A review by phantastic
Gleanings by Neal Shusterman

adventurous dark emotional tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Gleanings is a collection of 12 short stories (and 1 poem) from the Arc of a Scythe universe, featuring characters both new and old. While the book serves as a great way to get readers interested in the Arc of a Scythe universe again, the stories vary in quality: ranging from must-reads for all fans of the main series to stories that teeter between boredom and occasional amusement. 

Rankings:
  1. The Mortal Canvas
  2. A Martian Minute
  3. Anastasia’s Shadow
  4. A Dark Curtain Rises
  5. Cirri
  6. A Death of Many Colors
  7. Perchance to Glean
  8. Unsavory Row
  9. Formidable
  10. Meet Cute and Die
  11. The Persistence of Memory
  12. Never Work with Animals

The Mortal Canvas is a story with vast emotional depth with great emphasis and respect for artistic value. Under the pressure of a scythe, four students have to compete with one another to create “the best art piece,” yet struggle to understand how to truly create from the soul due to the freedom of immortality. Each character had personality and uniqueness that made their interactions with one another rich and memorable. I found myself rooting for every one of them throughout the story, and the reveals at the end leave an impact that will not be forgotten soon.

A Martian Minute serves as the selling point of Gleanings, being both backstory for Goddard and a reveal of how the Mars colony was sabotaged. Although it was the longest story of the book, it didn’t feel like it dragged on at any point, with it always remaining tense and exciting. You get wonderful insight into Goddard’s upbringing and how it shaped him as a person - perhaps developing a twinge of empathy for the person he used to be. Additionally, this story gives us far greater insight into Xenocrates’ mind than seen throughout the main series. This story is a must-read for any fans of the series as a whole.

Perchance to Glean uncovers many mysteries relating to the RossShelf charter region and its communal dreaming experiment, following two dreamers and their desperate escape from a pursuing scythe; however, the rules in dreams are less harsh than reality’s, leading to one of the most explosively fantastical adventures, featuring many creative elements that never failed to grip my attention. Despite that, the ending took a sudden shift in tone that was jarring, abrupt, and felt like it destroyed everything that the story was building up toward. Had it ended differently, Perchance to Glean could’ve easily landed in 1st or 2nd place on my rankings.

Overall, Gleanings offers a decently enjoyable selection of narratives from the Arc of a Scythe universe. Not every story will be a hit, but most will leave you feeling satisfied with your read.

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