Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe, #2)

by Neal Shusterman

Rowan and Citra take opposite stances on the morality of the scythedom, putting them at odds, and the Thunderhead is not pleased.

Reviewed by Berls on

5 of 5 stars

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Wowza! As much as I LOVED Scythe (book 1), Thunderhead was even better!

Remember I said I had some unanswered questions at the end of Scythe - they weren't nagging, just curiosities? Well, Thunderhead answered them! I wanted to know more about the Thunderhead - how it operates, how people feel about it, etc. And yeah, we spent large fractions of the book in the "mind" of the Thunderhead, coming to see how it interacts with the populace... and those it doesn't interact with. I also was curious about people who are rebels. Had society completely cured this "ill" or do those people still exist, despite the apparent lack of crime. Well, Thunderhead answered that as well - giving us a very close look at the Unsavories - a designation for those people who just prefer to be rebels - and how the Thunderhead created a space for them.

But beyond the answered questions - the plot is gripping. Rowan has become Scythe Lucifer and has become judge, jury, and executioner for the Scythes. Meanwhile Citra - Scythe Anastasia - has become a voice of change in the Scythdom. They're both shaking things up and facing an uphill battle. I loved watching the way all the pieces come together - sometimes effortlessly and sometimes like bulldozers crashing. The character development continues to be amazing; Not just Citra and Rowan, but the more significant Scythes too. I loved getting to know the characters better.

But holy hell - that ending! First off, did not see that coming. Second, Shit! Third, how long until the next book. This one is a definite cliff hanger ending (unlike the first) and I'm really REALLY wishing the third book were out right now, because I WOULD already be reading it.

And listening to it. I've been whisper sync reading these books because I don't want to wait until I can read (or listen) - they're just that good. The audio is fantastic and Greg Tremblay is a narrator that will go on my must listen list for sure.

And now to wait, until... I think September 2019 :(

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 26 March, 2018: Finished reading
  • 26 March, 2018: Reviewed