Adam Silvera wrote something rare. A book about dying that teaches you everything about living. In They Both Die at the End, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to tell them today is their last day.
These 160+ They Both Die at the End quotes will break your heart open and quietly put it back together again.
Best They Both Die at the End Quotes About Living Fully
• “Maybe it’s better to have gotten it right and been happy for one day instead of living a lifetime of wrongs.”
• “I’ve spent years living safely to secure a longer life, and look where that’s gotten me. I’m at the finish line but I never ran the race.”
• “There has to be more to life than just imagining a future for yourself. I can’t just wish for the future; I have to take risks to create it.”
• “Because I refused to live invincibly on all the days I didn’t get an alert, I wasted all those yesterdays and am completely out of tomorrows.”
• “Nah. Leaving means living before you die. Let’s bounce.”
• “My Last Message would be to find your people. And to treat each day like a lifetime.”
• “No one should feel bad for trying to be good.”
• “A new memory to laugh over is just as good as reflecting on an old one.”
• “Every new minute we’re alive is a miracle.”
• “Too bad life doesn’t allow us to turn its gears, like a clock, when we need more time.”
• “I may not be able to cure cancer or end world hunger, but small kindnesses go a long way.”
• “Entire lives aren’t lessons, but there are lessons in lives.”
• “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”
• “Stories can make someone immortal as long as someone else is willing to listen.”
• “No matter how we choose to live, we both die at the end.”
Saddest They Both Die at the End Quotes That Stay With You
• “I wasted all those yesterdays and am completely out of tomorrows.”
• “I cannot tell you how you will survive without me. I cannot tell you how to mourn me.”
• “I cannot convince you to not feel guilty if you forget the anniversary of my death.”
• “Was. Mateo is now a was.“
• “The number one person I’ll miss the most is Future Mateo, who maybe loosened up and lived.”
• “He Lived Where He Died: In His Bedroom. What a Waste of a Life.”
• “Even when you know death is coming, the blaze of it all is still sudden.”
• “I keep going and going, hitting the railing because my family is dead.”
• “Time doesn’t heal all wounds. We both know that’s bullshit.”
• “I’ll never understand how time can make a moment feel as close as yesterday and as far as years.”
• “History is nothing. It can be recycled or thrown away completely.”
• “We were something, but history isn’t enough to keep something alive forever.”
• “Sometimes the truth is a secret you’re keeping from yourself because living a lie is easier.”
• “No one goes on, but what we leave behind keeps us alive for someone else.”
• “History is all you left me.“
Mateo Torrez Quotes from They Both Die at the End
• “I’m not naïve about dying. I know it’s going to happen. But I don’t have to rush into it.”
• “The most important goodbye is the one I said to Past Mateo.”
• “I’ve lived a lifetime today and this moment is my encore.”
• “I always wanted to stumble into someone like you.”
• “I kiss the guy who brought me to life on the day we’re going to die.”
• “I would’ve loved you if we had more time.”
• “I’m out of character and Rufus is loving it. I’m loving it too.”
• “I kiss my Last Friend because the world can’t be against us if it brought us together.”
• “I’ve become this happiness scavenger who picks away at the ugliness of the world.”
• “If there’s happiness tucked away in my tragedies, I’ll find it no matter what.”
• “My life isn’t one sad ending — it’s a series of endless happy beginnings.”
• “You start with nothing and maybe end with everything.”
• “In my own Mateo way, I’ve said tons of goodbyes already.”
• “I barely know him. I guess that is every relationship.”
• “All the baby books say Penny should be done with formula already, but Penny resists the real stuff. We have that in common.”
Rufus Emeterio Quotes from They Both Die at the End
• “But I’m not hard. I’ve barely been able to live with myself for surviving something my family didn’t.”
• “You don’t need matching DNA for someone to be your brother.”
• “Two dudes met. They fell in love. They lived. That’s our story.”
• “I keep going and going, hitting the railing because my family is dead. Hitting it because my best friends are locked up.”
• “Hitting it because I made a new dope friend and we don’t even have a full day together.”
• “I pedal, slowly, feeling the burn in my calves as I carry two people forward.”
• “I find a good rhythm and put the police and corpses and destroyed gym behind us.”
• “I take photos of the energy in the car: the guy who’s managed to get the attention of the beautiful girl.”
• “I’m extra wired, wanting to play it, especially as a Decker since it’s about wasted opportunities.”
