Prequels are tricky things: why do they need to exist? What is the author trying to do? Can it live up to the original/s? When it comes to #TheFirstToDieAtTheEnd by Adam Silvera, I have to say this prequel is even better than They Both Die at the End, which is a high bar as I enjoyed the original. The book follows Valentino--a young man who has moved to NYC to work his first modeling gig and to get away from his homophobic parents--and Orion, a young man who lives every day not knowing if it will be his last due to a heart condition. They meet in Times Square when Death-Cast goes live and their fates cross. This day between them is as heartfelt and adorable as the original books' characters (who we meet in cameos), but what makes First to Die at the End stand out is how deeply it delves into topics such as homophobia and violence as well as the ethical layers of Death-Cast and how it would affect so many layers of society--all seen through the eyes of several characters even though the focus is on the main two. Silvera balances a personal touch with critical insight of heavy topics. Many thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC. We will be buying several copies for our library!