The Bibliophile's Bookshelf

This month’s Saturday Spotlight theme is dystopian- one of my favorite genres. So far I have discussed Legend by Maire Lu and The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. You can find those posts here and here.

This week’s book is Scythe by Neal Shusterman. Scythe was one of the first YA books I ever read, so it has a special place in my heart.

It is still one of my favorite book series, and it explores some unique themes. Neal Shusterman, more than any author I have ever read, does not shy away from hard topics. Scythe is one of them.

Scythe asks the question of what the world is like if death wasn’t a thing anymore. There is a lot that goes into it, but there is an elite group of people, called Scythes, who are tasked with the job of killing people.

While that sounds harsh, it is actually a fascinating concept. People cannot die, to the point that some will try to kill themselves but are just brought back. You also can’t die from age, because there is this process that turns back your age. But the population still needs to be controlled, and that is where the Scythes come in.

There is also some interesting politics that in the Scythe’s world. Many of the Scythe’s try to do their job in a humane way, while others view it as a sport. This is heavily explored. This also causes a lot of strife and political moves throughout the book. Which, I have to admit, is something that I love.

One thing that is explored that I really enjoyed, was the meaninglessness of life without death. These people couldn’t enjoy art or literature from our time period because they could not understand the emotions.

I really enjoyed the characters, especially Scythe Faraday (Scythes take the name of famous/important people of the past). Citra and Rowan are excellent main characters, and they go through a lot.

I will say that I enjoy the entire series, but I didn’t love the ending. It wasn’t bad, but it takes a small turn that I didn’t agree with. If you choose to read this series, which I highly recommend, you should know the series ending wasn’t the best.

There is also a large AI force in this book. While the AI force isn’t malevolent, it isn’t perfect. It isn’t discussed as much in the first book, but becomes more important in the second book, Thunderhead.

The Scythes have a unique position in this world. They are feared but also treated as celebrities by some. I think it is an interesting view.

Scythe explores a unique idea, showcasing humanity in a clear light. This is one of my first, and favorite, dystopian books!

Summary:

Thou shalt kill. A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control. Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.