Scythe (Arc of a Scythe)

Scythe is my first Neal Shusterman book AND one of the best books I’ve read this year. Society lives in a utopia. We’ve defeated death, poverty, hunger, you name it. Do people turn to a Star Trek-type society and explore space and do good things? Nope, they “turn the corner” when they get tired of looking old, having surgery to bring them back to a younger face and body. They stop doing, stop trying to achieve; it’s a stagnant society that doesn’t die. That’s where the Scythes come in.

Someone has to help with population control, so Scythes are chosen to end life. There are rules: Scythes can’t glean too much from one particular race or gender; they really shouldn’t love what they do too much, and they can’t glean out of rage. Citra and Rowan are two teens chosen to be a Scythe’s apprentices, much to their consternation; things get worse when they are told that only one will become a Scythe, and the first order of business will be to glean the other.

Citra and Rowan learn that the world isn’t nearly as perfect as many want to believe, and they witness a group of Scythes who hold mass gleanings – mass murder – where they revel in what they do. They discover that this society is no stranger to corruption.

Shusterman creates a brutal world wearing the guise of a utopia in Scythe. The characters are brilliant and awful, getting inside the reader’s head and heart. He builds a society that’s stopped moving forward, where the only progress to be made is by a Scythe, dealing indiscriminate death. He gives the Scythes a comprehensive history, with journal articles by previous Scythes throughout the book, ceremonies, and rituals. It’s an intense, fantastic book that readers who want somewhere to go after reading The Giver series should read immediately.

I didn’t want to put the book down and I never wanted it to end. Thankfully, we’ll be getting another book in the series, because the ending left me breathless.

A must-read, must-add book for any bookshelf. Scythe has received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and School Library Journal. Kirkus has also named Scythe one of the Best Books of 2016.

Ahoy there me mateys! This cover and its title drew me in. Isn’t that cover gorgeous? So of course I had to know what it was about.

Turns out that Earth, with the help of a super computer, has no natural death, hunger, disease, war, etc. But because the population still needs to be controlled, there are human scythes whose job it is to choose who will die - within certain rules and parameters of course.

The story concerns Citra and Rowan, two teens, who are chosen to be trained as apprentice scythes. Neither of them wants the job but both say yes for assorted reasons. The catch is that only one of them will be chosen to advance as a scythe. But each apprentice has to decide if they truly want the job as well as try to pass the appropriate tests..

The world and characters that the author set up were extremely interesting. I liked the various scythes and how each chooses to approach the work. I love the weird super computer. I enjoyed both Citra and Rowan’s stories. I thought the introduction to both of those characters as well as to their master scythe were especially well done and engaging. There are a lot of lovely details that made this version of Earth come alive for me.

The flaw in the reading was in the plot. The first half flew by and then the story seemed to stagnate. The middle was kinda boring and there were some plot twists that I did not like at all. But I kept reading because I loved the overall world set-up and wanted to know how it ended. And I highly enjoyed how the author chose to conclude this first book. I am not sure what will happen in the second book but I do believe I will read it.

Title: Scythe

Author: Neal Shusterman

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Utopian Fiction

Series: Arc of a Scythe, book one

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

I borrowed this book through my local library and reviewed it.

Neal Shusterman won my heart with his runaway hit last year, Challenger Deep, which was illustrated by his son. Brendan. I've had one of his books on my Kindle for a while now, but when I read about Scythe, I just knew I had to read it. I ordered it from my library and it's been my steadfast companion through the last days of December, into the new year. And what a journey it was! This book was spectacular, pretty close to perfect but not quite hitting the mark. The worldbuilding! The characters! The pacing! The ending. Holy crap, I'm so ecstatic about this book, and I hope that there's a sequel!

In Citra and Rowan's world, death has been all but conquered, and I mean that quite literally. There is no disease, no crime, and it is quite possibly the closest thing to world peace that humanity has achieved. It is a perfect world. But in this perfect utopia, Scythes--killers, powered by the government and the nearest thing to royalty--must 'glean', or kill, as compassionately as possible. Despite Citra and Rowan not wanting the job, they are nonetheless chosen and pitted against each other in a deadly, politically intriguing game, where death lurks for the loser and Scythedom to the victor.

What can I say? This book, though it wasn't completely perfect, was pretty darn close. It was so good! The worldbuilding was phenomenal, the characters well-drawn and sympathetic, and the pacing was absolutely breakneck--I couldn't put it down, even though there were times when I really wanted to. The premise was so original and interesting, I really loved it. I'm so excited for the sequel! And that ending though--it was amazing! Gimme that sequel right now, Neal! Please! The bottom line: A fantastic series debut for the autumn of 2016, Scythe is one of my favorites--I can't wait for the sequel! Next on deck: Heartless by Marissa Meyer!

I absolutely LOVED this book.
Set in a future where all of humanities problems (hunger, poverty, disease, war, death, etc) are solved and mortality is a thing of the past, an organization of scythes, reapers if you will, are charged with the sacred act of "gleaning" (or killing) in order to keep the world's population under control. The story follows Citra and Rowan, two teenagers who reluctantly agree to become scythe apprentices. Taken on by Scythe Faraday, the two learn how to kill and all that that encompasses. But during conclave, a meeting for scythes, the discover that whoever wins the apprenticeship has to glean the other.
The story is filled with political intrigue, plots and ethics and it is an incredibly fascinating read. Normally when there are two protagonists in a story, I find myself rooting more for one than the other, but in this book I was equally invested in Rowan and Citra, and the fact that one was charged with killing the other. I picked this book up expecting I would enjoy it, but that it wouldn't be anything special and I am so happy to say that I was proven wrong. It is well written, well paced and addicting. The story wraps up nicely and doesn't leave you with a cliffhanger, but also does a good job in enticing you for the second book. Cannot wait to continue this story and will definitely reread.

*Originally reviewed on Goodreads and My Blog*

I freaking love this book!

