Decker Analysis in They Both Die at the End

A Decker is someone who has received the call from Death-Cast informing them that they’re going to die in the next 24 hours.

Decker Quotes in They Both Die at the End

The They Both Die at the End quotes below are all either spoken by Decker or refer to Decker. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

“I think we’re already dead, dude. Not everyone, just Deckers. The whole Death-Cast thing seems too fantasy to be true. Knowing when our last day is going down so we can live it right: Straight-up fantasy. The first afterlife kicks off when Death-Cast tells us to live out our day knowing it’s our last; that way we’ll take full advantage of it, thinking we’re still alive. Then we enter the next and final afterlife without any regrets.”

Related Characters: Rufus Emeterio (speaker), Mateo Torrez, Andrea Donahue

Page Number and Citation: 214

Explanation and Analysis:

“Welcome to the World Travel Arena. Sorry to lose you three.”

“I’m not dying,” Lidia corrects.

“Oh. Cost for guests is going to be one hundred dollars,” the teller says. He looks at me and Rufus. “Suggested donation is one dollar for Deckers.”

I pay for all our tickets, donating an extra couple hundred dollars in the hope that the arena remains open for many, many years.

Related Characters: Mateo Torrez (speaker), Lidia (speaker), Rufus Emeterio, Victor, Deirdre

Page Number and Citation: 281

Explanation and Analysis:

Graham is always on Andrade’s mind, and today is no exception, with these foster kids in the holding cell who are acting out because their brother is a Decker. You don’t need matching DNA for someone to be your brother, Andrade knows this. And you definitely don’t need the same blood to lose a part of yourself when someone dies.

Related Characters: Rufus Emeterio, Malcolm Anthony, Tagoe Hayes, Officer Andrade, Graham

Page Number and Citation: 291

Explanation and Analysis:

Andrade is doing his damn best to get that snuff channel terminated by the end of the year. No way in hell he can share a beer with Graham in heaven without getting this job done. Andrade wants to focus on his real work, not babysitting. That’s why he has their foster parents signing release forms this very second. Let them go home with firm warnings so they can sleep.

And grieve.

Maybe even find their friend if he’s still alive.

Related Characters: Rufus Emeterio, Malcolm Anthony, Tagoe Hayes, Officer Andrade, Graham, Jenn Lori, Francis

Page Number and Citation: 292

Explanation and Analysis:

“What would’ve made you happy?” Delilah asks.

Love comes to mind, immediately, and it surprises him like a lightning bolt on a day with clear forecasts. Howie never felt lonely, because he could go online at any moment and find himself flooded with messages. But affection from millions and intimacy from that one special person are completely different beasts.

Related Characters: Delilah Gray (speaker), Mateo Torrez, Howie Maldonado, Sandy Guerrero

Page Number and Citation: 313

Explanation and Analysis:

Decker Term Timeline in They Both Die at the End

The timeline below shows where the term Decker appears in They Both Die at the End. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Business, Ethics, and Dehumanization Theme Icon

...would work for Death-Cast. Victor runs through the forecast, classes and festivals, and restaurants with Decker discounts. Rufus interrupts and asks how heralds know who’s going to die. Victor insists he... (full context)

Human Connection and Social Media Theme Icon

...leaps into bed and feels immediate relief. He returns to reading the CountDowner’s post. The Decker’s name is Keith; he preferred running with his dog to spending time with people. He... (full context)

...doesn’t want to answer. Aimee cries and tries to convince Rufus to stay put—lots of Deckers die walking home—but he says he’s going to Pluto and hangs up. He vows to... (full context)

...not going to leave the house. He browses through local streams and randomly selects a Decker who’s already out at a bar. Another Decker isn’t sure his daughter is going to... (full context)

Rufus, Malcolm, and Tagoe bike carefully past a Decker-friendly club called Clint’s Graveyard. They reach their foster home, a battered duplex that manages to... (full context)

...or a friend, so he decides to download the Last Friend app, which gives any Decker a friend in their last hours. He specifies that it’s not the same as Necro,... (full context)

...online. Mateo receives a message from Wendy Mae, a girl who just wants to console Deckers. He figures she probably reached out because she also loves Scorpius Hawthorne. Aspects of her... (full context)

...in and interrupts. Everyone else comes in for the funeral—even Peck. This is Rufus’s first Decker funeral; his family didn’t throw one after they received their calls. Jenn Lori speaks directly... (full context)

