You know… I always know the ending with books like this. It’s literally in the title. But I will always hold out hope that in the end, it’s not who I think it’s going to be. And then… BAM! They’re dead and I’m sobbing and I’m hoping for a miracle.

The prequel to one of my favorite books, They Both Die at the End, The First to Die at the End was nothing if not just as beautiful and heart-wrenching. From the very beginning, I knew that Valentino and Orion would be so incredible together. It only hurts knowing that they could both be dead by the ending. You spend hundreds of pages getting to know them, learning what’s made them who they are, only for your heart to be CRUSHED!

What I did love is getting to see how Deathcast began. Seeing it from the first time it premiered and the first call that was made is kind of thrilling. I do wish I knew how they predicted the deaths though. I know it’s not real, but I’d love to know the “science” behind something like that or at least the made up science.

I can’t in good faith say everything in my review that I want to say, because I don’t want to ruin it for anyone. That feeling of not knowing who it may be, even though you have an idea… it’s a magical mystery of breaking someone’s heart. And mine is cracked into a million pieces.

Thank you Harper Collins Childrens Books and NetGalley for the ARC of The First to Die at the End. I read They Both Die At The End last year and absolutely loved it so was excited to read this. This prequel did not disappoint! Two different strangers spend the day together but Death Cast (who makes the phone call to tell you it is your last day) is going live to the first time in this book so no one knows what to expect or if Death Cast can even make these predictions. Silvera does a fantastic job of making us question what is really important and encouraging us to live our lives to their fullest.

I was a huge fan of Adam Silvera's They Both Die at the End, so I was excited to read the follow up prequel The First to Die at the End! I devoured it, mostly because I adored Orion and Valentino. Alas, after finishing it, I do have mixed feelings. While I loved the characters more in this book than the previous, the story itself felt a little repetitious. There really wasn't anything new here, and seeing how it all started didn't add much to the greater understanding.
As a standalone I think this book is well worth a read, and I might even like it better than the first, but as a prequel I felt it was redundant. I wonder if reading the two books out of order would sit better with me...
I did listen to the audiobook recently and felt like the cast did a really good job bringing the story to life. It was a very enjoyable listen!
I am going to give the book 3 out of 5 stars, not because it is bad, but rather because I didn't feel like it worked very well as a prequel.

This book has all the feels… Powerful, it will sweep you up and pull you along for the ride for Valentino’s last 24 hours. Who else might die? Is it really true? Packs a punch about living life to its fullest.

I’m not okay! I didn’t think something as beautiful and heartbreak as They Both Die at the End could has a sequel that is just as beautiful and heartbreaking…but here we are. Adam Silvera writes in such a way that makes me feel so connected to each character. I feel like I truly knew Valentino and Orion. Even though these stories are beautifully tragic, I love revisiting the world and hope for more. I also love the cameos in this novel.

I actually had not read TBDATE until this month. I started with that, and then went immediately into this book.
The book, as the title suggests, follows the first person who death cast called, about 7 years before TBDATE.
Being the first, everyone is a little unsure if it is real and there is also still a “glitch” in the system where some people who were dying did NOT get called.
Similar to the first book, it follows two teenage boys who become fast friends and lovers. It is also every bit as sad, if not sadder than the first book.
We get to see glimpses of Rufus and Mateo and their families as they were before we met them in TBATE.
The part I didn’t like as much was the POV of the death cast creator. I didn’t quite see the purpose and there were still a lot of unanswered questions at the end.
Overall, I really loved this

I am probably one of the few people who picked this up before reading They Both Die at the End. This is the prequel to that one which tells the story of the first DeathCast-a company who calls you and tells you that you are going to die in the next 24 hours. Orion and Valentino cross paths in Times Square waiting for the first DeathCast announcements. They have an instant connection and when one of them gets the call, they decide to spend their last day together. This was an awesome love story and a magical book about connections. I loved it all the way through and am definitely going to follow up now and read They Both Die at the End. Adam Silvera does such a great job of detailing human connection, firsts together with these two characters, and how to live your own story even if your time is limited.

This prequel to "They Both Die at the End" focuses on the first day "Death Cast goes live, and those who are first called by the new company. Specifically Valentino, who has the dubious honor of being the first decker, called by the company founder himself.
While similar to TBDATE in that it focuses on living the final day to the fullest, it also showcases the start of Death Cast and the uncertainty around it. Is it true? Can it be real? And even knowing... I still hoped for Orion and Valentino, that somehow....
An excellent, sweet almost love story (or actual love story with a bittersweet ending?)

