*This review WILL contain spoilers*
This was my first Adam Silvera book and I was PUMPED to start it. I even put down one of my highly anticipated reads to start it! And I’m being completely honest when I say that I hate to say that it wasn’t my favorite.
I think it has something to do with the note in the front. That completely threw me off and I think affected how I viewed and read the rest of the story. And I have a few things to say about it.
I do not want this to sound like I’m taking away from anything Adam said, because there was some amazing stuff in there and I don’t want downsize his success or the struggles he has faced. He also seems like a really awesome dude. But, I think it was the last sentence that really got to me. The part about getting out there because the clock is ticking.
I know it ties into the story and it makes sense because of what the story is about, but I don’t like that kind of pressure. I’ll get out there when I feel like it and that’s fine. I don’t need to do it now because I’m lucky enough to have time. It’s fine to do nothing. It’s fine to do nothing and find yourself through that. It’s fine to do something and then do some more nothing. You don’t have to get out there if you don’t want to. Stay in. Find yourself that way. Just do what makes you happy. I know I may be taking this way out of context, but forget the clock. Your time is your own and you can do whatever you want with it.
I am probably the only one who feels this way. I want to put out there that this is solely based on personal preference and because of where I am in my life. My mind works in weird ways sometimes and things like this get it all fired up.
Now, on to the actual story.
It was brilliant to have it take place the day of the actual release. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC, but I think reading it on that day would have been magical.
It’s amazing concept even it if sounds really weird at first and takes some getting used to. I just feel there are too many questions about Death-Cast. If they don’t call a lot of things won’t go down and people won’t die. And how can they tell? (Now that backstory would be awesome).
Because of the 24 hour time limit that Death Cast gives everyone, this story is literally a ticking clock. All book consisting of 25 hours. It didn’t sit well with me.
I know that everything was supposed to mean more with the threat of death hanging over Rufus and Mateo the whole time, but I just didn’t feel it. And the romance between those two boys felt very on the spot. I felt they were friends, but nothing more. Yet. Maybe it was the death looming over their heads that made that connection grow faster and I’m just not picking up on it.
I also would have liked to know more about some of the side characters. Their stories felt very open ended to me. What happened to the Plutos? What happened to Lidia and her daughter? WHAT HAPPENED TO RUFUS? Although, I do have guess; he got hit by a car because Mateo wasn’t there to hold him back. It was cool how that ending leave you to make your own guess, but I would have also liked those two pieces to tie together as well.
This story felt very flat to me. I didn’t really feel the emotion from it and I think it has to do with how little time there was to build the characters. I didn’t feel any strong emotions when Mateo was sitting in his own grave. I didn’t know him well enough to feel that strongly. I didn’t feel any strong emotions when Mateo finally let go of his family’s death. I didn’t know him well enough to feel anything that strongly.
Overall, I think a lot of things were against me in liking this book. I suspect that if things had been different, I would have felt completely differently.
Nevertheless, this will not be my last Adam Silvera book and I am looking forward to reading the others! I am hoping I will like those better. I’ll let you know how many tears I shed. 😉
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