...Apps aren’t really Rufus’s thing, but neither is beating people up. He registers as a Decker and receives seven messages. One is from a guy claiming to have the cure to... (full context)

...also the only job she’s ever been good at. Her hack is to believe that Deckers aren’t people—this mindset means she doesn’t waste hours with company counselors. She knows there’s nothing... (full context)

...future is still at risk. Malcolm and Tagoe informed the police that Rufus is a Decker and not worth chasing, but the police insisted they had to find him. To save... (full context)

...going to fix the broken stove. Rufus insists they take the stairs down because two Deckers have no business getting into an elevator. They carefully make their way down the stairs,... (full context)

...assures Mateo that they’re fine, since Mateo seems afraid. Out loud, Mateo wonders how many Deckers are with strangers, how many are already dead, and how many tried to say goodbye... (full context)

...he knows about Rufus and how one-sided this Last Friendship is. Rufus points out the Decker discount. Meals are free, which is unusual. (full context)

...alert. Lidia slept through all his attempts to reach her, and he died with a Decker truck driver trying to get home. Mateo remembers how Lidia seemed to resent Penny at... (full context)

...location nearby. Mateo explains that the locations launched last fall; they’re like the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Deckers can go use virtual reality simulations to skydive and take other risks safely. Rufus suggests... (full context)

...long hallway. Mateo peeks in the windows of the rooms that line the hall. Some Deckers inside are in racecars, a couple kisses in a hot air balloon six feet off... (full context)

...Rufus says he believes in two afterlives: the first begins when someone receives their call. Deckers only think they’re alive and therefore enter the second afterlife without regrets. Mateo asks if... (full context)

...hugging his knees, terrified. There are firefighters and cops at the scene. Rufus thinks that Deckers need to start identifying themselves so they can avoid being in large groups. He and... (full context)

...Mateo decides to leave the postcards on the ground—he can’t write when there are dead Deckers all around. (full context)

...but today, she’s alone. Her job doesn’t help. She works at Make-A-Moment, where she charges Deckers for fake memories. She doesn’t understand why they don’t spend time with loved ones at... (full context)

...she finished this morning. In it, there’s an organization called Life-Cast, which tells people when Deckers will be reincarnated. It follows twin sisters, one of whom dies. Deirdre thought she’d take... (full context)

...exciting than skydiving at Make-A-Moment. Mateo thinks that if he wasn’t a coward or a Decker, he’d lean forward against Rufus and put his arms out. Instead, he holds onto Rufus... (full context)

...make any other big changes today, but Rufus doesn’t take the bait. They discuss that Deckers can have their ashes put in urns with a tree seed and come back as... (full context)

...themselves. Peck agrees and says that the cops likely didn’t chase Rufus because he’s a Decker. Damien, feeling excited and purposeful, says that it’s time to get justice for Peck. (full context)

...to open the book together. Zoe hopes that Gabriella keeps being a Last Friend for Deckers, since life, and End Days, shouldn’t be lived alone. (full context)

...Rufus’s phone after they get on the bus (after confirming that the driver isn’t a Decker) and calls her. Lidia is incensed, but she agrees to meet Mateo and Rufus at... (full context)

...Rufus from slipping on his way off the bus. They get in the line for Deckers; the line on their left is for terminally ill people, and on the one on... (full context)

...suggests Around the World in 80 Minutes, so they climb onto the trolley. The other Deckers on board have incurable illnesses. The driver, Leslie, offers her condolences and begins the tour.... (full context)

...Mateo now knows where they stand. He says that it’s time to go to a Decker dance club. (full context)

...looks at the foster kids in the holding cell, upset because their brother is a Decker. He hasn’t been looking for Rufus, since he doesn’t think Rufus will cause trouble like... (full context)

...immediately regrets not spending as much time here as possible. One wall is covered in Decker graffiti. Lidia grabs Mateo’s hand, and Mateo thinks that her hand has history—he held her... (full context)

...to sing. Mateo joins in and tears up—he feels like the song connects with the Deckers in the audience. When the song ends, Mateo grabs Rufus’s hand and they bow. Behind... (full context)

...her she’s going to be okay. This is the first time he’s lied to a Decker. He races out his elevator, knowing Delilah could die any minute, and he speeds to... (full context)

They Both Die at the End

Adam Silvera

Decker Term Analysis

Decker Quotes in They Both Die at the End

Decker Term Timeline in They Both Die at the End