zack_nelly21 's review for:

The Toll by Neal Shusterman

3.5

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The Toll delivers a finale that is intense, dark, and unflinching. Shusterman does not shy away from the moral questions at the heart of the series, and the characters remain unpredictable, flawed, and painfully human. Every choice carries weight, every action has consequences, and the world he has built still feels dangerous and alive.

Even so, the ending is hard to swallow. Sending everyone into space feels like an escape rather than a resolution. After all the struggle, the deaths, the impossible decisions, it is frustrating to see humanity offered a clean exit instead of a confrontation with its own flaws. The story teases profound consequences and then sidesteps them, leaving a sense that the problems were never fully faced.

Despite this, The Toll still grips. The ideas remain sharp, the tension relentless, and the moral complexity that defines the series stays intact. It is a bold, sometimes messy conclusion, one that challenges the reader but does not entirely satisfy. It is not perfect, but it is compelling, and it is worth the journey.