I will never write the same book over and over. When I presented two ideas to my publisher, my agent, and my editor, they all thought the prequel idea was intriguing.

What can you tell me about future plans for the series?

There's a third Death-Cast novel, and the narrators are the two young boys we are introduced to in The First to Die at the End, Paz Dario and Alano Rosa. It's going to be out in 2024, and it's set 10 years after the prequel, in 2020, with no COVID. I'm going to be talking about how Death-Cast helped prevent COVID from becoming what it became in our world, because it's an alternate reality.

We're going to learn even more intimate details about Death-Cast, but also the highs and lows of being the son of the Death-Cast creator. Alano has not had an easy life because Death-Cast is a secret, and people want to know how it works. That presents a lot of challenges for him and a lot of blame befalls him unfairly because Death-Cast can be viewed by some as the reason people are dying.

In reading both books, I interpreted Death-Cast as sort of a villain character, but I feel like in The First to Die at the End, you're reshaping that narrative. Can you tell me more about that?

That's such an interesting observation for me, because I've never viewed Death-Cast as villainous. They are providing a service for those who want to know and brace themselves for an untimely death. I get asked all the time if I would subscribe to Death-Cast, and the answer is yes.

How do you go about deciding what you're going to explain in your novels and what you won't? In The First to Die at the End, readers are left with a cliff-hanger about how Death-Cast actually works.

I have the answer, and I've told a couple of people, should something happen to me.

But I think it just becomes a bigger distraction from the story I want you to pay attention to, which are the love stories within these novels. In the book, the creator of Death-Cast-who I basically use as a vessel to express my feelings about readers asking me about Death-Cast-says that once that door opens, there's no closing it. I 100% agree, because all that does is invite you to poke holes in it. From my comprehension of Death-Cast right now, it just works. We regularly go through life not knowing how something works and just accept that it does.

Something that I appreciated in both books is how the stories focus primarily on the two main characters, and not so much on the trials and tribulations of being queer.

We are starting to have this narrative that we need to retire the coming out story, because we're in a generation where there's a lot more understanding and acceptance. In 2010, that was not really the case, but that's not really the case either today. There are so many teenagers-and I know this because they DM me or I meet them at book signings-who are scared to come out today because of parents, guardians, friends, teachers, or classmates.

In this alternate reality, there is a Harry Potter-type book franchise and the author is a queer trans woman-very interesting, given all that's gone on with J.K. Rowling.

I'm very vocal about my deep disappointment in J.K. Rowling and all her anti-trans rhetoric. I wanted my readers, specifically trans readers, to know that this is a safe space. There is no anti-trans nonsense within my novels, and there never will be.
Read More: Trans Women Are Women. It's Time to Move Past Harmful Debate
Between the four main characters in the series so far-Mateo, Rufus, Orion, and Valentino-who do you identify with most?

Orion. Orion wasn't even supposed to be a narrator in this novel; his best friend Dalma was, but it just wasn't coming together. I thought, "Let me write something that just feels closer to me," and Orion was born. It was as if the book would never have existed without him in the first place.

Orion's a writer. He's from the Bronx. He's Puerto Rican. He curses so f-cking much, which is me, but he also has a really big heart. There are so many parts about his identity that are identical to my own, except I just wasn't out yet. So I got to play pretend a little bit and see what it could have looked like, had I been out in 2010. He lost his parents during 9/11, and even though I didn't lose my parents that day, how he describes that day is 90 to 95% identical to what I experienced.

Sept. 11 is such a focal point in the book. Can you say more about your relationship to that day?

My mom was in Manhattan that day. She normally worked in the Bronx, right across from where we grew up, but she had a meeting. She had to walk the bridge back to come pick up my brother and me from school. We were creating all these plans in case we got separated, because I was 11 years old. It was so terrifying to fear death like that.

Two months later, my favorite uncle died in a plane crash on the way to the Dominican Republic, Flight 587. Within that two-month period between 9/11 and losing my uncle, I came to this understanding that people can be here and then just suddenly be gone without any warning. And that's how Death-Cast was born. My death anxiety basically created this service where they can tell you when you're about to die. It's not so you can prevent it, because these books are not about that. It's about just giving you that heads up so you can get your affairs in order and so things aren't left unsaid.

They Both Die at the End is being adapted for television. What's your involvement with the show?

I was originally attached and involved as the creator and executive producer, but as of very recently, I have stepped away from the show.

How do you feel about that?

I'm processing. I love the universe so much. We will see what happens, but at this stage, it's just in development. There are no scripts. There is no cast. There's nothing in production. There's no streaming home for it. There are some really brilliant producers who are still attached to the project, so there is always hope.

