They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
This is one of those books that defies category, being science fiction in conception but handled in such a way that people who don’t read science fiction won’t notice. It’s the premise that makes it work. The title would be a spoiler except that we understand from the very first page that not only do we know the ending, so do the two main characters. The idea that you get a call on the day you die is priceless in terms of the possibilities it creates. The writing is solid. Rufus and Mateo are slow burn characters, unfolding to each other and into us at the same time. It would be a tearjerker of a book if I were not in my late sixties, having lived in the shadow of imminent death most of my life. Even so it was a deeply affecting read. The book is told in short chapters, which is always a good strategy that keeps me reading. The constant shifts from character to character – there are probably two dozen of them – put the book at an occasional disadvantage since it felt as if I were constantly being asked to change seats at a party, or something like that. But the central premise still unites it. All the characters are interwoven in subtle ways which also adds to the unity of the book. And the love story is simply sweet and right. They fall in love and die exactly as we know they will from the beginning, but it still hurts and it still feels joyous. This is a writer who knows how to conceive a story.