The Survivor Wants to Die at the End

The entire They Both Die at the End series is based on the premise that technology was developed in 2010 that can predict a person’s death day. Those “on deck” to die on any given day are known as “Deckers.” Because Death-Cast is 100% accurate, an entire industry springs up to cater to Deckers. The Last Friend app connects people who don’t want to spend their last day alone with other Deckers or non-Decker volunteers.

The three novels that currently comprise the series all tell the stories of Deckers and survivors. Some of the same characters appear in more than one book, while those who have died are also referenced in relation to other characters. A brief synopsis of each novel is given below to make it easier to understand how each book intertwines with the others.

They Both Die at the End takes place in 2017, three years before the events of the most recent novel in the series. It follows the last day of two Deckers named Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio. They meet through the Last Friend app and decide to spend their final day together. Through their various adventures and shared conversations about their lives, the boys develop strong feelings for each other. They end up spending the night together at Mateo’s apartment. After professing their love, they express regret that they didn’t meet sooner. Mateo dies after his stove explodes while he is making tea for himself and Rufus. Rufus is devastated and says his final goodbyes to his now-dead boyfriend. Still dazed, he leaves Mateo’s apartment while wearing a headset so he can listen to a recording of Mateo’s voice. Failing to notice oncoming traffic, he is run over by a car and killed.

The First to Die at the End is a prequel to the first book in the series. Set in 2010, it describes the first End Day after Death-Cast launches. Two young men, Valentino Prince and Orion Pagan, meet by chance in Times Square. Orion has signed up for Death-Cast while Valentino has not, but Orion quickly persuades him to do so. Shortly after he signs up for Death-Cast, Valentino receives a call notifying him that this will be his End Day. Aware that Orion has a heart condition, Valentino arranges to become an organ donor for his new friend. They spend the day together and develop an attraction that deepens into love. When the day ends, Valentino discovers his landlord, Frankie Dario, assaulting his wife and her new lover. Valentino tries to stop the attack but is hurled down the stairs by Frankie and dies. Frankie’s nine-year-old son, Paz, shoots Frankie to stop his murderous rampage. Apparently, Frankie was one of a dozen Death-Cast subscribers who never received an End Day alert. Valentino’s heart is undamaged, so his body is rushed to a hospital for Orion’s organ transplant. The two star-crossed lovers now share the same heart.

The Survivor Wants to Die at the End is set in 2020 and follows the story of Frankie Dario’s son, Paz, who is now 19. Death-Cast has made a mess of his life, and he wants to die by suicide. He accidentally crosses paths with the Death-Cast heir, Alano Rosa, who can relate to Paz’s sense of despair. The two boys fall in love and pursue their relationship despite all odds. The author has announced that their story will continue in the next planned book in the series.