The First to Die at the End

Orion Pagan is the first of two protagonists we met in The First to Die at the End. He is tall with hazel eyes and sharp cheekbones, and throughout the novel, he wears his father’s Yankees hat over curly hair. His parents passed away on September 11, 2001, during the terrorist attacks, and the sudden nature of their deaths makes Death-Cast attractive to him since it “will make sure I’m never denied a goodbye ever again” (7). Because of his own cardiomyopathy, Orion feels that it is likely he will die sooner rather than later, and the service will also provide him with the opportunity to say goodbye to those he loves, especially his best friend Dalma and her family, who have taken care of him since his parents died.

When Death-Cast starts its service, Orion is shocked to not receive a call, and by the time that they stop calling the first Deckers, he becomes convinced that it means that he is going to live, especially once Valentino decides to give him his heart. This decision changes Orion’s life, as he now gets to envision a future he never expected, though it comes at the cost of Valentino’s life. He tries to focus more on helping Valentino live, and he uses his optimism to push Valentino to live out his dreams of being a New Yorker, which is critical during the moments when Valentino feels alone.