Book Review: Scythe by Neal Shusterman

“We must, by law, keep a record of the innocents we kill. And as I see it, they’re all innocents. Even the guilty. “

This is a beloved and hyped series that has been on my TBR for years! Even my thirteen year old son who is not typically a reader has read it. So when my book club voted for it to be our April book, I was really excited to finally read it and see what it was all about. Oh boy, let me tell you the hype is well deserved. This book was incredibly written, with a unique plot and complex characters. I absolutely loved it!

Scythe is set in a world that has overcome all the hardships faced by man. There is no more hunger, disease, war or suffering and even death has been conquered. Essentially people have become immortal. In order to keep populations under control and not overwhelm the world’s resources, Scythes were created. The Scythe’s are charged with killing off just enough people to keep the population in balance.

“But remember that good intentions pave many roads. Not all of them lead to hell.”

The story really begins when Citra and Rowan are recruited by Scythe Faraday to become his apprentices in becoming potential scythes. But the catch is only one of them can officially become a Scythe, they will be tested and the best will be chosen.

Citra: She is a complex character, it took me a little while to actually like her. She is straightforward, brave and disciplined.

Rowan: He made me question his actions multiple times. He is loyal yet depressed and he lets his emotions control his actions.

“Hope in the shadow of fear is the world’s most powerful motivator. “

I really loved everything about this book! The way Shusterman makes you think about morality and the decisions that the scythes must make in choosing who must die. The plot, is never boring, something is always happening. There was a couple times that I had to put the book down just because I was so shocked and excited about what was happening. The world building is so well crafted, I can’t wait to continue with the series!

I highly recommend this book! I really enjoyed it and will be reading Thunderhead in May with my book club!

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