#ValentinOrion

[anobliviousnerd]

the title literally says that one of them will die at the end, and yet I'm still *surprised pikachu face* shocked when one of them actually dies.

what the fuck.

suffice to say that this book has destroyed me.

also, those rufus and mateo cameos were devastating. so, thanks for that adam. lol

[can-tthink]

VALENTINORION

book ramble below (little messy to call it a review lmao)

hi i’m alive!!! long story short my mood has been rly shit, so i took a hiatus off art for a while and also went into a reading slump, but i finally managed to finish tftdate today!

i love but also hate the ending oml, this book is so beautiful but the way he (no spoilers) dies is so brutal, i had to step outside and touch some grass to process that 😭 AND THE VIDEO IN THE USB DRIVE GAVE ME SO MANY MIXED EMOTIONS. BRO IM SHITTING TEARS. THEY LOVED EACHOTHER SM. i’m so glad he thought ahead to make the video though, it’s so bittersweet. they didn’t even get to look through their photos together though

it’s so thought provoking just like the first book and it made me think so hard about how things could’ve been different, like if valentino never moved to new york or if his landlord was a different

but all we, the reader, know for sure is that valentino would’ve stayed miserable if he never met orion. and orion finally got a boyfriend. they both lived their dreams in one day, i think that’s the closest to a happy ending we can get.

to be honest i find adam silveras writing style a little choppy and fast paced, but it didn’t stop me from learning a lot about valentino and orion, and their interactions are so cute

i even had some hope at the end that things would go right but nope ☹️

i felt a whole lot of different emotions after the ending, but one things for sure, i cried a lot!!! 😍😍😍 i don’t know what’s with adam silvera and making gay couples sad bro, this book is so homophobic of him smh. the only way i can describe the ending is awfully bittersweet. and the way the side stories tie together is so genius but so cruel at the same time, so kudos to adam silvera for that

anyway good news is that it sparked an art idea for me, so i decided to draw these sad gays to cope

to me they’re just paid actors and the whole book is fake and they’re happily married alr nobody can convince me otherwise

also my art is inspired by some old art VIVINOS made, she’s a really cool animator

[sweet-drmzzz]

I love noticing a theme in an author’s works

(First time New Yorker falls in love with experienced New Yorker. They New York together. They are bad at love)

[visiting3am]

VALENTINORION

[anonymouscuzwhynot001]

JDSAGFDFGHDAFGLHGSAGSJHDFGHJDSGFLFGGFJHDSGFJHDSFSDFGLJHDSGFJHDSFGDHSJFG I PHYSICALLY MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY CANNOT GET OVER THIS SCENE

valentinOrion i love you so fucking much

[dailyy-me]

I recently read The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Wow.

Just, wow.

(Please don’t read if you don’t want spoilers, I’m not going to hold back on my rant so read at your own risk).

I’ve read a lot of peoples reviews for this one because honestly it was hard to make up my mind about it as a whole. At the end of the day, I think my only problem with the book was the point of view from the creator of Death Cast. While it was really interesting to see and learn about his life, it didn’t reveal any relevant information we didn’t already know or any new information we needed. With that being said, it’s probably one of my favorite books now.

Adam just loves to intertwine the lives of his characters. And he does it so seamlessly. Nothing feels forced or awkward. And if it feels too coincidental, isn’t life that way too??

The fact that he wrote about little Rufus and Mateo was a genius way to give us more from those characters without disturbing the events from the first book. If anything, it’s helped us understand even more why they were the way they were and appreciate how much they managed to live with all of it on their backs.

The whole story reads like a romantic tragedy written in the stars. And the fact that one of the characters is named Orion and the other Valentino is absolutely wonderful. Their story isn’t perfect because if it was they would’ve grown old together and they would get to keep loving each other for far longer than they got. That being said.. it is a beautiful story. Adam was able to, once again, raise the questions about mortality and how people live their life, but this time with new perspectives than last time. Reading about Orion's pain of constantly HAVING to think about death and the very real consequences a simple fun outing with his sister could have was eye opening to me. In the first book, I couldn't understand how anyone could wish for a service like Death Cast, but after truly listening to Orion it made sense to me. I truly felt his fears, and worried for him along with his sister. It was also refreshing to see Valentino struggle with religious trauma while still having love or maybe just curiosity about God in a manner that seemed relatable to me. How his parents reacted to him coming out is a huge fear of mine. Reading about it happening to him was truly heartbreaking for me, and his questions and struggles resonated with me deeply.

I would also like to say that Adam surprised me a little when he was able to point out how grief can be a little selfish and how caring about someone so much can create distance between two people like it did with Orion and his sister (I’m so so glad that the characters were able to work through that so quickly because they both needed each other at the end of this story). The way he swirls coincidences and consequences is truly a whirlwind most admirable when you’re right smack in the middle of it all.

(Talking about the ending next, so this is your second warning.)

