Author: Neal Shusterman
Scythe tells the story of a far-off future, one in which nobody dies because they can undergo a procedure called “turning the corner” and become any age they want, virtually starting life over again to marry again, have more children, etc. As a result of this, Scythes are created to enforce population control. Scythes are the chosen few whose duty it is to, er, “remove” people from the living. Murder doesn’t exist in this world, so the word used to describe a Scythe’s duties is called “gleaning”. You can live forever in this world, or you can be one of the unlucky who is chosen for gleaning and find yourself face to face with a Scythe who will kill you, then maybe pick up some groceries and go home to eat their dinner. Understandably, most people fear and avoid Scythes like the plague.
Both Rowan and Citra are teenagers who find themselves face to face with a Scythe, but not to be gleaned. Their encounters with this Scythe send their lives in a much different direction than either of them anticipated, and they end up in a joint apprenticeship competing to be a “junior Scythe”. One of the benefits of becoming a Scythe is immunity from gleaning for your loved ones, so Rowan and Citra keep this in their heads as they struggle to accept the bizarre path they’ve both been set upon.
The premise itself is enough to keep you reading until things start to get REALLY interesting. Imagine rogue Scythes, who view their position as one of power, performing “mass gleanings” in shopping malls, on airplanes, in religious sanctuaries. Mass murder would be the word we’d use today, but in the Scythe’s world, it is entirely justified. Or is it?
An unexpected series of events puts Rowan and Citra at odds, and I have to admit I didn’t see about 80% of the following events coming at ALL. More than once I said aloud “oh shit!” while listening to the audiobook and its excellent narrator, in response to the shocking moments that pepper the story. Neal Shusterman is an absolute creative genius; giving very different emotions, feelings, memories, and opinions to many different colorful characters. And though this story is set in the far-off future, humans are very much the same, which made me feel unsure about what direction the storyline would take-since being technologically advanced obviously doesn’t guarantee that we’re any wiser or make better decisions.
I was guessing up until the end, which was both satisfying and a delicious cliffhanger of sorts, showing us what choices the characters might be making in the next chapter of their separate lives. It perfectly sets up the second book in the series, Thunderhead.
Definitely recommend and I can see why this one got all the stars from other readers!
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