The First to Die at the End

the same as the first book, a lot of emotions. I can say that this one was a little better, it caught me much faster💞

[warning : a bit of spoiler along the way; read at your own risk] A prequel to They Both Die at the End, The First to Die at the End told story of how Death-Cast were first announced to the public and Valentino Prince uninvoluntarily became the first Death-Cast on his first night in New York. Like its prequel, Adam Silvera is coming at you with no mercy; one minute you'll fall in love with the beautiful storyline and flawless conversation between our main, emotions that's been interwoven, then boom! tears come like floods. What I love about this prequel is how Adam take us into worlds where people still unfamiliar with Death Casts. There are no Last Friend apps, no activities building to spend your final day, and Death-Casts was labeled a "government conspiracy theory." Essentially, everything that happened on They Both Die at the End was about to begin. And to know that for the very first time, these people were going to get a call that marked their last day makes this book feel tragic to me. The main character's development has also become a plus point for me; Valentino and Orion (that's a cool-ass name; major props for Adam) are such a lovely and cute stranger to friends to lovers trope. Their personalities complement each other, making their conversation and flirty banter free from cringe and second-hand embarassment (to have your main have this hot, sizzling, yet fluffy chemistry is a blessing). We are also introduced to other characters who are intentionally or unintentionally related to Valentino and Orion, which makes this book more rich in personage. Though I have a slight dislike for scenes from Mateo and Rufus' point of view, the idea of them meeting as children and then meeting again in the future and having this star-crossed lover relationship makes it almost look like Valentino and Orion; it came across as cliched and forced to me (this is why I gave four rather than five stars.). Anyway, "The First to Die at the End" is a prequel worth reading. If you want to get your heart wrenched, your tears dried, and your faith in love restored, I suggest you spare a bit of your time to read these beautiful, amazing creations of Adam Silvera.