Scythe by Neal Shusterman is a dystopian novel that follows two teenagers named Citra and Rowan as they train to become Scythes. The World that they live in has conquered death, therefore, in order to combat overpopulation, Scythes are the only ones who can take life way. They are chosen to be a Scythe’s apprentice after they each have a remarkable and unpleasant experience with the honorable Scythe Faraday. He choses them both to train to become Scythes, but after their apprenticeship, only one of the them will receive the ring of the Scythe.
Pros:
- page-turner
- great character development
- lots of great twists and turns
- great villain with Scythe Goddard (corruption of main characters, reader feels hatred and fear towards him, set up wonderfully)
- the supporting characters are intriguing just by themselves (ex. Scythe Goddard, Scythe Curie, members of Scythe Goddard crew, Scythe Faraday)
- wonderful world-building
- ethical dilemmas talked about (should you enjoy being a Scythe and take advantage of the position? or should you hate it and live in solitude?)
- great contrast between Citra’s and Rowan’s life
- makes you care about the characters
- themes: right vs. wrong,
Cons:
- doesn’t capitalize on talking about themes of overpopulation and how to deal with, which is what the summary makes it seem like it might talk about
- ending is a bit anti-climatic, the climax kind of happens earlier in the story
My Rating: 9/10
In conclusion, Scythe is book that makes you think, but not too much. It goes into the ethical dilemma of overpopulation and how to deal with, but doesn’t dive into the topic too much. Hopefully it will do so in the sequel (Thunderhead). The characters and plot were also intriguing and the book kept you constantly hooked. I recommend this book to anyone who loves reading, dystopian novels, and are able to read violent books.
Have you read Scythe and did you like it? If not, are you going to add it to your reading list?
