Thursday, February 15, 2018

Book Review: Scythe by Neal Shusterman




Well, all I can say is, Neal Shusterman has done it again! I've become a huge fan of his the past couple years since reading Unwind and Challenger Deep. Now, after reading Scythe, my love and admiration for his books has grown even more. 

Citra and Rowan live in a society that has conquered all of the problems that humanity faces today: hunger, disease, poverty, and even death. Their world is governed by an all-knowing-all-seeing artificial intelligence dubbed "the Thunderhead" (think gargantuan cloud) that keeps everything running smoothly. Save for the potential problem of over-population in a world where nobody dies, their lives are nearly pain and worry free.

Enter the scythes. As a means to maintain the optimal number of people on the planet, an elite group of people (scythes) are selected to "glean" their fellow citizens, meting out death with dignity and compassion. Highly respected Scythe Faraday selects teens Citra and Rowan to be his apprentices, preparing them for a life they would never choose but which they both ultimately embrace. 

The success of this society is totally dependent on the moral and ethical behavior of scythes. When a faction of scythes starts to deviate from the accepted code of conduct, the balance of power is shaken and things start to unravel. Both Citra and Rowan become central players in the scythedom conflict, each choosing to fight for what they believe, in very different ways.

Neal Shusterman continues to shine in this book with brilliant writing, engaging and believable characters, genius plot twists, and a thought-provoking premise. I was particularly taken with his treatment of AI, and where our dependence on computers could ultimately lead us as a society.

Note: As soon as I finished Scythe, I read the sequel Thunderhead. It was amazing! Can't wait for the next book to come out!

This book is currently available at AHS, BCHS, ECHS, GVHS, & MHS and is coming soon to LHS.





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