I got introduced to Adam Silvera when I discovered his book “They Both Die At The End” and became an instant fan. My fandom continued with his book “The First To Die At The End” which is the sequel prequel in his Death Cast universe (Where people are called on the day they’re going to die, allowing them to live their final day to the fullest). When I heard the third book, “The Survivor Wants To Die At The End”, was coming out and Barnes & Noble Union Square in New York City was having Adam in for a signing, I got a ticket and booked the day off. The cherry on top, Adam was in conversation with two other great gay YA authors, Ryan La Sala and Dustin Thao. It was fun seeing these three friends hang out and gave insight into Adam’s personality and writing process.
Without any spoilers (Adam’s titles say it all), “The Survivor Wants To Die At The End” is chuck full of cameos from the previous books and is required reading to appreciate this one. This book takes place a decade after the prequel, on the cusp of Death Cast’s ten-year anniversary, when fate brings two boys with intertwined histories together. Not only is it about their love story but also the politics and people trying to put a stop to Death Cast. Adam’s books are always touching and dark but “The Survivor Wants To Die At The End” is even more so with suicidal main characters. It deals heavily with mental health issues, sometimes a bit too much, in my gay opinion.
At seven-hundred pages, “The Survivor Wants To Die At The End” is a deep dive into the Death Cast world. Adam’s writing always draws me in and I appreciate every minute spent with his words and characters. However, this novel is just a vehicle to get from book two to four and doesn’t stand on it’s own like Adam’s previous books in the Death Cast series. It also didn’t leave me a crying mess at the end…which is a little disappointing. If you’re interested in visiting Death Cast and not great about remembering characters and plot lines over time (like me), wait until book four (“No One Knows Who Dies At The End”) drops so you’re not left on a cliffhanger.