• “I don’t pose. I just sit here with my back against the wall.”
• “Hitting it because my ex-girlfriend did us dirty.”
• “I stop, out of breath, like I just want to fight against ten dudes.”
• “I return my attention to the video, his voice blasting in my ears.”
• “I cross the street without an arm to hold me back.”
• “Something that wasn’t even my fault. There’s no way in hell I would’ve been chill with myself for beating someone to death.”
They Both Die at the End Love Quotes — Mateo and Rufus
• “I kiss the guy who brought me to life on the day we’re going to die.”
• “I always wanted to stumble into someone like you.”
• “I would’ve loved you if we had more time.”
• “People waste time and wait for the right moment and we don’t have that luxury.”
• “I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.“
• “I want us to have history, something longer than the small window of time we’re actually sharing.”
• “Anyone can have pretty eyes, but only the right kind of person can hum the alphabet and make it your new favorite beat.”
• “Love is a superpower we all have, but it’s not always a superpower I’d be able to control.”
• “Affection from millions and intimacy from that one special person are completely different beasts.”
• “Two dudes met. They fell in love. They lived. That’s our story.”
• “I’m blown away by how happy you make me.”
• “Thank you for being there for me when I’m stupid enough to think I’d rather be alone.”
• “I barely know him. I guess that is every relationship. You start with nothing and maybe end with everything.”
• “People have their time stamps on how long you should know someone before earning the right to say it.”
• “If we had our entire lives ahead of us I bet you’d get tired of me telling you how much I love you.”
They Both Die at the End Quotes About Friendship and Found Family
• “You may be born into a family, but you walk into friendships.”
• “Some you’ll discover you should put behind you. Others are worth every risk.”
• “You don’t need matching DNA for someone to be your brother.”
• “You definitely don’t need the same blood to lose a part of yourself when someone dies.”
• “My Last Message would be to find your people. And to treat each day like a lifetime.”
• “The boy with no direction taught me something unforgettable: happiness comes again if you let it.”
• “No one goes on, but what we leave behind keeps us alive for someone else.”
• “Memories: some can be sucker punching, others carry you forward.”
• “Some stay with you forever, others you forget on your own.”
• “If you’re lucky, you’ll have plenty of good times to shield you.”
• “I’m sorry, but please don’t be mad at me for reliving all of it. History is all you left me.”
• “The three friends hug, a planet missing from their Pluto Solar System — but never forgotten.”
• “We don’t hang up. We could, and should, probably use this time to talk about memories.”
• “The Last Friend app brought two strangers together on their last day — and that says everything about what human connection really means.”
• “Find your people. Even if you only get one day with them.”
They Both Die at the End Quotes About Death, Time, and Mortality
• “No matter how we choose to live, we both die at the end.”
• “Even when you know death is coming, the blaze of it all is still sudden.”
• “Was. Mateo is now a was.“
• “Lidia will keep Mateo alive the only way she can.”
• “No one goes on, but what we leave behind keeps us alive for someone else.”
• “Time doesn’t heal all wounds. We both know that’s bullshit.”
• “I’ll never understand how time can make a moment feel as close as yesterday and as far as years.”
• “History is nothing. It can be recycled or thrown away completely.”
• “Too bad life doesn’t allow us to turn its gears, like a clock, when we need more time.”
• “Because I refused to live invincibly, I wasted all those yesterdays and am completely out of tomorrows.”
• “I’ve spent years living safely to secure a longer life.”
• “I’m at the finish line but I never ran the race.”
• “I’ve lived a lifetime today and this moment is my encore.”
• “Commonplace phrases like ‘as long as I live’ take on new, heightened meaning when Death-Cast has already called.”
• “But no matter what choices we make — solo or together — our finish line remains the same.”
Short They Both Die at the End Quotes for Instagram and Captions
• “No matter how we choose to live, we both die at the end.”
• “Stories can make someone immortal.“
• “Entire lives aren’t lessons, but there are lessons in lives.”
• “Every new minute we’re alive is a miracle.“
• “I just want you to live.“
• “No one goes on, but what we leave behind keeps us alive.”
