Genre: Contemporary | Romance | LGBTQIA+ | Young Adult
Release Date: 4th October 2022
Publisher: Harper Collins
"I write short stories because I am one. I wish I was a novel."
Death-Cast is calling for the very first time.
Orion knows he's going to die. He doesn't need anyone to tell him that. His life so far has been a blur of worrying the family that took him in after his parents death and hospital appointments, trying to avoid that inevitable moment the doctors tell him his heart is going to kill him. But then, Death-Cast launces.
A revolutionary new service that will change the way we live and die - by calling you on your 'end day' and giving you that last minute chance to live. And now that Orion has signed up, he's going to start living every day as though he got the call. Then, at a Death-Cast launch party, he meets Valentino. The most beautiful boy he's ever seen, full of life and excitement. He'd just arrived to the city, moving across the country with his twin sister to chase their passions and get away from his overbearing homophobic parents.
Their connection is like something out of a novel - and so much more than he had ever hoped to find in whatever years he has left. And as midnight strikes, the first calls are made.
A phone rings. Just one.
And both of the boys know that no matter what, both of their lives as they know it are about to end.
"You said that if someone you hold in your heart dies, then you die too … Here's the truth no one ever wants to admit when death is on the horizon, or when you're deep in that grief - as long as you keep existing, you'll keep breathing, and if you're breathing, one day you'll start living again."
From the moment I opened this book, I was transported back to the strange yet familiar world of death-cast, one that lives firmly in the uncanny valley between fact and fiction. It was like returning home in some oddly comforting way.
From the moment I met Orion, I fell in love with his warmth, his wit and his candour. He was impossible not to fall for. And as for Valentino, he was undeniably full of charm - he brimming with the excitement of a new life with a kind of energy that was infectious. And each other cast member we meet is vibrant and rich, from Orions chosen family and best friend, to Valentino's twin sister, and the volatile couple upstairs. But one of the most intriguing was seeing Joaquin Rosa, the creator of Death-Cast himself the heralds who work there as the company of death is born. Of course, Orion and Valentino take centre stage in his play and despite thinking early on that I knew exactly how their journey would go, it was an experience I wasn't prepared for.
We follow as Orion and Valentino wait for fate to reveal itself, the people waiting for calls or praying they'll never happen, as well as some beautifully familiar faces - each storyline perfectly carving out it's own space but fitting in with the others. We watch as each journey weaves together - reminding us of the complex beauty of real, genuine human connection and how much we need it to thrive. This book made me think about how we are linked to each other, and the love we can put out in the world when we decide to.
With short easily readable chapters and familiar, conversational tones - this book feels like a conversation with an old friend and despite the entire book taking place over just a day it feels timeless.
Now, I hate the term 'rollercoaster', it's overused. But this is the definition of an emotional rollercoaster. I teared up, I full on wept, I smiled, I feared, I laughed and I fell in love - at times all on the same page.
"We don't know each other, but Orion and Valentino showed me that doesn't matter. If you come out here, you will never be alone. My family is your family."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comments
Post a Comment