The First to Die at the End
In this prequel to the bestselling phenomenon They Both Die at the End, two new strangers spend a life-changing day together after Death-Cast first makes their fateful calls. #1 New York Times bestseller!
It’s the night before Death-Cast goes live, and there’s one question on everyone’s mind: Can Death-Cast actually predict when someone will die, or is it just an elaborate hoax?
Orion Pagan has waited years for someone to tell him that he’s going to die. He has a serious heart condition, and he signed up for Death-Cast so he could know what’s coming.
Valentino Prince is restarting his life in New York. He has a long and promising future ahead and he only registered for Death-Cast after his twin sister nearly died in a car accident.
Orion and Valentino cross paths in Times Square and immediately feel a deep connection. But when the first round of End Day calls goes out, their lives are changed forever—one of them receives a call, and the other doesn’t. Though neither boy is certain how the day will end, they know they want to spend it together…even if that means their goodbye will be heartbreaking.
Told with acclaimed author Adam Silvera’s signature bittersweet touch, this story celebrates the lasting impact that people have on each other and proves that life is always worth living to the fullest.
Adam Silvera
Adam Silvera writes young adult fiction that is unafraid of the inevitable. His stories often begin with a premise that feels almost cruel in its honesty, a fixed ending, a ticking clock, a choice that cannot be undone, and then turn their focus to what truly matters, the fragile, beautiful space in between. In contemporary YA literature, his voice stands out for its emotional precision and its quiet insistence that living fully is an act of courage.
Raised in the Bronx, New York, Silvera grew up surrounded by the intensity of city life, where stories were everywhere if you knew how to listen. He began writing at a young age, first through fan fiction, long before publishing felt like a realistic path. Instead of a traditional academic route, he learned the industry from the inside, working in bookstores and later in publishing. Those years shaped his understanding of readers, not as an abstract audience, but as real people searching for connection, recognition, and sometimes reassurance.
They Both Die at the End
Some stories begin with possibility. This series begins with certainty. From the first page, the reader steps into a near-future world where a phone call can redraw the meaning of an entire lifetime, turning ordinary hours into something painfully precious. What makes They Both Die at the End endure is not its premise alone, but how quietly and intimately it explores what people do once the future is no longer a mystery.
They Both Die at the End consists of three books and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