• “Two dudes met. They fell in love. They lived.“
• “I always wanted to stumble into someone like you.“
• “Treat each day like a lifetime.“
• “Find your people.“
• “I would’ve loved you if we had more time.“
• “Living safely is its own kind of loss.“
• “Small kindnesses go a long way.“
• “I’m out of character and I’m loving it.“
• “I just want you to live.“
They Both Die at the End Quotes About Regret and Wasted Time
• “I wasted all those yesterdays and am completely out of tomorrows.”
• “I’ve spent years living safely to secure a longer life, and look where that’s gotten me.”
• “I’m at the finish line but I never ran the race.”
• “He Lived Where He Died: In His Bedroom. What a Waste of a Life.”
• “Because I refused to live invincibly on all the days I didn’t get an alert, I wasted all those yesterdays.”
• “The number one person I’ll miss the most is Future Mateo, who maybe loosened up and lived.”
• “Sometimes the truth is a secret you’re keeping from yourself because living a lie is easier.”
• “Too bad life doesn’t allow us to turn its gears, like a clock, when we need more time.”
• “We were something, but history isn’t enough to keep something alive forever.”
• “I cannot convince you to not feel guilty if you forget the anniversary of my death.”
• “Time doesn’t heal all wounds. We both know that’s bullshit.”
• “There has to be more to life than just imagining a future for yourself. I can’t just wish for the future; I have to take risks to create it.”
• “Living safely when you have a whole life in front of you is the quietest kind of tragedy.”
• “I only care about the endings we lived through today — like how I stopped being someone afraid of the world.”
• “Every day you play it safe is a day you’ll never get back.”
Inspirational They Both Die at the End Quotes to Live By
• “Dad taught me it’s okay to give in to your emotions, but you should fight your way out of the bad ones, too.”
• “No one should feel bad for trying to be good.”
• “My Last Message would be to find your people. And to treat each day like a lifetime.”
• “Every new minute we’re alive is a miracle.”
• “Small kindnesses go a long way.“
• “Stories can make someone immortal as long as someone else is willing to listen.”
• “Forget about the ending. I only care about the endings we lived through today.”
• “Maybe it’s better to have gotten it right and been happy for one day instead of living a lifetime of wrongs.”
• “Nah. Leaving means living before you die. Let’s bounce.”
• “My life isn’t one sad ending — it’s a series of endless happy beginnings.”
• “I’ve become this happiness scavenger who picks away at the ugliness of the world.”
• “If there’s happiness tucked away in my tragedies, I’ll find it no matter what.”
• “You may be born into a family, but you walk into friendships. Others are worth every risk.”
• “I just want you to live.“
• “Treat each day like a lifetime. That was always the whole point.”
Final Thoughts
Adam Silvera gave Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio one last day — and somehow made it the fullest life ever put on a page. These They Both Die at the End quotes do not just belong to a YA novel — they belong to anyone who has ever delayed living, delayed loving, or played it too safe for too long. Read them slowly. Let them sit with you. Then go live like Mateo finally did — fully, bravely, and without waiting for the right moment.
FAQ’s
What is the most famous quote from They Both Die at the End?
The most famous They Both Die at the End quote is “No matter how we choose to live, we both die at the end” — the book’s entire truth in one sentence by Adam Silvera.
What is the saddest quote in They Both Die at the End?
The saddest quote is “I would’ve loved you if we had more time” — five words from Mateo that carry an entire universe of grief and lost love.
What does They Both Die at the End teach us about life?
Adam Silvera’s novel teaches that living safely is its own form of loss — the book urges readers to take risks, find their people, and treat every day like a lifetime.
What is the best love quote from They Both Die at the End?
“I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you” — Rufus saying it as many times as he wants because they are out of time and there is no reason left to hold back.
Who are Mateo and Rufus in They Both Die at the End?
Mateo Torrez is a cautious, fear-driven teenager and Rufus Emeterio is a grieving, fierce young man — two strangers brought together by the Last Friend app on the last day of their lives.
What is Death-Cast in They Both Die at the End?
Death-Cast is the fictional company in Adam Silvera’s novel that calls people in the early hours to notify them they will die before midnight — giving them one last day to truly live.
What is a short They Both Die at the End quote for Instagram?
“Treat each day like a lifetime” and “Find your people” are the most popular short They Both Die at the End quotes used across Instagram, Pinterest, and BookTok.
I’m Henry Whitman, creator of Improovy Quote. I share powerful quotes, emotional words, and meaningful thoughts to inspire people, heal hearts, and bring motivation to everyday life.
