A review by theshelfarchive
Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

I really liked this one! I was a bit worried because I found book 1 just okay. But Thunderhead takes everything Scythe set up and runs with it at full speed. While I still felt a degree of detachment in the writing, the new characters kept things engaging enough that it didn’t bother me as much this time around.

Speaking of new characters—Greyson Tolliver was an absolute standout. He was a breath of fresh air in this series, and if he doesn’t get a happy ending, I will be most annoyed.

Unlike Scythe, which was more measured in its pacing while introducing the world and characters, Thunderhead is full throttle. Just when I thought one twist couldn’t be topped, another came along and completely floored me. What I found most interesting was that I could see where Shusterman was leading me—he wasn’t exactly subtle about it—but even so, when things unfolded, they still managed to shock me. Maybe I subconsciously thought it was all misdirection, but no. It goes exactly where you think it’s going, and somehow, that makes it even more effective. Twist after twist, Shusterman just casually mic-drops his way through the book.

And that ending! I have no idea where The Toll is going to pick up. In the present? In the future? WAY in the future? Either way, I’m excited to see how this trilogy concludes.
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