88 pages 2 hours read

Adam Silvera

They Both Die at the End

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2017

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Essay Topics

1.

The book’s title—They Both Die at the End—gives away the ending of the story. Why might the author have chosen this title? What does it say about the larger themes surrounding mortality?

2.

Though Part 3 is located halfway through the book, it is titled “The Beginning.” Why? What changes have taken place that might make this a kind of beginning? Discuss them in terms of both Mateo’s and Rufus’ character evolution.

3.

Unpack the following quote: “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?