Now that I've gone to hug or message all my friends, here's a bit more about this book.

From the very beginning, Mateo's voice grabbed me and pulled me in. I feel like if Death Cast called me just after midnight saying I was going to die today, I'd want to react like Mateo. He panicked. He threw books around his room. He played video games to distract himself. He even did the dishes as an excuse to not leave his home. But then, after choosing his own epitaph, he decides to branch out and make a "last friend" via an app that matches deckers, people who have received the alert, with other deckers so that no one has to spend their last day alone. Mateo's dad is comatose in the hospital and he doesn't want to burden his best friend Lydia with the knowledge that he will die today, so he makes a last friend in Rufus.

It took me longer to enjoy Rufus's voice. I loved him as a character from the moment he got the alert while beating his his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend's face. I severely dislike how Rufus uses "mad" every five seconds when "very" would suffice, or nothing at all. The word doesn't add much to his way of speaking and since it is so often repeated, i found it distracting and odd. I soon got past that and loved the way Rufus wanted to make sure he didn't end his day as the same person who began it. The way he helps Mateo out of his house and into the world is touching.

It's tempting to say this is the story of two boys who die, because the cover gives that much away. Even though I knew what was coming, it still hit me like a punch to the gut. But in all honesty, this is a story of two boys who learned how to live and lived their last day to its fullest. I also appreciated how the author put emotion into every touch Mateo or Rufus experienced that day, whether it was someone bumping their shoulder, grabbing onto their wrist, or a last hug goodbye.

That kind of story is great food for thought. I encourage everyone to read it. It's a must for all junior high / high school classroom libraries.