Crowds gather across the United States for the launch of Death-Cast, a company that promises to change the world by predicting the deaths of everyone who subscribes in this prequel to They Both Die at the End (2017).Orion Pagan, an aspiring author with a heart condition, hopes his phone won't ring at midnight, but he knows Death-Cast's call is coming soon. Unlike Orion, Valentino Prince, a model on the verge of his national debut, has no reason to anticipate Death-Cast's call and isn't sure if he believes the company's claims. By coincidence or fate, their lives collide at a party in Times Square, and a single, historic phone call alters the courses of their futures. This heart-pounding story follows the final day of the first Decker, or person who is going to die, and the national chaos of Death-Cast's premiere. Silvera crafts a web of intricately interconnected character perspectives and conflicts around Orion and Valentino. Apart from Valentino and his twin sister, who are presumed White, most of the characters are Latine, including White-passing Orion, whose family is Puerto Rican. The story confronts heavy topics like grief, abuse, and religious faith with complexity and care. Despite the presumed inevitability of a fatal end to the central romance between Orion and Valentino, Silvera subverts the trope of punishing gay characters with violent tragedy. Familiarity with the original book provides additional context and depth but isn't essential to understanding the plot.A rush of emotion and suspense. (Speculative fiction. 13-18)

On the eve of the historic launch of a death-predicting corporation, two queer teens make the most of the time they have left together in Silvera’s heart-wrenching standalone prequel to They Both Die at the End. Because of his heart condition, 18-year-old Puerto Rican writer Orion Pagan has spent most of his life waiting to die, terrified of not knowing when it’ll happen. With the appearance of Death-Cast, a corporation that claims it can predict people’s death dates, he takes comfort in the fact that “at least I’ll know when it’s game over.” Meanwhile, white-presenting 19-year-old model Valentino Prince believes his life is only getting started. Having just arrived in N.Y.C. after moving out of his strict religious parents’ house in Arizona, Valentino, eager to discover the city, ventures into Times Square, where Death-Cast prepares to celebrate its launch. The boys meet and strike up an immediate flirtationship amid the celebrations, but when midnight strikes, and Death-Cast informs one of them that he will die the next day, they resolve to spend a lifetime in 24 hours. Fans of the first book will enjoy pointing out familiar details while absorbing Death-Cast’s riveting lore. Through the boys’ vulnerable alternating perspectives, interspersed with vignettes that explore varied supporting characters’ relationships with death, Silvera crafts a stunning and thought-provoking narrative that examines difficult existential questions without eschewing hope. Ages 13–up. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (Oct.)