"They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera

They Both Die at the End (Sept. 5, 2017) by Adam Silvera.

<This is a standalone novel, but a prequel novel released in 2022.>

“We here at Last Friend Inc. are collectively sorry for this loss of you.” The midnight hour has recently passed when Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to inform them that they will die in the next 24 hours. Mateo’s only family is his dad, and he’s in a coma. His best friend is Lidia Vargas and her one-year-old daughter Penny. He wants to really live for one day. Rufus’ family received their call from Death-Cast four months ago. He has the Plutos – Malcolm Anthony and Tagoe Hayes – and his ex-girlfriend, Aimee DuBois, who seems to want to see him on his final day, but there’s her problematic boyfriend. Mateo and Rufus find themselves as Deckers on the Last Friend app. It’s their End Day, and they will aim to live an adventurous lifetime in a single day.
        What would you do if you suddenly only had one day to live? Silvera explores that in this profound and heartrending YA novel of friendship, fate, love and loss. This is the first work I’ve read by Silvera, and it’s emotional, the storytelling at turns inducing chuckles and tears. It’s contemplative, bold and diverse. From the title, readers know how it will end. Romance, even a lifetime of friendship, is doomed from the get-go. The story sometimes gave me Lurlene McDaniel vibes, and I read so many of her books when I was younger. This is a moving story of living one last day. “Entire lives aren’t lessons, but there are lessons in lives.”
        Note: I will have a Reading Challenge update, but I chose this book because I’d read that it’s a banned book. The reason is, apparently, because it features a queer relationship. They kiss, but it’s chaste. They’re not ripping off each other’s clothing and having graphic intercourse. This story is first and foremost about two teenagers unexpectedly having to live one last day. There’s no tomorrow for them.