Honestly speaking, I still don’t know how to feel about the ending. And the feeling of uncertainty towards my feelings is exactly how I would want someone to feel at the end of my own story. I don’t know that I would be okay with someone being happy about how my life ended. I don’t know that I would want them to hate it either. So having the constant debate and conversation feels more comforting than anything else.

(Last Spoilers warning frfr bc the ending was AN EXPERIENCE I do not wish to take from anyone).

Having Valentino give Orion his heart felt like a declaration that love will always live within the stars. And I absolutely love it. Adam, I thank you for this story and these characters.

[facetheotherwayyoureputtingmeoff]

If anyone has read The first to die at the end and also needs to rant about how incredible it is, hmu because I can’t stop bawling over it

[helpimobsessedwithbooks]

“When you fall for someone, you see your whole life with them. But when they die before that future can come true, you're no longer falling— you're crashing.”

-Adam Silvera, The First to Die at the End

[the-alley-to-the-rose]

Just finished reading The First To Die At The End (cried too much for my liking)

i need more fics on ao3 of valentinorion 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[randomramblingsandwritings]

burning red

Song- Red by Taylor Swift Source Material- The First to DIe At The End by Adam SIlvera

I jog along a path in Althea Park, my feet crunching through fallen leaves. I needed to get out for a bit, since I couldn’t stop thinking about Valentino. And he would’ve wanted me to go on a run, so here I am. (Even though my lungs are dying. Send help.)

I know it’s been years now. And I’ve been getting better. But some days, all I think about is him. His smile that could light up the whole city, his infectious laugh, everything about him. I miss him so bad.

Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street

I know I should never have fallen. He got the call. We all knew what would happen. And I should never have fallen. It was so stupid of me. But I like to think it was worth it. Was it worth it?

Faster than the wind, passionate as sin, ending so suddenly

It was only a day. But that day changed my life. 

Loving him is like trying to change your mind

Once you're already flying through the free fall

Even though I knew what would happen, I let myself fall in love anyway. It was doomed from the start, and we both knew it. 

Like the colors in autumn, so bright, just before they lose it all

Val was an amazing person. A soul of neon in a sea of pastels. A dreamer despite the harshness and unforgiving of the world. It’s been three years now since I met him, but I’m still yet to find anyone like him.

Losing him was blue, like I'd never known

I didn’t even get to say goodbye.

Missing him was dark gray, all alone

I miss you, Valentino.

Forgetting him was like trying to know

Somebody you never met

How could I ever forget Val?

But loving him was red

Loving him was red

I loved Valentino Prince, and I still do.

Touching him was like realizing all you ever wanted

Was right there in front of you

If only we’d had more moments together like that day in the brownstone…

Memorizing him was as easy as knowing all the words

To your old favorite song

I only knew him for a day, so why did it feel like a lifetime?

Regretting him was like wishing you never found out

That love could be that strong

Do I regret it all? No. Not at all. I can’t help but wonder, were we always written in the stars like this, destined to end in tragedy? Like characters in a book, incapable of escaping the horrible ending the author wrote for them?

Remembering him comes in flashbacks and echoes

So many memories.

Tell myself it's time now gotta let go

It’s been three years. I can’t live like this forever. But I can’t forget him.

But moving on from him is impossible

I promise, Val, I’ll never forget you.

When I still see it all in my head

My memories of him have faded with time. I can’t let him slip away. I have to clutch at anything left of him, even if what I recall of him is tearing at the seams and being unraveled, bit by bit. 

In burning red

I’ve never felt anything like what Valentino made me feel.

Burning, it was red

Everything reminds me of him. I miss him so much.

Oh, losing him was blue, like I'd never known

It hurts not having him here.

Missing him was dark gray, all alone

This isn’t fair.

Forgetting him was like trying to know

Somebody you never met

I love you, Valentino.

'Cause loving him was red

Yeah, yeah, red

Burning red

You ignited the fire within me. The flame of my life. Thank you, for everything.

And that's why he's spinning 'round in my head

I need to live.

Comes back to me, burning red

Because of you, my heart has kept beating. And as long as my heart has kept beating, I’ve been alive. But now I need to live, truly. It’s what you would’ve wanted.

Yeah, yeah

Here’s to living.

His love was like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street

For him.

[allthesewasteddaysaway]

My latest obsession. Finally read this book and I loved it so much! Even if it kept me crying for two days and gave me an existential crisis.

[loganslowdown4]

I made a literary playlist for

The First To Die At The End

By Adam Silvera

I put the songs in a narrative order matching the flow of the book. Enjoy!

[ohnopistachio]

THIS BOOK DESTROYED ME AGAINNNN

adam. adam why do you hate us. why must you use your ability of making relatable characters that we immediately fall in love with for bad. why do you want us to suffer adam. whyyyyyyyy. /hj

also i love the name orion so haha i’m stealing it it’s mine now muahahhahaha /j

[pockettao]

If you are interested, I leave you the profiles of Rufus and Mateo (from In the end they both die) on X (Twitter), there is also an account that uploads phrases and moments from the book :]

In case you didn't know, Rufus also has an Instagram account (it's the same as Twitter)

[technicallypalewombat]

Just finished reading "The first to die at the end" by Adam Silvera and I'm a billion percent sure I'm gonna be scarred for life.

