I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of Death or Grim Reapers in various cultures, so when I discovered Scythe by Neal Shusterman, I was immediately drawn to the concept. Unfortunately, this YA science fiction trilogy didn’t turn out to be the story for me.
Scythe
Scythe is a futuristic utopian (although I would go for dystopian) world in which humankind has conquered death. People simply reset themselves or can easily be revived. However, this would of course create problems with population sizes so it was decided that a new Institution would be created to keep things in balance. The Scythes obey very strict rules and they are the only ones who can bring about “true death” still. The two main characters of the book are unwillingly selected to become Scythe apprentices. As if that isn’t bad enough, the Institution decides to make things a tad more interesting: whoever is chosen has to glean the other…
A promising story but…
Although I quite like the premise and the writing is certainly not bad, I couldn’t get drawn in to this story. It’s definitely easy to read and you would expect the story to be right up my alley, but something felt…off…about it. I can safely say I’m more-than-average morbid and still something bothered me about it.
However, it wasn’t that which ultimately led me to be disappointed. Honestly? It’s just plain boring. I have to admit there were several cool twists but it simply couldn’t capture my attention. I believe it might be targeted at the younger end of the YA age range. I could not make any connection at all with the two main characters and the romance between them felt fake.
Are you heading out or heading home?” asked the woman sitting beside him in 15A. There was no 15B – the concept of the B seat, where one had to sit between two other passengers, had been eliminated along with other unpleasant things, like disease and government.
While I don’t think I will continue reading this trilogy, I have to say it haunted me for a while. A couple of days after finishing the first book, I visited a planetarium and I caught myself thinking “what if this place is selected for a mass gleaning”…Like, what-on-earth brain, what are you doing…Two out of five gemstones:
Age Category: Young Adult
Trigger Warnings (click here, may contain spoilers)
Warnings for death, bullying, suicide, torture, violence, and mass killings.Do you want to discover more?
If my review inspired you to pick up the book, don’t hesitate to check it out at Goodreads or at the below online stores.
Amazon.nl: Scythe Paperback Edition
Amazon.nl: Arc of a Scythe Paperback Boxset
If you are into special editions, there are several to choose from. I personally have the Fane Tour Edition that was part of the online event. It has solid sprayed edges and a signed bookplate. It’s no longer available but you can still find it in the second hand market. It’s a popular series, but not one of the top series, so the price shouldn’t be too exaggerated (something like € 30 maybe). Next to this one, there’s also the recently launched Fairyloot set. These have exclusive covers, sprayed edges, illustrated endpapers and art on the reverse of the dustjacket, and they are signed by the author. Their original price was € 86. It’s no longer available and not yet on the second hand market. I would guess they will go for at least € 150.
Similar to this
If you loved Scythe, I imagine you will be glad to hear that both book two (Thunderhead) and three (The Toll) have already been published, thereby completing the Arc of a Scythe Trilogy.
Do you want to read more by Neal Shusterman? He has written another quite popular series, namely The Unwind Dystology. To be honest, the blurb as found on Goodreads creeps me out:
“The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child “unwound,” whereby all of the child’s organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn’t technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state, is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive.”
If you are into tales of apprenticeships and are not looking to be traumatised ( 😉 ) I would recommend the Farseer Trilogy by the Queen of Fantasy, Robin Hobb. It’s about a prince born out of wedlock who becomes the apprentice of the royal assassin. Simply stunning and filled with unforgettable characters.
Recap: Scythe
In the following section, you’ll find a recap that you can use to prepare for the next book. Of course, this is by definition full of spoilers, so it is hidden behind a spoiler tag. Enter at your own risk!