Citra and Rowen are two teenagers who get the pleasantry of meeting the honorable Scythe Faraday. No one wants to run into a scythe, much less talk to one or spend any kind of time with one. They have the ability to kill you if they see fit. That is their duty. But Citra and Rowan had the chance to meet this particular scythe and they were both not very pleasant to him. In some cases this could mean they would be gleaned depending on the unpleasantness, but Scythe Faraday was taken with these two individuals and brought them both under his wing as apprentices. Of course neither of them wanted to be apprentices and possibly become scythes themselves. Although there could only be one and it's not the norm for a scythe to take on two apprentices, but such is life.

To be a scythe you have to give up many things, but they are necessary in this new world where there are no illnesses and you do not die. So there has to be an executioner if you will. There are some evil scythes in the book that enjoy the killing and this goes against their creed but everything works out at some point.

I love these characters. I loved them so much. Citra and Rowen are just awesome and Honorable Scythe Faraday is awesome too. Even though he is a killer and has lived hundreds of years, he's a nice man and JUST READ THE BOOK!

Some things happen and Citra and Rowen get separated and are training under different scythes. Citra is under Honorable Scythe Curie and Rowen gets the evil Scythe Goddard <--- I'm not even calling him honorable. He's a twat!

There is a lot more going on in the book and reasons for this that and the other but you can read all of that for yourself.

For me, the book was awesome and that's all I care about. And that ending . . .

YES, JUST YES!!!! ♥

Thank you for reading my reviews ♥

Imagine a world where man has conquered disease, crime, poverty. No one dies or even grows old anymore--not permanently, anyway. People who decide they've gotten too old simply "turn a corner" and are medically reverted to whatever age they please, usually their early twenties. Even those who suffer fatal trauma end up "deadish" at worst until they can be put back together at a revival center.

So if nobody dies, how do they deal with overpopulation? That's where the Scythes come in: specially appointed assassins who, with society's blessing, select people for "gleaning." Despite their grim avocation, Scythes enjoy celebrity status, and their unexpected and seemingly random appearances are met with a mixture of fascination and dread.

Teens Rowan and Citra find the work of Scythes disgusting, so imagine their surprise when the famous Scythe Faraday selects them to be his apprentices--to learn "killcraft" and become Scythes themselves. Faraday is one of the compassionate Scythes: he leads an austere, monk-like existence, chooses his victims with care, and dispatches them humanely. But not all Scythes are so philosophical. Some, in fact, are sociopaths, cavorting in their celebrity and killing for the fun of it. One such Scythe has his eye on Rowan and Citra and means to turn them into indiscriminate killing machines.

It may be an outlandish premise, but I happen to relish a novel with a strong and outlandish premise. Like Shusterman's Everlost trilogy, I couldn't put Scythe down. The only problem? Scythe is also set to be a trilogy, but only book one is out so far. I look forward to book two. Suspense, philosophy, and gallows humor combine for an excellent read.

The concept of this story was instantly interesting to me. I was really looking forward to reading this book and it did not disappoint, AT ALL. I was sucked in immediately and there were shocking twists around every corner. I did not see any of it coming so I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

"The greatest achievement of the human race was not conquering death. It was ending government."

I couldn't help but thoroughly relate to this quote from the beginning of the book. In some ways they are living in such an ideal world and yet, it still isn't immune from problems.

Rowan and Citra were both well developed characters and I liked them both so much. I didn't have any idea how this book could come to a satisfactory ending but it managed to do so quite well.

I didn't feel that it ended on much of a cliffhanger so I'm not sure what direction the next book is going to go in but I am absolutely going to be picking it up the day it comes out.

So this week I flew through this dark, reverse dystopian novel titled Scythe by Neal Shusterman. I picked it up the DAY it was released, should have waited in hindsight because of course three days later they put out the signed copies Oh well. I can officially say its one of my favorite reads ever!!
Scythe revolves around our world in the future yet it has become a kind of Utopian Society. Disease, war, all the bad things in life have been eradicated and for lack of a better word everyone is now Immortal. They can even turn back the clock and reverse the aging process. Well because no one is dying the world has an issue with overpopulation, so the scythdom has been created. They are people trained in the art of killing and have the task to “glean” people, also known as killing them.  This novel revolves around two apprentice Scythes’: Rowan and Citra. The only problem is since they are pitted against one another, the one who becomes a full Scythe has to kill the other… rules are rules. But could you kill your best friend/lover/relative?
This book gave me so many feels, it truly made me think about my existence, and I even felt as the characters did and the situations where they had to kill someone. If you enjoyed any Lois Lowry books such as The Giver Series or Number the Stars you will love this. Its packed full of adventure, intrigue, friendship, romance, evil, you name it Scythe has it. It also I believe is to be created into a series which would be epic, and if not it’s an AMAZING standalone. The feels and intrigue alone, I mean.. ah!!!  So I will leave you with two of my favorite quotes from the novel. As you can probably already guess I gave Scythe 5 out of 5 stars!!
“For only the pain of empathy will keep us human.”- Scythe Faraday

Disease, war, famine, poverty, and all other physical suffering has been eradicated in this future and immortality is a just another fact of existence; even mental illnesses and misery are carefully controlled by nanites for each human and so everyone is... content. The Thunderhead computer system calculates all needs and wants of the world population and all exist in a utopia. The only real thing left to humans is population control; Scythes are tasked with the sacred duty of taking life.

This premise alone is enough to draw in a reader, but the world-building is spectacular and begs for the sequel to simply view more of this society. Shusterman presents another "flawless" society where people have become too staid to recognize something is wrong. While this is not nearly as action-packed as Unwind (Shusterman's first dystopian series), the philosophies and politics of Scythe go much deeper. Each characters presents a unique ideology regarding the state of the world and their roles; even detestable characters are intriguing with their charisma and the writing behind their motivations. Readers are lead to clues for the mysteries and corruptions in the Scythedom to give each reveal a perfect landing with a combination of satisfaction at the logic and awe at the outcome.

The only downside of such a fantastic novel is the pacing; a lot of the build-up relies heavily on our understanding of the world and the characters, which means the exposition for each piece of the story is drawn out. A great choice for someone who can become invested in an analytical and profound journey.

