[SUMMARY & BOOK REVIEW] “THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END"
1. BOOK INTRODUCTION
“They Both Die at the End” is a novel in the Young Adult – dystopian – contemporary genre, first published in 2017. From its title, the book makes a strong impression and creates a paradoxical feeling: the author openly reveals the ending of the story, yet it still leads millions of readers worldwide on a reading journey with heavy hearts and teary eyes. When I finished “They Both Die at the End,” what lingered in me was not just sadness at the foretold ending, but a quiet, lingering feeling about how people live their daily lives. Mateo and Rufus made me realize that fear is not something to be ashamed of, because everyone carries their own unique fears: fear of loss, fear of loneliness, fear of failure, and most of all, fear of living a meaningless life. What makes the story so haunting is that the two characters don't die because they're weak, but because they live more fully than anyone else on their last day.