Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Scythe (Arc of a Scythe, #1)

by Neal Shusterman

Two teens must learn the "art of killing" in this Printz Honor-winning book, the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life-and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe-a role that neither wants. These teens must master the "art" of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

Scythe is the first novel of a thrilling new series by National Book Award-winning author Neal Shusterman in which Citra and Rowan learn that a perfect world comes only with a heavy price.

Reviewed by alisoninbookland on

4 of 5 stars

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That was twisted. So twisted. But also amazing? Once again, Shusterman proves he’s a genius at world building. This world is terrifying but also makes sense. There are some really interesting ideas explored through the story. Is there really a good way to kill someone?

The beginning of the story is a bit slow. It does take a while to settle yourself into this world and figure out exactly what’s going on. Once the story gets going, it really doesn’t stop.

The twists and turns are great. I really didn’t know what was going to happen. Shusterman knows how to pack a punch.

The character arcs of Citra and Rowan are great. I enjoyed seeing them settle into the roles thrust upon them. They approach the problems in different ways. At the heart of it they are good people which I think is desperately needed if they are to take on the job of Scythe.

The alternating stories of Citra and Rowan worked for me. I also grew to enjoy the journal entries from various Scythes between the chapters.

If you’re looking for a YA novel to make you think, this is a great pick.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 11 August, 2019: Finished reading
  • 11 August, 2019: Reviewed