"Scythe" by Neal Shusterman- Book Review

 

Scythe by Neal Shusterman. Simon & Schuster. 2016. 

It is the year 2042 and humanity has finally advanced far enough that humans are now living in a utopia. There are no longer any illnesses or accidental deaths, and crime is non-existent everyone is also equipped with super healing cells all thanks to the AI named Thunderhead. Because humans are now essentially immortal the Scythedom, an organization where people are trained to permanently kill or “glean” others, is created for population control. Scythe’s are revered and highly respected. As Scythe’s they only abide to three laws: they must kill, the “gleanings” must be unbiased and with-out malice, and lastly, they will serve as Scythe’s for the rest of their lives and as restitution their family is granted immunity from being “gleaned” for as long as the Scythe chooses to live.

Although to most being immune from a “greaning” is enough motivation to want to become a Scythe for six-teen year old Rowan and Citra this is not the case. When Scythe Faraday asks them to become his apprentice so he may choose the best one to join the Scythedom, both are apprehensive to say the least. In the end Rowan’s acceptance comes a bit quicker as he realizes living a life with all the comforts that come with the title is something he longs for. In the other hand when Citra is given the chance to be Scythe Faraday’s apprentice, she completely rejects the offer. After all she has a loving family and a safe home, why would she give all of that up? However, when Citra realizes that all of that could be taken away if one of her family members gets “gleaned”, she chooses to join Rowan and become Faraday’s apprentice.  
Together Rowan and Citra train in the art of “gleaning”, study, and attend “gleanings” all to prepare for their first test at the Conclave, a yearly meeting for Scythes. However, things do not go as planned during the Conclave as Citra does not pass her test and so Rowan decides to also fail in solidarity. This creates massive repercussions when another Scythe, Godder, changes the rules of the apprenticeship and now whoever is granted a ring and becomes a Scythe at the end of their training must “glean” the other. As if things could not be worse, the sudden self-gleaning of Scythe Faraday abruptly causes Citra and Rowan to be reassigned to new Scythes one of whom does not uphold the laws of the Scythes.

The worlds that Neal Shusterman creates are always unique and thought provoking. Similar to his other novel, Unwind, Scythe is filled was fascinating circumstances that make you question your morals. The selection process for the “gleanings” often leave you to compare them to own believes and put yourself in the shoes of Citra and Rowan. Because there is some gore, I would say Scythe is more appropriate for high school students. I would read Scythe in a whole class setting as there are many instances where class discussions can organically occur.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"The House on the Cerulean Sea" by T.J. Klune- Book Review

Image
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune. Tor Books. 2020. Linus Baker is a quiet man middle aged man living an uneventful life as a caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth (DICOMY), where he always follows the rules. Every report is turned in on time, he never questions authority, and above all keeps to himself. Even in the comfort of his own home, Linus lives a quiet comfortable life with his cranky cat, Calliope, listening to music and avoiding his nosy neighbor.   Linus’ monotonous life takes a turn when he is summoned by Extremely Upper Management. He is assigned a secret task to visit the Marysas Orphanage in a remote island for a month and report his findings back to Extremely Upper Management. From the looks of the reports Linus is given, the children in Marysas are unlike any he has ever seen.  Upon Linus’ arrival to the island he meets the six children living in the orphanage. Talia, an opinionated garden gnome, is the first of the children ...
Read more

"Brown Girl Dreaming" by Jacqueline Woodson- Book Review

Image
  Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. Penguin Group. 2014. “And that is what this book is-my past, my people, my memories, my story.”  Jacqueline Woodson’s free verse memoire Brown Girl Dreaming , details her childhood growing up in Ohio, South Carolina, and New York. Woodson was born in 1963 in Ohio during the civil rights movement . Although her father was hard set on keeping her, her siblings, and their mother in Ohio, in the end when her mother and father separate, Woodson’s mother decides to move with the children to her hometown in South Carolina with their grandmother and grandfather.  However, Greenville is in the deep south and segregation is heavily enforced. Although the children love being in South Carolina with their mother it is clear that South Carolina is not nearly as welcoming of people of color. The children must always use correct grammar, speak clearly, and look everyone in the eye. The Woodson’s will not be made to feel lesser.  Once in...
Read more

"Bomb! The Rave to Build-and Steal-the World's Most Dangerous Weapon" by Steve Sheinkin- Book Review

Image
Bomb! The Race to Build-and Steal-the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin. Macmillan Publishers. 2012 The non-fiction book Bomb! The Race to Build-and Steal-the World's Most Dangerous Weapon details the making of the first atomic bomb including the formation of the Manhattan Project. With World War II still underway the United States races to beat the Soviet Union in the creation of the atomic bomb. Sheinkin’s book includes the stories of multiple scientists entrusted with the creation of the deadly weapon, such as: Harry Gold, Leslie Groves, Robert Oppenheimer and Klaus Fuchs. The stakes are high and the pressure to create the atomic bomb while keeping it all under wraps may prove to be harder than they thought. One of the things I enjoyed most about Steve Sheinkin’s book is the use of text features which are interspersed throughout the book. Text features of, for example, photographs of the scientists or the construction of the gadget really add to the story and ...
Read more