I was looking for books the kids in my family would like to read after Harry Potter. This book seems way darker. Much more to my own liking, as it turns out. I'm still trying to figure out exactly how this would go over for youngsters. In the meantime, I highly recommend it to adults and anyone reading YA fiction. I was pleased to see there is a series starting from this book and there are movie plans in the works (whether that's good or bad, I don't know). This is in my top twenty all-time favorites. Maybe top five.

Oh, and the book was in good condition and shipped fine in a bubble envelope. The paperback book fit in my small mailbox. The cover is like thick, heavy paper, not glossy. Great cover design.

This book was fantastically dark and gritty. I enjoyed so much of the book but there were some elements of the characters I felt could have been better explained and long periods of time went by as if it were only a day in the character development and maturity.

With that being said, the story and world building here was phenomenal! I got very attached to both Rowan and Citra early in the book and couldn't have guessed the outcome of this story if I had tried.

The story takes place on earth in a very distant future. We have overcome illness and death which leads to overcrowding. Scythes were elected to take up the duty of gleaning humans to even out the population. Rowan and Citra are both high school students minding their own business when they both separately cross paths with the same scythe. This with forever change their lives and their futures.

I checked this book out of my public library to review for suggesting as a read to my middle school students. I did suggest this book as a "must read". The love of this book spread like wildfire. This book is very well written. In fact, it is a Printz Honor–winning book. This book has several plot twists that I never saw coming. They also surprised and thrilled my students. Schusterman does an excellent job with his character development. It is unique how the author exposes the characters to the reader making them fearless and vulnerable at the same time. I had my favorite characters and ones I wish I could glean. The Scythe was my favorite character. He is wonderfully written and a character that impacts the reader long after the last page is read. His actions, words, and feelings clash with each other, but make him the unique character that he is. I found myself really involved with the characters. This book is very violent and has lots of death. Some of the gleaning scenes are very graphic. If you do not like violence and its details, do not read this book.

This is the first book in the Arc of the Scythes series. Book two, Thunderhead, will be out November 21, 2017, by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. I will definitely be waiting for book two’s release. Several of my students have written this date on their calendars so they don't miss it!

A resounding FIVE STARS to this one!!

I think that if it were a standalone novel, it would be my favorite read this year, at least so far. The story had me glued. I loved the ideas, the kind and caring AI, the need to introduce death somehow into a society where people no longer suffer from illness and disease. But ah, we can never heal us of being human, can we?

Such an intriguing concept. And expertly handled by Shusterman.

I’m already about halfway through the sequel. I was unable to wait to begin reading it, not even an hour! Jumped in immediately. I think that speaks volumes.

I urge anyone who has not yet experienced this story to dive right in. It’s just one of those books that has something for just about everyone.

Happy reading!

Excellent, so, so excellent, there are enough stars for all the excellence. Right from the get-go, readers are immersed in a spectacular, unique world with fantastic and memorable characters and a compelling story that was as unexpected as it was exciting. I was completely hooked, and I'm dying for the next book. The world is unlike any I've ever read before, with the rules and politics engaging and things I wanted to learn about. The characters are fantastic. Citra is a headstrong, powerful young woman who I absolutely loved. Rowan is equally as interesting. My heart broke during his story, and I have to say that while I was always supporting him, he spooked me! The ending was nail-biting right until the very last page, and I can only imagine where it's going to go from here. Like I said, I couldn't get enough of it. Such an engaging, remarkable story about trials and choices and endurance. If you haven't checked it out yet, be sure to do so as soon as possible––you'll love it!

I highlighted like a pro with this book BUT, as a whole, it wasn't as amazing as its quotes (if that makes sense). The plot was peppered with sporadic action/horrific violence while the rest seemed like it was trying to be deep and introspective....a recipe for disaster?? NOPE, it worked! Kind of...was it on the boring side?? Yes! Was the burgeoning love unnatural and painful to witness? Yes! BUT it was ok...not my new favorite but it was a semi interesting read.

I've read two of Shusterman's series (Unwind Dystology and the Skinjacker trilogy) before and greatly enjoyed both, so I had a hunch that I would feel the same about "Scythe"... and I was right. I finished it in four days. The book certainly gives you a lot to think about in terms of the pros and cons of "living forever" and the kind of future depicted in this book that follows the "Age of Mortality". What would our lives be like if we -could- live for many decades longer than what we can do now?

I very much look forward to the next book(s?) following "Scythe" and seeing what happens with the Scythedom and the main characters.

I would also like to say that the cover art is very unique and I love it. Props to the artist!

(I had borrowed this book from my library, but I will buy it to own as soon as I can!)

If there is a Team Faraday please let me know because OMG I just love him and I love love this book. In this futuristic world, there is No hunger. No disease. No accidents. The only way to die is to be chosen to die by a Scythe, which are trained to keep the population under control. This follows two characters Citra and Rowan and they are chosen to apprentice by Scythe Faraday for a chance to become a Scythe themselves. Only problem is there is only one spot open and there are two of them. So much more goes on in this book but I find it better to go in with no more info than to know it is an amazing story. I would recommend this to everyone and this book made it to my 2018 Favorites List.

In a long line of bloodig, dark, apocalyptic murder-driving dystopies we got a real utopia here — ... bloodig, dark... men optimistic! I love all books by Neal Shusterman, but this is a special for me, and not only because it's dedicated to me by author. I read everything he wrote, but (the same I can tell about Challenger Deep) this book is a step to higher level. It's not a book for only teens, it's a book for grown-ups as well. Shusterman takes highest philosophical questions here, like: If you, from powers to be, have the power to kill people as a necessary public deed, how would you do it? Would you be a ruthless killer or a compassionate scythe?
This book gave me a lot of space for thoughts. It's really page-turner, and you will never guess the ending. Shusterman's writing style is perfect, the characters are all the time in progression, the plot doesn't stays on one place a minute. Enjoy this book, like I enjoyed it!

I thought this premise was a really good idea. I was a little worried to read it because the other series he has kind of bothers me, but this one was good. I need to read the second one. I liked the book overall, with some minor complaints about world-building and set up.

