Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by caseys_chapters
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
3.75
Imagine our world free of disease, war, and death as we know it. Mortality is the thing of the past, so a select few Scythes “glean” people for population control. Teenagers Citra and Rowan become scythe apprentices and risk their own lives if they don’t master the craft of taking lives.
Scythe definitely follows the structural recipe of many YA series, but with a fresh concept. It breaks the familiar mold of “teenagers fighting against dystopia” with a thought-provoking setup.
I especially loved the diary entries between each chapter which showed the perspectives of many scythes. They highlighted the complicated and varied emotions about sycthes’ roles.
The story dives right in with a fast pace which had a mixed impact for me. It gripped me right away, but I also think it could’ve benefited from more world-building and character development overall. Also I didn’t appreciate the mentions of a little girl’s weight.
I most likely will continue the series in the spring (post Aspen Prize season). Curious to see where this goes!
CWs: Death, suicide, and violence are prominent in this story, so please consider the content before deciding to read.
Scythe definitely follows the structural recipe of many YA series, but with a fresh concept. It breaks the familiar mold of “teenagers fighting against dystopia” with a thought-provoking setup.
I especially loved the diary entries between each chapter which showed the perspectives of many scythes. They highlighted the complicated and varied emotions about sycthes’ roles.
The story dives right in with a fast pace which had a mixed impact for me. It gripped me right away, but I also think it could’ve benefited from more world-building and character development overall. Also I didn’t appreciate the mentions of a little girl’s weight.
I most likely will continue the series in the spring (post Aspen Prize season). Curious to see where this goes!
CWs: Death, suicide, and violence are prominent in this story, so please consider the content before deciding to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Violence, Murder