Speaking of hope, one of the things you do well in these novels is suspend hope throughout the entire story. Why is there that hope, if we know what's going to happen in the end?

I'm telling you the ending from the title: They Both Die at the End. It was a really interesting exercise for people because they didn't believe me, and I'm like, that's on you. People thought I was going to do a fake-out where they'll be the exception to the rule. None of us is going to be the exception to death. As much as I love the boys in these books and want them to live, they're not going to develop immortality for the sake of it.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Adam Silvera on the Prequel to 'They Both Die at the End'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The best-selling author of 'They Both Die at the End' discusses his anticipated new prequel and his future plans for the series.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
YA literature is experiencing a renaissance. There are more intriguing voices and diversity in its pages than ever. In a new series, USA TODAY profiles five best-selling YA authors leading the charge to talk about the books, writers and moments that shaped their careers. So far, we've talked to Jenny Han and Angie Thomas. This week is Adam Silvera. Still to come are Jason Reynolds and Sabaa Tahir.
Adam Silvera 's first love is writing. Long before he learned to cherish reading, Silvera was writing his own stories. At 11, he was writing self-insert fiction by making himself a character in popular superhero stories. In high school, he had to take summer school three years in a row because he was "so consumed with storytelling," he says.

"I would come home and instead of doing homework, I would write my stories," Silvera says. "I was a well-behaved student, but I was not academically gifted by any measure."
More on YA author inspiration:'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' author Jenny Han's favorite book as a young adult will surprise you
So what book eventually sparked a love of reading for Silvera, bestselling author of "They Both Die at the End"? Like many of his generation, he devoured the "Harry Potter" and "The Hunger Games" series. But his true watershed moment came while reading "The Mortal Instruments" series by Cassandra Clare at age 19. He was a gay Latino from New York City's South Bronx, and it was "the first time that I got exposed to a gay character in a fantasy novel or even in any book, period. I didn't even realize that we could write queer characters into books," Silvera says.

Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist
More YA inspiration:'The Hate U Give' author Angie Thomas says this YA novel is why she writes books for 'people like me'
"I was so mesmerized by this queer love story playing out between this gay demon hunter and bisexual warlock. It's like this: When we talk about representation, making an impact ... this is that feeling, like strings of connection that are built between a reader and a character."
More: 50 Black YA authors you should read, from Angie Thomas to Walter Dean Myers
The more books he found with characters in whom he saw parts of himself, the more he liked to read. Silvera says "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe," Benjamin Alire Sáenz's coming-of-age novel, was the first book about queer Latinos he read. "I was just kind of shocked. I was like, 'Oh, we can write a book like this?' That book was such a gift to me."
More: Pride Month reading: 10 notable LGBTQ novels that will educate and entertain
TV shows and video games also helped Silvera hone his storytelling and led him to become involved in writing fan fiction online. He loved shows such as "Charmed," "Supernatural and "X-Men" and says video games don't get the credit they deserve in narrative building. "'Fable' was my favorite fantasy game, because the player got to decide if they were going to be the hero or villain or someone walking that middle line. I loved observing the benefits and consequences of my choices and watching how it changed the story for better or worse."

Silvera knew writing was his future and crafted his own education rather than attend college. He worked as a bookseller for Barnes & Noble and later at New York City's Books of Wonder. He attended the Gotham Writers Workshop. He reviewed children and YA books on Shelf Awareness. "I built my own MFA with various jobs that taught me so much about both publishing and storytelling," he says.

Now, at age 31, Silvera is a lauded author of such LGBTQ YA books as "Infinity Reaper," "Infinity Son," "More Happy Than Not" and "History Is All You Left Me." He co-wrote "What If It's Us" with Becky Albertalli and its sequel, "Here's to Us," also co-written with Albertalli, is due in December.

But it's 2017's "They Both Die at the End" that is his and his readers' favorite. The novel follows Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio, who become friends and form a strong bond on the day they meet, which is also the day they die. The novel recently became a mainstay on the USA TODAY Best-Sellers list thanks to fans who began posting positive responses about the book on TikTok.

"I think, especially with everything that we've encountered in the pandemic, ("We Both Die at the End") has kind of given people a chance to take a step back and see what they value most in life and how they can make the most out of each of their days and not take things for granted anymore."

Silvera is not going to stop telling stories anytime soon. He recently reacquired the rights to "They Both Die At the End" and is developing the series. He is also developing his first novel, "More Happy Than Not," into a series with HBO Max, according to Deadline. And he will, of course, be writing. He plans on finishing the final installment in his "Infinity Cycle" trilogy as well as getting started on some new books.