What I liked:
I liked that Citra was smart and clever. I like how she was able to figure things out
I liked the gleaning journal sections. They were interesting to read.
I liked the juxtaposition of the two different types of training. While kind of sad to think about, it was interesting to read.

What I didn't like:
The idea the Thunderhead couldn't interfere with the Scythedom. When they had obviously become very corrupt and a mess, it could do nothing, or at least very little. It bothered me they hadn't produced any safeguards.
This is just a world-building complaint, but I thought it was odd they had no means of gleaning for people that did not want to survive. When you live forever, I don't see why they wouldn't have a system for people who are tired of living so long, who want to move on, or who are comfortable with how their life went.
I question the gleaning of children. I realize it was based on death stats from before, but it seems like, when able to make it so they don't die, taking them before they can live there lives is unfair, when others could live hundreds of years

This is not my typical genre of reading. However, it was an interesting concept. A time where no one dies so in order to keep population down, the Scythes must "glean" (kill) a certain number of individuals during a given time frame. Scythe Faraday takes on two apprentices, which is not against the rules but not exactly the normal way of training. The book is mainly about the two apprentices and their thoughts about becoming trained killers. It is often brutal as there are rogue Scythes who enjoy their jobs far too much. Nonetheless, overall, it is a decent read for a YA book. Two more books in the series.

This one is a fun sci-fi adventure that would be perfect on an episode of “Amazing Stories,” the anthology that was like “Twilight Zone,” but more funny, less terrifying.

This one is not scary or bleak, but it’s all about death.

In this world, nobody dies naturally. Death is handled by Grim Reapers in fancy robes who visit people and whack them. They aren’t supernatural creatures, just people doing their jobs. The story’s heroes get recruited into the Scythe service and naturally, hijinks ensue.

The story asks a neat SF question, and answers it in a thrilling, clever way. Neal Shusterman has created a complex world to explore this one idea, and I must deliver virtual high-fives for that. (reviewed by Joe Crowe, on Twitter at RevolutionSF.)

Scythe is an amazing book that portrays both creativity and moral lessons throughout the story. The future, where everyone is immortal due to humanity conquering every factor of human life, there are scythes who manually end lives of people. Scythes are immortal and they have the power to glean others. Citizens will do anything to get immorality from scythes which is only limited to one year. Thus, scythes can do almost whatever they want.
These scythes can take apprentices who are people getting trained to become scythes, and only one apprentice can become a scythe after the training is over. The main characters, Citra and Rowan are scythe apprentices who are training under Scythe Faraday. They are only teenagers who are still in the process of growing maturely, and they both did not want to become scythes. They face many conflicts and creative journeys throughout the book and having to learn the art of killing in order to survive in the scythes’ world is not easy for them. This book is perfect for ethical morals and deep thinking.
As an 8th grader, I enjoyed the plot and characters a lot. Each character has an outstanding characteristic which was described in an interesting manner. I enjoyed reading the development of the two characters, Citra and Rowan, and how they grew mature over time. There were also many plot twists that kept surprising me, but it all concluded to a great ending. This book, a novel written by Neal Shusterman is a great piece of literacy and is very recommended to everyone, especially to students.

This book may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I thoroughly enjoyed it myself. It leads your emotions and feelings to many different areas. It is a story of Love, Moral aptitude, decisions, looks to things that are sometimes misleading and finds out to be different. Lets you know how people can be lead into different directions even if they don't even know or understand what they are following. It is awesome and I wanted to see how it turned out, but when it was over really didn't want to leave like many books I have read. If this is your type of book, I believe you will enjoy it very much. So good Reading. :)

Shusterman is the master of taking deep profound issues and addressing them through an action packed story. Like Unwind, this book will make the reader think about matters of faith, life, and death without them even realizing it.

On the surface, this is the story of a world that many people dream of. In this utopian (dystopian?) future, people do not die. Disease and aging have been defeated and man is immortal. Bodies are programmed to not feel pain or gain too much weight. Starting to feel old? "Turn the corner" and reset yourself to whatever age you prefer. Years aren't even numbered anymore because time has no real meaning.

But that's the problem. When life is made too easy and time is endless, what happens to the passion in life and the drive to make the world a better place during the time allotted to you? People have endless knowledge at their fingertips but do not use it to make themselves wise. (Alright, that might have already happened to us.)

The second problem is that people cannot just keep being born without someone making room for them, so man takes the place of God (or nature if you prefer) and the Scythedom decides who will die. Predictably, this well-meaning organization becomes corrupt, as our two main characters, teenage scythe apprentices, find out.

Besides addressing how horrible things turn out when people are given exactly what they think they want, this book puts the reader in the minds of two rather different protagonists who are offered a future that they didn't ask for, but maybe they want, but then they feel bad for wanting it. After all, what kind of person wants to be a scythe?

From there, the twists and turns in the story will keep you riveted to the page until you are begging for the next book. I have recommended Unwind as my favorite dystopian novel ever since I first read it. This is the first book to come close since then. Well done, Shusterman.

Scythe is about Citra and Rowan who are taken as scythe apprentices by the Honorable Scythe Faraday. They live in a utopia type world where death and disease have all but disappeared. People still age but they have the ability to 'turn the corner' and go back to an age they wish and then age again. The only death is left up to the scythes to keep human population under control. Each scythe is given a quota of how many need to be killed so there are not too many or too few deaths. He teaches them about the art of killing and also makes sure they understand that it is not to be taken lightly. After a gleaning ( what they call Killing) he will then visit the persons family as well as the persons funeral. He bases all of his gleanings off of death statistics from the mortal age and chooses the person as randomly as possible. Even though he has killed many, each death takes its toll on him. This is how they Scythedom is supposed to work, but of course there are a few who make it in who live for the bloodshed.

Citra and Rowan are such wonderful characters, I think they grow quite a bit by the end of the book. The politics that were discussed in the story are intricate and well thought out. I was never bored while reading and the book kept up a good pace. It makes you ponder death, what it would be like to live in a place that it hardly existed anymore.

This review is also posted on my goodreads account.