This book was everything I hoped it would be. Adam Silvera does it again but pulling at the reader's heartstrings and forcing us to really deeply care for characters we know aren't going to make it to the end of the book. I loved the weaving of characters from the first book into this one, and I can't wait for the next book in the series!

It took me a few days to push my feelings aside enough to write this review. I opened this book knowing it was going to be sad but thinking I could manage it since the first book was rather predictable (the ending was the title after all). However, I am happily and surprisingly a wreck after finishing the last page. I too may need a heart transplant.
The shining features of this book are the fully developed povs that felt important to the story and not intrusive. There are multiple povs that flesh out the world Valentino and Orion inhabit and each offer the reader another nugget to consider in this world on the brink of accepting Death-Cast. Speaking of which, Death-Cast is also a shining feature. The looming questions I still have from the first book all concern Death-Cast and the Heralds so it was fascinating to read more about behind the scenes of this unnatural company designed to alert you of the end of our natural lifecycle.
Some of the duller moments were the same in both books. For one, the romance didn’t do much for me, but then again I know I am not the audience for the romance. I think many will see themselves in Val or Orion and for that reason I am glad they exist. But, I was still left wondering about Death-Cast. What is behind the vault? Why 12? Who is Joaquin Rosa? These questions alone have me begging for another book (Maybe “How they die in the end” or “The beginning of the end”...idk, clearly I am not Silvera). I am just obsessed with this world that is obsessed with death.
Thank you to NetGalley, Adam Silvera, HarperCollins Children's Books, and Quill Tree Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"People swear they're going to live perfect lives when you get the chance to say everything you need to say, but the truth is: death is faster than you. Even when you're warned."
The First to Die at the End was the perfect prequel to They Both Die at the End. The story dives in to the first day of Death Cast and how it was received by the world. The impact that it had on the many lives of different characters throughout the story. The story mainly focuses on a select few main characters, but also gives perspectives from a few side characters which was a nice addition, helping the reader get into the minds of different characters in the story.
The story is mainly about a character -that is hesitant to believe Death-Cast is even real- being the first person to receive the phone call from Death-Cast. He has become the first "decker" as they are called, and even though he is unsure if they even called the right person, he goes out and lives the day doing everything he wanted to do with a new friend by his side. These two characters are what the story focuses on and how they live life to the fullest just in case.
Both of these characters grow in just one day, they learn to see life in a new way. They begin to understand the purpose of Death Cast and why someone would want to know if it was their last day.
I felt like this book was a lot more focused on the overall development on the role Death Cast would play in the lives of many characters and less angsty than They Both Die in the End. For that reason, I felt it was a better story. It was a solid prequel that brought about a great story about love and a great origin story for Death Cast.
"I'm no longer a short story. I'm now a novel, better yet, I'm a work in progress."
Thank you Harper Collins Children's Book and NetGalley for providing an e-copy.

This book did not live up to my expectations. I loved TBDATE and I had high hopes this prequel would live up to those standards. But, alas, it was just okay. I don't know if it's because there were more narrators and therefore more sides of the story. I don't know if it's because I didn't feel an immediate connection to Valentino and Orion.

Valentino is newly arrived in New York to start a modeling career after being rejected by his parents for being gay. His sister Scarlett is joining him tomorrow and while he waits, he decides to join the party at Times Square for the release of Deathcast, a new service that claims to be able to predict if you will die in the next 24 hours. Orion, who is waiting on a heart transplant, also goes to Times Square for the release party. The two meet and hit things off. When the head of Deathcase makes the first call at midnight, one of the boy's phone rings setting the two on a life changing 24 hours.

I read and loved They Both Die at the End and was seriously looking forward to this one and was not disappointed. While there were certain things that were a bit predictable, it didn't detract from the book. I loved all of the different perspectives, constantly shifting between not just Valentino and Orion but a whole cast of other characters.

I have read they both die at the end and found it to be very thought provoking. I was not sure what to expect from this prequel but I enjoyed this book even more than the first. It was hard to put down as I was so invested in the characters story lines. This was truly thought provoking and I can’t wait to see what everyone else thinks.

I loved book one (go read that now if you haven’t) but this book let us see the beginning and the creation of the app.

We do get more Rufus and Mateo (sobs for what could’ve been) and I love that.

Read this. Feel feelings. Have a good cry (again).