"Yeah, I am really busy for the next couple of years."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'They Both Die at the End' author Adam Silvera took this unconventional road to YA success

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
More than just books, it was TV and video games that helped USA TODAY bestselling author Adam Silvera hone his craft.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The series seeks to capture LGBTQ+ individuals (and allies) in a moment of authenticity. We get to know the subjects, what makes them who they are, and what they value.

The goal of these intimate conversations is to leave you, the reader, feeling like you just gained a new friend, a new perspective, and that you learned something new about or saw a different side of someone - maybe someone that you don't see online, but someone that's maybe like you.

This week get to know bestselling queer writer and novelist Adam Silvera, author of They Both Die at the End, More Happy Than Not, and more! Learn about his advice for queer youth, his deal breakers when dating someone, who he would shadow for a day, and more!

Name: Adam Silvera

Age: 30

Preferred Pronouns: He/Him/His

Sexually Identifies As: Queer
What do you love about the LGBTQ+ community?
I love that we all have a very similar upbringing in a lot of ways. It's a very unique lens that we see our lives through and being able to connect with everyone over their personal journey and their respective journey feels sort of exclusive to us.
How did you feel attending your first Pride?
I was 24/25, I was in New York and it was weird for me because I was so self-conscious going into it. I had a lot of insecurities then and my "brave" outfit of choice was shorts. I remember flipping off people who had homophobic signs and that felt really great. It was weird sharing street space with people who were seemingly confident about their bodies and that's always been tricky - but I also felt really safe there as well. I was self-conscious but it felt like a day where I was with my people whether I knew them or not.
What does Pride mean to you?
It means being legit happy with myself. I always strive for authenticity, I'm always pursuing happiness, and I love being queer. I have told people in conservative states that being queer is one of my favorite things about myself.
Do you think LGBTQ+ youth have it easier? It gets better, but does it get easier as time goes on?
I think queer youth now have a broader vocabulary than we did in relation to queer identity. But I hear from enough teenagers across the board who can't even purchase my novels or bring them home because they hint at gayness. Even in progressive cities. I know for a fact there are still people struggling even though we have made a lot of progress, but I'm sure that they have their own respective issues that I wouldn't be able to relate to or wouldn't have experienced myself when I was their age.
What's advice you have for LGBTQ+ youth?
Find your people in whatever form possible, even if you're bonding with people on fanfiction forums under different usernames. That was so helpful for me when I wanted to talk about queerness, but was scared of it being traced back to me.

Yes, absolutely. When I love, I love so hard.
Do you believe in love?
Honesty, humor, flexibility.
What are values that you look for in an ideal partner?
Beautiful in all forms.
Describe what being queer is like in 3-5 words.
I want to be kinder to myself. I think I'm already getting better with that but there's still so much work left to do.
What is something you want to change about yourself in the next six months?
I was about 8 or 9, I was on my block in the South Bronx. My then best friend and I went to the sprinklers, we took our shirts off and I remember I touched his shoulder and my hand lingered a second longer and I just knew that that felt different from every other time that I had touched this friend.
What's your earliest memory that you felt you were different?
My body.
What do you feel most insecure about?
That I'm a great storyteller.
What do you feel most confident about?
"I Am Valuable."
What is the title of the current chapter of your life?
Thoughtfulness.
What is a quality you find sexy?
Intolerance towards other communities, someone who lies, someone who can't put up with me listening to the same song for two weeks straight.
What are deal breakers for you when dating someone?
Going to an arcade with a shit ton of friends and drinking a shit ton of fruity cocktails and hugging everyone a shit ton.
What does an ideal night for you look like?
My Tio Cutito, who passed in an airplane crash two months after 9/11. He was the strongest male role model in my childhood. And my mom so she can have dinner with her brother.
Pick two people to invite to dinner. Who would you invite?
Anyone's birthday. I love birthdays more than I love Halloween which is my favorite traditional birthday.
Favorite holiday?
Michaela Coel. I loved I May Destroy You. I'm so inspired by all the roles that she played in that show's genetics from creator, director, writer, star, producer. I would love to see what a day in her life looks like.
If you could shadow anybody for a day, who would it be?
I think I'm a more accepting person in general. I was a very impressionable kid to the point where had I been straight, I wouldn't have understood queerness and I could've been someone who was shitty to queer people. I think by having my own marginalization, it has allowed me a way wider empathy for other marginalizations.
What value/quality has being queer given you? What have you gained? Keep up with Adam on Twitter and Instagram. His latest novel, Infinity Reaper, is available digitally and on bookstore shelves! Be sure to check out his other works here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Get to know the writer behind our some of our fave book titles like They Both Die at the End and More Happy Than Not!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Adam Silvera's Inspiration for They Both Die at the End

# data[].attributes.headline
DQ 1: What were you first thoughts when reading the title? Did it feel like a spoiler?

# data[].attributes.subject
DQ 1: What were you first thoughts when reading the title? Did it feel like a spoiler?

# data[].attributes.headline
DQ 2: What were your first thoughts after finishing the book? Was the title chosen wisely? Would you have given the book a different title? Why/Why not?

# data[].attributes.subject
DQ 2: What were your first thoughts after finishing the book? Was the title chosen wisely? Would you have given the book a different title? Why/Why not?

# data[].attributes.headline
DQ 3: How did the story challenge you to contemplate your own life and death? Did it?

# data[].attributes.subject
DQ 3: How did the story challenge you to contemplate your own life and death? Did it?

# data[].attributes.headline
DQ 4: Would you want to know when your last day was if you were able?

# data[].attributes.subject
DQ 4: Would you want to know when your last day was if you were able?

# data[].attributes.headline
DQ 5: If you knew it was your last day, would you do anything differently? Why or why not?

# data[].attributes.subject
DQ 5: If you knew it was your last day, would you do anything differently? Why or why not?

# data[].attributes.headline
DQ 6: What do you think about the “Death Cast” system? 

# data[].attributes.subject
DQ 6: What do you think about the “Death Cast” system? 

# data[].attributes.headline
DQ 7: Most of the story is told from Mateo or Rufus’ point of view, yet some of the chapters switch to other characters. Why do you think the author did this? Did it enhance the story for you at all?

# data[].attributes.subject
DQ 7: Most of the story is told from Mateo or Rufus’ point of view, yet some of the chapters switch to other characters. Why do you think the author did this? Did it enhance the story for you at all?

# data[].attributes.headline
DQ 8: Despite knowing he’s going to die, Mateo doesn’t want to tell Lidia when he goes to see her one last time. If you knew you were going to die, would you tell anyone? Why or why not?

# data[].attributes.subject
DQ 8: Despite knowing he’s going to die, Mateo doesn’t want to tell Lidia when he goes to see her one last time. If you knew you were going to die, would you tell anyone? Why or why not?

# data[].attributes.headline
DQ 9: What is the message of They Both Die at the End?

# data[].attributes.subject
DQ 9: What is the message of They Both Die at the End?

# data[].attributes.headline
DQ 10: Why, in your opinion, is this novel so popular? 

# data[].attributes.subject
DQ 10: Why, in your opinion, is this novel so popular? 

# data[].attributes.headline
DQ 11: What topics are dealt with in the book that are attractive to younger readers?

# data[].attributes.subject
DQ 11: What topics are dealt with in the book that are attractive to younger readers?

# data[].attributes.headline
DQ 12: Were Rufus and Mateo good for each other?

# data[].attributes.subject
DQ 12: Were Rufus and Mateo good for each other?

# data[].attributes.headline
DQ 13: Did you expect Rufus and Mateo fall in love with each other? Why/Why not?

# data[].attributes.subject
DQ 13: Did you expect Rufus and Mateo fall in love with each other? Why/Why not?

# data[].attributes.headline
DQ 14: “But no matter what choices we make—solo or together—our finish line remains the same […] No matter how we choose to live, we both die at the end” (79). How does this quote encapsulate the book’s themes about mortality and living without regret? How do those themes intersect with the concept of free will?

# data[].attributes.subject
DQ 14: “But no matter what choices we make—solo or together—our finish line remains the same […] No matter how we choose to live, we both die at the end” (79). How does this quote encapsulate the book’s themes about mortality and living without regret? How do those themes intersect with the concept of free will?

# data[].attributes.headline
“This isn’t the early 2000s, when people were dying without warning. Death-Cast is here to prepare Deckers and their loved ones, not for the Decker to turn their back on their loved ones. “ -- Lidia Vargas

# data[].attributes.subject
“This isn’t the early 2000s, when people were dying without warning. Death-Cast is here to prepare Deckers and their loved ones, not for the Decker to turn their back on their loved ones. “ -- Lidia Vargas

# data[].attributes.headline
“We never act…Only react when we realize the clock is ticking.” --Mateo

# data[].attributes.subject
“We never act…Only react when we realize the clock is ticking.” --Mateo

# data[].attributes.headline
"No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new." -- Steve Jobs

# data[].attributes.subject
"No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new." -- Steve Jobs

# data[].attributes.headline
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that’s all.” – Oscar Wilde

# data[].attributes.subject
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that’s all.” – Oscar Wilde