I picked up this book because the premise sounded intriguing (a society that has essentially conquered death + the chosen few who go about killing people for the sake of curbing the population), and I have to say that this book exceeded my expectations on all levels! It was thought-provoking with a well fleshed-out world and society, and the plot was suspenseful and clever. The characters all had fascinating motivations as well. I liked how each of the two main characters had very different motivations for wanting to become a Scythe apprentice, but both of them were relatable in their own right. And like I said before, the plot keeps you guessing until the very end. Definitely one of my favorite YA reads of the year, and I can't wait for the next book!

I picked this book up at my local public library and decided, based on the cover, that this would be an interesting book to read. I, of course, knew about Neal Shusterman, as I had seen many of his books, but I never read them. So this is my very first book by Neal Shusterman, and I have to say that I am very impressed.

While the first three hundred or so pages are very slow-paced, everything that Shusterman puts into those pages and especially the pages after is very interesting. The book is set in a world that is hundreds of years into the future where mortality is literally a thing of the past. People don't necessarily live forever, but once they turn a certain elderly age, they can set their ages back to twenty-one. They can also withstand injuries that were deathly in the "Age of Mortality" and walk away without even a scratch, after being resurrected at a hospital, of course. The only way people can actually die is gleaning by the hands of a Scythe.

The book mainly follows the exploits of Citra and Rowan, two teenagers who have been chosen by Scythe Faraday, named after scientist Michael Faraday, to be trained in the Scythedom. Citra and Rowan do not want to become a Scythe, but that's usually how Scythes are chosen. Once they get into their training, they find that they actually might want to become Scythes and that they are attracted to each other. Of course, only one of them can become a Scythe and this brings another Scythe, whose name escapes me at the moment but is aptly named, to make the suggestion that whoever wins the Scythedom has to kill the loser. This brings disagreement from every Scythe but ultimately becomes the goal at the end of the year. This causes Scythe Faraday to commit suicide so Citra and Rowan do not have to kill the other, but the objective stays the same despite the fact that they now have different mentors.

This book is very well-written but very slow-paced. There was one point where I decided that I wasn't going to finish it because of how slow-paced it was. That could have been me, however. That might be different for other readers. One aspect of the book I liked was how the Scythes are named. They are named after historical figures, such as Michael Faraday, Marie Curie, Noam Chomsky, Robert Goddard, Xenocrates, and much more. I definitely recommend this book to those who like science fiction, dystopia/utopia, and teen fiction. The twist near the end really makes the reader want to read the next book. Can't wait for it.

It was a slow start, but still held my attention. The characters were being explored and the world built. Then second half took off running. I loved and hated the main characters with zest. The writing was superb. I found myself jumping emotions with each page, hopeful, hopeless, excited, sad, mad, outraged and horrified. It ended with a soft cliffhanger, so be ready with book 2. I went into this book blind based on a friends recommendation, my favorite way to explore new to me authors.

It was refreshing to read about a future society which has significant troubles but is not an apocalyptic wasteland. The world-building, such as is necessary for book like this, was well-done, although predictably shallow. The premise had never occurred to me. Citra, our unfortunately-fruit-theme-named heroine, is neither an idiot nor a hypercompetent savant. The lack of romance between her and the male lead Rowan is refreshing. This may be the work of emo-nanites, but if so, I hope that the sequel(s) do not introduce such well-worn pablum. Serious ethical questions abound, as one would expect from a death-themed work. There are more than can be answered in this volume. Scythedom has extremely messy methodology. The Tone Cults are not the principal focus, but seem a wan replacement for religion. Even if the primary motivator of religion is fear of death, it is not the only one; but I do understand how in a book called "Scythe", it would be the one chosen. Perhaps somewhere out there a book about future society exists in the realm between atheist and evangelical. The conclusion sets up the conflict nicely without wholly endorsing or condemning either side.

Ok this book blew me away! I originally got it because I thought the concept sounded interesting. I thought that this would just be a filler book until I could find a different book. But boy was I wrong! This book kept me interested and intrigued the entire time! The writing is amazing! But most importantly the world that the book takes place(the future) is so interesting and kind of believable. The author does such a good job making the world come to life! The detail is crazy! The characters in the book are so love able! You are cheering for them, crying for them, screaming at them, just feeling all the feels! This is not a fluf book! If you have any doubts about this book, let me help you make the decision. GET THE BOOK!!! You won’t regret it......and the second book is good too!

Let us start with: this is a great book. The characters were well thought out and Citra and Rowan were characters never to be forgotten.
I won't give away the book, but I will give you the gist of it. Rowan and Citra are selected to be scythes. Scythes glean or control thr population. By killing people. You may think ulgh (say that out loud, and you know what I mean). This is more than that. It is their physical and mental journey to scythedom. This book shows their inner thoughts and feelings for all scythes should not enjoy taking life, some though, are bad.
I hoped this review was helpful. I highly suggest that you read this book. It is quite well written. Also this book is not just for boys because it has violence in it. I think girls will get a lot out of this book as well as boys.
Review by a person in 7th grade.

I bought this for my 7th grade classroom library and my very first reader did a Book Talk on it yesterday! He made the book sound so exciting and the class was riveted as he read a excerpt which takes place on a plane. In this dystopia novel, Neal Shusterman masterfully creates an interesting world where people can be resurrected, but in order to control the population, certain young people are trained as Scythes. They are able to mete out death without the possibility of resurrection. It is a difficult responsibility to carry, and as we are all human, some deal with it better than most. We follow two candidates, a boy and a girl, through their extremely difficult training (both physically and mentally) and tension rises as only one of them will become a Scythe and the other will be reaped! A great read for YA and adults alike. Really hoping for a sequel!

Words cannot describe how unbelievable this book was. I could not read fast enough to see where the story was headed and when I thought I had figured everything out, the story took a different turn. In a world where disease and death are a thing in the past, its up to individuals chosen as scythes to keep the population under control. Scythe is truly a unique and original story staged in a captivating world with interesting and relatable characters. I would highly recommend this book to teen and adult readers alike.