P.S: I love love love Valentino Prince

[anonymouscuzwhynot001]

so

uhm

i just finished tftdate

emotions are running quite low

i think i burnt myself out of tbdate

can't feel anything

THAT'S A FUCKING LIE AND I KNOW IT ADAM SILVERA DID IT AGAIN GIVE US A SAD HAPPY PAIR OF CUTE LITTLE INNOCENT KIDS HAVING FUN UNTIL DEATH-CAST CALLS TO FUCK UP THEIR LIVES AGAIN

LIKE VALENTINORION WAS SO AWESOME WHILE IT LASTED AND I'M READY TO MURDER SOMEONE AFTER THAT LAST STUNT VALENTINO PULLED LIKE BITCH YOU KNEW YOU WERE GONNA DIE YOU DIDN'T EVEN GIVE YOUR BOYFRIEND YOUR SIXTH-FLOOR KISS AND JUMPED HEADFIRST INTO THE FIGHT AND LIKE I GET IT YOU'RE RIPPED BUT IF YOU DON'T PUT THOSE GUNS TO USE YOU'LL GET RIPPED (EXACTLY LIKE YOU DID)

AND SADJLHGSJSD LITTLE MATEO AND RUFUS LIKE OMG RUFUS BACKSTORY NEW BIKE AND HIS MOM WAS LITERALLY IN ON THEIR OPERATION AND MATEO ALMOST KNEW RUFUS BEFORE HE ENDED UP BEING HIS BOYFRIEND AND—

ONE SEC LEMME SOB—

K I'M BACK

LIKE IMAGINE THEY'D KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR MUCH LONGER AND STARTED DATING BEFORE THEY KNEW THEY WERE GONNA DIE BUT AT LEAST THEY'D GO OUT TOGETHER AND IT'D MAKE THEIR DAY SO MUCH HARDER

AND LIKE VALENTINO AND ORION DIDN'T GET TO DO THEIR LOVE LOCK THING BUT THEY CARVED THEIR NAME (SINGULAR) ON A WOODEN BENCH WHICH CAN BE WORN AWAY OR BROKEN OR UTTERLY DESTROYED (JUST LIKE THEM)—

AHEM ANYWAYS AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN GET TO TAKE THEIR PLANNED TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE CUZ STUPID VALENTINO JUST HAD TO GET INTO THAT FIGHT WHILE POOR LITTLE PAZ PULLS THE TRIGGER ON HIS DAD AND KILLED HIM AND I REALLY THOUGHT THE LAST DECKER WOULD BE ORION NGL BC I WOULDN'T PUT IT PAST ADAM SILVERA TO TORTURE US LIKE THAT

BUT NOW ORION HAS A PERMANENT REMINDER OF THE REASON HE'S ALIVE AND HAD FUN AND FELL IN LOVE AND LIVED AND DID IT WITH AND IT'S ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY DESTROYING ME EATING ME UP FROM THE INSIDE UNTIL I'M A BROKEN HUMAN SHELL UNABLE TO FUNCTION EVER AGAIN

AND THE FACT THAT SCARLETT COULDN'T SEE HER BROTHER ALIVE EVER AGAIN IN PERSON BC OF STUPID DEATH-CAST LITERALLY GO FUCK YOURSELF AND SCARLETT NOW HAS TO LIVE LIFE ONLY HALF ALIVE

AND I LITERALLY STARTED CRYING HALFWAY THROUGH THE BOOK EVEN THOUGH NOTHING TOO BAD HAPPENED YET JUST LIKE I STARTED CRYING HALFWAY THROUGH TBDATE WHEN MATEO INVITED LIDIA TO JOIN HIM AND RUFUS AT THE TRAVEL ARENA AND LIDIA WAS SO CLOSE TO BREAKING DOWN

AND LIKE IMAGINE VALENTINO HAD NEVER BUMPED INTO ORION IMAGINE THEY'D NEVER MET IMAGINE ORION NEVER GOT HIS GOLDEN HEART IMAGINE VALENTINO GAVE UP BEFORE IT EVEN STARTED IMAGINE THEY BOTH DIED WITHOUT KNOWING THE OTHER EXISTED NEW YORK'S A BIG CITY THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS

I THINK I CRIED MORE THAN TBDATE BUT WHO THE FUCK KNOWS IT'S 1:45 AM AND I'M DEPRESSED AND SO FUCKING DESTROYED AFTER THAT LIKE VALENTINO YOU CAN'T BE DOING THAT ON YOUR END DAY HUN THAT FUCKING TERRIFIED ME LITERALLY RIPPED MY HEART OUT OF MY CHEST AND FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK