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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
A fascinating premise in a post-mortality world where death has been conquered, and Scythes must "glean" people to control population. The concept is incredibly thought-provoking, but the execution didn’t always live up to its promise. Don’t get me wrong: this book is GREAT. I truly did love it. I’m not bashing it by any means, and it’s not BAD at all… I’m just mourning it for not being BETTER, especially compared to Unwind by the same author, which hit me much harder. So, a great read, but a bit of a sigh coming after Unwind.
The world-building is great. The idea of the Thunderhead—a benevolent AI that runs everything except death—healing nanites in human bodies, and the scythehood as a societal necessity for population control feels both chilling and plausibly realistic.
That said, the pacing was off for me. Somehow, the apprenticeship part felt both too long and too short (if that’s even possible). I often found myself more interested in Scythe Faraday (the honorable, old-school scythe who initially picks the main characters, Rowan and Citra, as his apprentices, which doesn't happen; a scythe's never had two apprentices at once) and Scythe Curie (the “Grand Dame of Death,” a legendary figure known for her early gleanings and her old-school values). They were more compelling than the main characters and added real weight to the story’s moral questions.
Citra is an ethical and strong-willed teenager with a younger brother selected by Faraday. Rowan is another teenager, from a larger (and poorer?) family, with a complex morality—sensitive, loyal, and also picked by Faraday. The book opens with brief encounters between these two and Faraday during gleanings.
The Scythedom, fragmented globally and meeting regionally only four times a year for one day, proposes that instead of both apprentices becoming scythes, only one will, and the “losing” apprentice must be gleaned by the other. This felt wild and rushed.
Faraday fakes his death, and then the crazy, egotistical, arrogant Scythe Goddard tries to take the apprentices, but Curie steps in as Citra’s mentor. Goddard is basically evil incarnate—flamboyant, charismatic, manipulative—the symbol of everything wrong with unchecked power. He wants to push out the “old school” scythes and believes scythes should love what they do rather than feel conflicted about taking lives. Instead of modest living, he lives loudly and extravagantly, grooming a new generation of scythes in his brutal ways. His motivations, however, feel unclear—he seems like conflict for conflict’s sake.
When inducted, scythes pick new names from historical figures: Michael Faraday, Marie Curie, Robert Goddard, and Xenocrates (head of the Americas scythedom). These names honor legacies of innovation and progress, twisted into violence and cruelty. Faraday is named after the scientist known for humility, integrity, and ethics, fitting for his moral grounding. Curie, after Marie Curie, symbolizes strength, intelligence, and dignity. Xenocrates refers to an ancient Greek philosopher, symbolizing moral order. Robert Goddard, father of modern rocketry with a legacy of innovation and progress, but twisted into violence, excess and cruelty, shows how legacy can be distorted based on who inherits it.
The backstories are fun: Faraday and Curie share a former love affair (which isn’t explicitly forbidden, though Rule 9 bans relationships between spouse and spawn, but they are harshly punished, so it’s a little confusing). Curie was Faraday’s apprentice, and Goddard was Xenocrates’ apprentice. Xenocrates has an illegal daughter, Esme, whom Goddard kidnaps to blackmail him.
The romantic subplot between Citra and Rowan felt weak, forced, and lacking chemistry. They seemed more like great friends who “loved” each other because they were told to. Some plot twists were predictable, and certain decisions by the Scythedom felt contrived to push the plot forward.
Rowan’s moral complexity is one of the story’s stronger elements. Though he “loses” the scythe competition, but also he defeats Goddard and agrees to keep Xenocrates’ secret.
The romantic subplot between Citra and Rowan felt weak, forced, and lacking chemistry. They seemed more like great friends who “loved” each other because they were told to. Some plot twists were predictable, and certain decisions by the Scythedom felt contrived to push the plot forward.
Rowan’s moral complexity is one of the story’s stronger elements. Though he “loses” the scythe competition, but also he defeats Goddard and agrees to keep Xenocrates’ secret.
In the end, Scythe is a good book with a brilliant core. Still worth reading, but my heart is with Unwind.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Neal Shusterman so effortlessly builds a world I am so keen to find out about that I just can't help but read and read. While the deep rooted plot takes a while to come into fruition, I didn't mind considering the environment and character development was so engaging. I've already jumped onto the next book moments after finishing this.
This was fantastic. It was a bit slow burning to begin with but it quickly picked up. I really enjoyed the world and the rules within it. I can't wait to pick up Thunderhead, it ended with a twist and I'm so intrigued with this story.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A great, deep dystopian book! I can't wait to read the next book in the series. The end was totally unexpected. Lots of twists. Fun read!
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Wow. This book hooks you immediately with the first few pages. After finishing chapter 1 I was eagerly awaiting to return to this world once I put it down. The author’s writing style allows for the reader to imagine the world while also providing vast details. The world that these characters live in is so not like our own, due to the immortality for example, but it has the visages of our current planet and lives that it wasn’t too difficulty to relate to the characters. The characters, especially the Scythe’s are so well-rounded and full of personality it is very easy to connect or want to learn more about them and their lives. The rules of this world are so unique and many times I found myself having to pause to digest and think more deeply about what I was reading. This story provides many though-provoking moments to ponder that it made it a much more enjoyable read for me. It also has unexpected humor and I was very pleased to experience a sci-if/fantasy book that also crossed into the suspenseful/mystery genre as well. I have started book 2 and am excited to continue reading about his world and the characters.