The first half and last third of the book were the most enjoyable. I liked the main couple and the "good" scythe. I hated those diamond studded ones. One thing that bothered me about the world was the way population control was handled. Why didn't they limit the number of children people could have like China's old One-Child policy instead of just using scythes to glean? Although this is an interesting world, I'm not sure I'll continue with the series.

I’ll keep my opinions brief. Although the premise inherently has plausibility and plot flaws, the novel is a very entertaining and intriguing and subtly delves into the philosophy of “What it really means to be alive” and explores themes of cheating death. The pacing is one of the best of any novel I have read. My expectations for Thunderhead are quite high. Overall, Scythe's "execution" was...."breathtaking". (+2 for puns)

The author of the Unwind series brings us another convincing dystopia. Several hundred years in the future "The Cloud" has become The Thunderhead, an artificially intelligent being that has collected and made accessible all human knowledge, ended the need for politics and government, brought an end to crime, and mastered the "revival" of human beings, making them virtually immortal. However, The Thunderhead leaves population control to the jurisdiction of scythes, where politics, power, fear-mongering and blood-thirst battle against compassion and justice. The mature, thought-provoking style makes this a must-have addition to a teen dystopian collection.

Interesting futuristic plot that mimics religious cults ("ordained" scythes playing God) and the National Security Agency or New World Order (Thunderhead). Is this predictive programming for our young adults so they more readily accept mass depopulation and more aggressive government control? The importance of compassion and morality kept me interested and hopeful while finishing the book.

I couldn't put this book down. Each night I looked forward to bedtime because it meant that I got to read Scythe. I'm surprised Scythe hasn't seen heights of popularity like the Hunger Games because it's that good or perhaps even better. Shusterman keeps you wondering, "How are they going to get out of this one?" And just when things start to settle down, there's another plot twist and another wrinkle. I also like that, even though this book is part of a series, Scythe stands on its own. As I neared the end of the book I begged, "Please don't leave me hanging until the second book." This book leaves you with the satisfaction of resolution, but the excitement for the continuation of the story. I am excited to read Thunderhead.

I will start with the only problem I have with this new series: its premise. I find it implausible, partly because an alternative is very casually treated as impractical. This dismissive assessment may, however, turn out to be a purposely disseminated misconception, which would make matters more interesting.

The premise, the plot, the characters are all beautifully developed, which should be no surprise to those familiar with Shusterman's work. I gobbled the book down rapidly and am now left impatiently waiting for the next installment.

There has been a lot of hype around this book and I thought I would try a chapter and ditch the book if it was boring or if I couldn't connect it. 5 Chapters in I knew that this was going to be a great book. The world building was easy to follow, the characters were complex but relatable. The book is fast paced and I found it to be a quick reader.

I really liked the concept but the execution felt flat and boring. There was no true substance to the characters or the story and my mind kept wandering. I don't get all of the 5 star ratings - it's well written but lacking in richness and complexity. Even the relationships feel forced. I doubt I will read the next book in the series because this was a total chore.

So as the headline says, this is my first time reading this author and I truly enjoyed it. I stay glued to it from front to back and never felt it lagging. (Could be cause I read very large chunks at a time ;)The premise of the book is very interesting. There are enough "I'm a amature reviewers" type reviews already so I won't go into detail about the story. It's seems a lot more violent than a normal teen level book but not Stephen King level violent. Keep that in mind when suggesting this to younger audiences.

I didn't get the appeal when I first heard about this one and I still don't. The tone is incredibly dry which I think is probably intentional but unappealing. The references used for a future setting felt off. And while a lot of people are buying into the utopian setting I'm not. A true utopia shouldn't breed corruptions and chaos which is really the only way you can classify some of the scythes.

A new dystopian series that has everything I love. Star-crossed (almost) lovers pitted against one another in a battle to the death. Throw in some truly evil characters, a few noble mentors, a handful of mystery, and a very cool computer system (The Thunderhead) and you have the recipe for a great series. This is book 1 and book 2 is already on my to be read list.

I was drawn to this book because of the concept and I read some before I bought it. I personally enjoy books that make me think afterwards, whether it's about the good aspects of the book or what could have been better.
The more I think it through there are faults to this furturistic world but that doesn't kill the story for me. The pace is a little slow and I found myself skipping some paragraphs. I found the characters to be intriguing, though the main characters could have had deeper thoughts like the scythe's journal entries. There were bits of predictability but some surprises for me as well but overall I really enjoyed the concept and story line.

The one major part that I hated about this book is:
SOMEWHAT OF A SPOILER BELOW
If you aren't assuming this from the description, the two main characters "fall in love" but I found that there was a total lack of build up in their relationship for them to be in love at the end. I don't really like books that are too relationship heavy that there isn't a good plot but this one needed a little bit more because it just seemed they were pushed together at the end. So if you like relationship heavy stories this is not going to be a good one for you.

I read this book because a friend recommended it to me. I wasn't sure what to think when I first picked up this book, but I was surprised at how good it was. The author has really done a great job on building this world and the characters to make them feel real. There was a lot of thought put into the benefits and consequences of this society, even some of the more funnier aspects of it.

Wow. Just wow. How without death humanity loses its inspiration, loses love for life. A story of corruption. Of how even when humanity strives to be pure and just, the monstrous side of us will rear its ugly head. A story of politics and of love. About how it takes becoming a monster to stop one. And remaining pure might be impossible when faced with choices concerning life and death. Go Scythe Lucifer...go be the monster we need. Loved this book!

I really enjoyed this book. It is a great interpretation of our future world. It has a great story line and a wonderful climax. I do feel that at the end of the book, last thirty to forty pages, was a bit rushed. I guess that I was just looking for more of the same and it turned into a block and chop style writing which I didn't care for. That is the only reason I am giving it four stars and not five. I would give it 4.5 if I could. It really is a great read and my little quab about the last few pages does not take a way from this great story.

This book is addictive and captivating. I can't wait to use it with my 12th grade English class! The characters and well constructed, the storyline is gripping and the utopian world presented makes for excellent moral, ethical and societal questions.