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book!

I absolutely adored this book! I am so excited for my students to read this. Orion and Valentino truly captured my heart with their authenticity. SO many of my students who have read the first book said they wished they could see the origins of Death Cast, so I am truly looking forward to them reading this prequel. While some of the POVs felt irrelevant and extraneous, the two main characters truly pulled this book together and made it an enjoyable, tear-jerking ride.

Thank you for NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC to read.

It is no secret that They Both Die at the End is very popular among teens thanks to word of mouth and Tik Tok. As a high school librarian, I couldn't keep it on the shelves. It is also a favorite to booktalk to students. They are always intrigued by the premise.

I will say that students, when they hear about this prequel, are very excited! They seem to want more of this world. But it isn't quite the same world. This book is set during the first day of the launch of DeathCast. So we get to see the launch, the hiccups, and how folks reacted.

Many of the beats of this book is similar to They Both Die at the End. To be frank, as an adult reader, I was initially worried the story would be the same, but I felt like Silvera pulled it off. It was different enough and he built the suspense well.

I would rec that teen librarians and high school librarians add this title to their collections.

On July 1, 2010 Death-Cast launches and the world awaits to determine whether its predictions are accurate. Founder Joaquin Rosa promises Death-Cast is the next evolution of society as it will make everyone a captain of their own ship, able to live out their final day with joy and dignity. Valentino Prince isn’t convinced, but given his recent move to New York City, he heads to Times Square to take in the sights. What he finds is a party that looks a lot like New Year’s Eve and even includes a countdown clock to when Death-Cast goes live. There he bumps into Orion Pagan. Orion has been living with a heart condition all his life. He sees Death-Cast as a game changer because it will allow him to know when he will die. When Valentino’s and Orion’s paths cross, it is bound to be a crucial moment at the dawning of a new day.

Fans of They Both Die at the End will appreciate Adam Silvera’s The First to Die at the End. This well-crafted prequel also has the same optimistic angle while providing the main characters the ability to chart their own course. Orion has been expecting his death for so long that his viewpoint provides perspective for other characters. Valentino came out to his parents but they found their religious, Latino upbringing at odds with their unwavering acceptance of their son. Seeking a new start, he offers the reader an outsider’s view of New York City. This is appreciated given that New York City is a common location in novels, but there’s a certain kind of magic that Valentino brings as he explores the city with Orion.

This allows New York City to be its own character. Like most novels that feature New York City as the setting, it pulls on iconic landmarks, like Times Square, the subway, and the World Trade Center or Ground Zero. There were also less well-known spots that locals may be unaware of, such as the abandoned City Hall subway stop and High Line Park and its history. The cast is rounded out by several other characters: Joaquin Rosa, Nya Rosa, Rolando Rubio, Frankie Dario, Gloria Dario, Paz Dario, Scarlett Prince, Dalma Young, Andrea Donahue, Captain Harry E. Pearson, Férnan Emeterio, Rufus Emeterio, Clint Suarez, William Wilde, and Mateo Torrez Jr. Each of these characters has an impact on Orion and Valentino or the two boys influence the side character on their tromp through New York City. Some of these moments are more obvious than others given the action in the novel. These interlude chapters are often very short but provide context for the action occurring in the scene.

For readers who hoped to learn the secret behind Death-Cast, look elsewhere. Joaquin Rosa’s and Nya Rosa’s viewpoints make it clear that the secret will never be revealed. According to both of these characters, the secret was shared with the U.S. government under the assumption that it would never be revealed to anyone outside of this select group. This point is mentioned several times throughout the novel, making it clear that the science or secret behind Death-Cast will remain unknown.

Overall, I would recommend The First to Die at the End. Though the pacing at times is interrupted by some of the different viewpoints and the middle of the novel is a bit slow, readers won’t be able to stop themselves from falling in love with Orion and Valentino and the journey they take. They’ll also continue hoping until the very end that Death-Cast’s predictions are wrong.

I didn’t really like the first book in this series. I was hoping this one would add more so i would be excited about the story, it was just missing something.

I was slightly disappointed by this book. I was a fan of the first book because of the emotional attachment I formed with the characters, which didn't happen with this book. I found myself not caring about Orion and Valentino, even thought I wanted to. It is possible the book's pacing is what caused my issue. The beginning of the book felt slow, with the story only picking up halfway through. "They Both Die at the End" has become a TikTok phenomenon, but I think fans of the first book will be disappointed by this one.