Review Detail

Neal Shusterman doesn't hold back any punches with his newest book. I am a fan of Unwind, Bruiser, Everlost, and Challenger Deep.

Like Unwind, Scythe is a dark look into the future where the age of "Mortality" has past and the world has conquered disease and mortality as a whole. Everyone is immortal, they do now feel pain, suffer from disease All the knowledge in the world is now kept in the "Thundercloud." But with this perfect world comes some draw backs. Population control. This is where the Scythe come in to play. A group of people, governed by only 10 rules, the Scythe determine where, when, and how a person is to die.

Citra and Rowan are taken on as apprentices to learn the art of killing from one of the greatest Scythes in the area. But things are not all as they appear to be. The Scythe are starting to see dissent amongst the ranks. Two very different views about how the Scythe should be governed begin to emerge. Citra and Rowan find themselves as unassuming pawns in a bigger game.

Readers find themselves as observers to both Citra and Rowan's individual experiences. Citra and Rowan are relatable characters with real strengths and flaws. They struggle with the big issues of death and killing, while learning about the world of the Scythe.

What I loved best: The plot. The world building. Neal Schusterman, as always, creates a world that is familiar and foreign all at the same time. The idea of controllable immortality, being able to "turn the corner"and reverse aging, the idea of family being generations and generations old, and the idea of an all-knowing and seeing "cloud" known as "Thundercloud."

The plot is fast paced and full of action. What I loved even more is that the storyline is unpredictable with lots of unexpected plot twists. Once I thought I knew where the story was going it would change in a truly wonderful way. It moves in such a way it is easy to get lost in the book, with a 100 pages going by in a blink of an eye. Scythe is a fantastic mix of sci-fi, thriller, mystery, and old school detective thriller all rolled into one. The ending is absolutely perfect and makes me wish I could time jump to the fall.

Fans of Neal Schusterman's work will not be disappointed. I highly recommend readers to pick up Scythe.