"Thou shalt kill" grabbed my attention and while I was hesitant at first, I am SO glad I followed through reading this book. I loved the sprinkling of Roman/Latin references throughout, the naming conventions of the Scythes, and overall the story had some great twists. Since this is the first book I've read of Neal Shusterman's, it's made me want to go look up his other stuff. Definitely a good read; it brings up excellent questions about morality, ethics, life and death, emotions and compassion, revenge and justice. I would recommend to anyone who wants something a little different than your typical dystopian stories, because it was fresh and turned typical dystopian stories on their head. (Finally! A dystopian without a cheesy love triangle!)

This is the first of Neal Shusterman's novels that I have read. And I can say that it did not disappoint! This book focuses on two characters & their journey to become a scythe. In a world that no longer has death on today's scale, scythes are the bringers of death via gleaning people.

One such scythe, HS Faraday choices two young people as his apprentices. This novel follows the apprenticeship year for the two of them.

The book Scythe by Neal Shusterman is a modern classic in my opinion. It talks about corruption and emotions and while set in the future, cannot be more close to home. There is never a dull moment, from Tyger’s “splatting” to Scythe Curie’s death dinners. My favorite character is probably Scythe Volta because even though he is part of Scythe Goddard’s gang, he is still truly human and is what a true scythe should be. My first impression of this book was that it was just another generic futuristic utopia novel, but I soon changed my mind. My least favorite character is High Blade Xenocrates mostly because he was being played as a pawn by Scythe Goddard the whole time. In conclusion, read this book. It’s great, trust me.

I love this book. I haven’t read a plethora of books that I love becuse it is using hard for me to keep reading. There is a different issue with this one though because I just spent the last 4 hours trying to finish it so it’s currently 1:17 and I still homework and I still have to go to school tomorrow. This book is amazing and I wish more people were taking about it, I using anticipate Something because they are obvious But the twistes that are in this book are not obvious and it invokes so many emotions at once that it’s at the point of hysteria. Though it is complete with it for this amazing book.

So I purchased this book with a gift card I received for my birthday. And I wasn't sure what to expect as there was not a sample available at the time... well boy oh boy! This book truly blew me away! I loved the whole idea of earth essentially being a utopian society that had conquered death! What do teens do when they know they can't die?! Well they "splat"- jump off buildings! Ha!
Anywho, so I had tried to guess the ending of this book. I really did. I thought so and so was going to let so and so win, and guesses like that. But I was wrong! And even better, one of them ended up being a complete badass known as Scythe Lucifer. Legit AF

Anyways that's all for my mostly useless review. I don't wanna spoil it, but basically it was good.

Days later and I'm still thinking about this book. It's so well written. The story is an original twist on an old legend, and the world building here is phenomenal. It managed to surprise me and I'm always impressed when a book can take me by surprise. I also loved that it made me think. I'm genuinely looking forward to getting back into this universe and reading the second one.

I really liked this one! It was super interesting and complex; I loved the characters the premise of it all and how Shusterman wrote it. Really a fascinating read, and I'm super excited to continue with the series.

I didn't want this to end! Now I have to wait months for the next book! Just when you think you know what is going to happen Stusterman pulls the rug out from under you and you have to start from square one again. Trust no one and don't assume you know a character until they show their true colors. Buckle up and expect the ride of your life with this one!

I really enjoyed the first book in the series. I finished this book in four days. Which is good for a huge book. I loved the whole story. This story had a lot twists in it. I loved the ending. I can't wait to read the next book.

Neal Shusterman is by far my favorite YA author. His Unwind and Everlost series I could not get enough of. Although I did enjoy this book (and so did most of my students), I didn't have the NEED to finish it in like I did the rest of his books. I just didn't feel like there was enough detail to connect with the characters.

This YA book is great for adults too. I’m 66 and enjoyed the audio version very much. Greg Tremblay does a superb job making all the characters come alive. Neil Shusterman writes a tale that’s hard to put down. The next book is ready for Audible in Jan 2018. Yay! The joy of audio is I can enjoy more books while cleaning, cooking, knitting, traveling etc!

I read this book with my schools book club this fall. The students and my fellow teachers ate it up. It was a story that has many twists and explores a world that is seemingly perfect. It does follow the typical dystopian storyline- rebellion against a system that had good intentions but has become flawed over time. However, it adds a unique perspective in that the main characters are the bringers of death!

A simple, yet refreshingly innovative concept on death. Be compelled by the honest characters in an unforgiving, yet hopeful plot. Be mortified, be intrigued--and repulsed by your intrigue. Muse over its philosophies and Scythe politics; the consequences of a world without death, without motivation, without inspiration, without appreciation, without thrive. I know it's becoming a movie but attempting to fit all of his world-building details into a single movie will not do it justice unless it becomes a series...The moment I finished reading it, I started re-reading it again.

This was my favorite read of 2017. Such an interesting take on dystopia. The genre has become predictable, but Shusterman breaks the mold with dynamic worldbuilding and a fascinating storyline. I've already read the second book and am impatiently awaiting the third.

Really enjoyed it. My favorite kind of book: intelligent, fast-paced, and full of surprises. Swallowed it in one weekend.

Complex characters and a tight, fast-moving plot set against a backdrop of master-class world-building. Brimming with ideas: Scythedom, gleaning, Thunderhead, nanites, turning the corner.

The narrative structure is very interesting too, with entries from different scythes' gleaning journals separating the chapters (sorry, I'm a writer, so I love this stuff).

I loved this book! I teach JH language arts and I always try to lead kids to the Everlost series, the Unwind series, Downsiders, Shadow Club, etc. I couldn't wait to get Scythe in my hands and it did not disapoint! Great sci fi story, great characters, and great pace. I see that after the title it says (Arc of the Scythe) so I am eagerly awaiting the sequels!

My son loved it, and I found it pretty provocative as well - stimulated some good conversations about the nature of good and evil, and what one can do when it seems one is faced with a choice of two evils, and whether loyalty is always a virtue, or moral.

The book reads fast and the characters are likeable. It's a bit formulaic and reminiscent of several other stories -- like The Giver by Lowry meets The Lottery by Jackson. But it's fun. And has some interesting discussions of morality, even if black and white. It's 3.5 stars

Pretty good novel. Reflects what life could be post utopia, and of course its anything but a utopia. The story towards the end fell a bit short for me, kind of predictable so knocking off a star for that, otherwise a great story.

