Adam Silvera Books in Order

How to Start Reading Adam Silvera

If you are new to Adam Silvera's emotional, speculative, and contemporary young adult fiction, the biggest question is where to begin. Because his books range from near-future speculative fiction to contemporary romance and epic urban fantasy, your starting point depends on what you enjoy most. However, the definitive, most popular starting point is his blockbuster hit, They Both Die at the End. It perfectly showcases Silvera's signature style: emotionally raw, queer, Latinx-centric storytelling that explores big questions about mortality, friendship, and love.

If you prefer a pure contemporary romance without speculative elements, start with What If It's Us (co-authored with Becky Albertalli). If you want a gritty, magical urban fantasy, begin with Infinity Son. For readers who want a devastating, grounded look at grief and mental health, his standalone debut More Happy Than Not or History Is All You Left Me are excellent entry points.

The Death-Cast Universe Reading Order

Silvera's most famous work is the Death-Cast series, set in a world where a mysterious service called Death-Cast calls people on the day they are going to die to give them a 24-hour warning. There are two primary ways to read this series: Publication Order and Chronological Order.

Option 1: Publication Order (Recommended)

1. They Both Die at the End (2017)
2. The First to Die at the End (2022)
3. The Survivor Wants to Die at the End (2025)

Why read in this order? Although The First to Die at the End is a prequel, reading the books in the order they were published is highly recommended. They Both Die at the End introduces the mechanics, societal reactions, and emotional weight of Death-Cast in a way that assumes no prior knowledge. Furthermore, the prequel contains delightful easter eggs, cameos, and subtle references to characters from the first book (including younger versions of Mateo and Rufus) that you will only appreciate if you have read the original story first. The Survivor Wants to Die at the End relies heavily on the established rules of the world and refers back to the legacy of Rufus and Mateo, making it the perfect finale to the trilogy.

Option 2: Chronological Order

1. The First to Die at the End (Set in 2010)
2. They Both Die at the End (Set in 2017)
3. The Survivor Wants to Die at the End (Set in 2020)

Why read in this order? This order allows you to experience the timeline of Death-Cast linearly. You begin on July 30, 2010, the historic night the service launches, observing the public's initial skepticism and chaos. You then move seven years into the future to see how Death-Cast has become an accepted, commercialized part of daily life, before finishing in 2020 with the consequences and lives of survivors in the third book. While timeline-focused readers may enjoy this path, be aware that starting with the prequel might spoil some of the mystery surrounding how the world adapted to the Death-Cast system.

The Infinity Cycle (Urban Fantasy Trilogy)

For readers who want to skip real-world grief and dive into magical action, the Infinity Cycle is Silvera's foray into urban fantasy. Set in a gritty fantasy version of New York City, it follows two brothers, Emil and Brighton, who find themselves caught in a magical war between Spell Rebounders and the peace-keeping Enforcers. This series is a continuous trilogy and must be read in order:

1. Infinity Son (2020)
2. Infinity Reaper (2021)
3. Infinity Kings (2024)

This series features phoenixes, magical abilities, and Silvera's typical high-stakes emotional drama, though it leans much heavier into action-adventure and fantasy tropes than his other works.

What If It's Us Series (Co-Authored with Becky Albertalli)

If you want a cute, classic contemporary romance with plenty of pop-culture references, look no further than this duology co-authored with Becky Albertalli (author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda). The story follows Arthur and Ben, two boys who meet by chance at a New York post office. This duology must be read in order:

1. What If It's Us (2018)
2. Here's to Us (2021)

Standalone Novels and Anthologies

Silvera's standalone contemporary novels are excellent options if you do not want to commit to a multi-book series. Both deal with heavy emotional themes, queer identity, and mental health:

• More Happy Than Not (2015) - Silvera's debut novel. Set in the Bronx, it features a sci-fi twist where a medical procedure called the Leteo Institute can erase memories. It follows Aaron Soto as he struggles with grief and his sexuality.
• History Is All You Left Me (2017) - A raw, contemporary novel dealing with grief, OCD, and love. It follows Griffin as he mourns the sudden death of his ex-boyfriend and first love, Theo.

Additionally, Silvera has contributed short stories to several anthologies. The most notable is Because You Love to Hate Me: 13 Tales of Villainy (2017), where he collaborated with booktubers and other YA authors to write a villain-themed short story.

What to Know Before You Start

Before diving into Adam Silvera's catalog, keep the following in mind:

Be prepared for heavy emotional themes: Silvera is famous for writing books that make his readers cry. His stories frequently tackle grief, death, suicide, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). If you are looking for lighthearted escapes, his standalone books and the Death-Cast series may not be the best fit (though What If It's Us is much lighter).

Diverse and authentic representation: As a queer Puerto Rican author from the South Bronx, Silvera fills his books with diverse characters. His protagonists are almost always queer, and many are Latinx and live in working-class New York neighborhoods, particularly the Bronx.