Truly amazing. Neal Shusterman has crafted a wonderful story, with a well-devloped setting, dynamic characters, and awesome plot. The writing is amazing and all the events that happen make you think deeply and it's just so cool and great! Highly recommend.

I bought my copy at Bradley's books on Friday and finished it this morning.it has very original take on what death means in a society where everything even death has been couqered and only exists to control population growth.

Interesting concept and a bit unnerving. A utopian society that has learned to defeat death so are now immortal needs Scythes to keep population numbers under control. Trying to remain compassionate and sane while doing so. Neal Shusterman nails it again with a great read. He's a bit creepy, but in a good way. I can't wait to read the rest.

Great idea. Unfortunately way too many holes in the story. Established author is cranking out way too many books. S&S publishes them on past reputation. IF he had taken the time to plug the holes in this tale it could have been a classic. (submitted by Bill,. Jennifer's husband)

One of the best books I've ever read. I checked this book out from my local library too scared to buy it because I've never heard of the author before. Now I'm buying it and its sequel "Thunderhead" because it's truly the best book series I've ever read, even surpassing Harry Potter and TLOTR and Hobbit series. I 100% recommend this book to anyone interested.

This is an interesting outlook on the utopian genre. What would happen if there was no disease or mortality Rate? What makes humans...well human? Shusterman does a great job answering these questions.

I'm not surprised that I loved this book, because I love much of what Shusterman writes. I was surprised at the twists and turns the plot takes! The characters are genuine, and the sci-fi world of the scythe is believable! I'm anxious for the sequel already! I couldn't put it down!

This book blew my socks off. The twists and turns it made, the stakes on the line, everything was perfect and executed stunningly. The concept was really fascinating and the story with it did not disappoint. The only problem I had was the romance; it was pretty dull. But you don't need it to love this book, it's just a small part.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and then devoured its sequel. I am an adult who reads YA and this book blew me away. In a world of books that sound like every other book, this one was unique and kept me intrigued.

Scythe is a must-read! Shusterman is at the top of his game with this book. Spend 15 minutes in Scythe and you simply won't be able to put it down! Actually, do yourself a favor and order Thunderhead (book 2) as well. After Scythe, you'll be hungry for more and not even Prime will be fast enough!

I cant begin to describe how much I loved this book. This author is amazing in his writing about the human condition, morality and what it means to be dead or alive. I have no complaints about anything. The story was so well written I just loved it and cant find a way to say it better than that.

There is really only one issue with reading this author's stories... It's the waiting for the next installment. It's going to drive me crazy!!! What an amazing story and how easily you can connect with the characters. (Good and bad) READ THIS BOOK. And if you haven't read the unwind series... Get going! Happy Reading!!?

Definitely a great book! I am astounished and so impressed by how the author depicts a future world without any flaw (at least I didn't see any), and the meaning behind the tuning fork cult, the scythdom meetings, the gleaning always digs deep.

This book is ok, but some things just don't make sense. Like, why did they eradicate diseases to make people immortal when they're having problems with overpopulation in the first place? And why use scythes to control the population, rather than just letting nature take its course? By the time it takes to train a scythe, millions of people could've just died naturally.

Neal Shusterman has done it again! This book is amazing and well worth the read. I was captured by page one and could not put the book down. If you are a fan of a dystopian novels, you will like this.

The concept of this book is very interesting. I was hooked from the beginning to see how this book handled the conflict. I really was pleasantly surprised by the ending because I didn’t see it coming.

HIS BOOK. After finishing this book I just had to sit with it for a while - and that last line is one to remember. Stellar world-building, complex subject matter, exemplary writing - just everything.

Rarely am I surprised about plot twists or surprises, but this one got me - I mean jaw-dropping, can't believe that really happened shock. On the page prior to this shocking turn of events, I'd been thinking how utterly amazing it would be if something like happened, but it went against the 'rules' of plot development. And then I ran into another one of these moments at the end of the book. More writers should toss the rules out the window.

Scythe deals with some dark themes (as did the Unwind series), but it's done masterfully. The character development is outstanding, especially with one of the MCs. The journal entries between the chapters offer a glimpse not only into the history of scythes and their deepest thoughts, but also of what's to come in the future.

I can't recommend this book enough to fans of Shusterman and YA fantasy - but it's easily a YA crossover and will appeal to adults as well.

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC.

This book is set in the future where humanity has conquered disease, aging, and death. The Thunderhead is the AI progeny of the internet and provides for the current population. Scythes are the only way people can permanently die and are necessary for population control.
What a gripping sci-fi story that also makes you think! Some very good points are brought up about what makes life worth living and how we should show compassion for the lives of others. This is a clean book with very little romance (one kiss) and no cuss words.

This book was such an enjoyable read! It has a good pace, new ideas, and characters that you like. Interesting concepts involved. I think it would make a good motion picture one day with the right direction.

Best book series I’ve ever read, can’t wait for the next book (at the time of writing this I’m waiting on the third supposedly coming out late 2019) would definitely recommend to all who love books

This book was beautiful. It didn't end on a cliffhanger like so many YA fantasy these days. I was pleasantly surprised to learn this was a series. I hope all the books are like this one, I couldn't put it down!

Wow...just Wow.....

I really wish someone had mentioned certain things about this book in their review--like the fact that this book centers on teaching teenagers how to be serial killers/mass murders--the main two being taught by a calm soft-spoken father-figure. I'm not talking about quick lessons in wielding the Avada Kedavra curse where your wand and magic do the actual dirty work but hands on murder. And forget the crap about "For the Greater Good." Hitler said the same thing. 

Someone could have mentioned that the book taught that murder was the answer to problems (even personal problems where you killed yourself) and if the murderers felt really bad afterwards then all the killings were okay. Even more disturbing may have been the calm way the victim selecting process was handled and the victims confronted, making me think of the twisted mental states of our own high school murderers.

I may stand alone here, but I still stand. This book is targeted to the wrong market.