Scythe

SYNOPSIS

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.

REVIEW

(4 STARS)

TW: death, murder, violence

This book was a wonderful surprise in many aspects. The last dystopian series I read was Divergent back in 2013 and after that, I read 'The Handmaid's Tale' in 2018, which was a huge disappointment, so much so that I ended up preferring the TV show. I love this genre, but I usually prefer Fantasy, so I let these types of books find me instead.

Scythe has been all over the internet (from TikTok to Youtube to Instagram) and I've read many good things about it. Finally, 5 years after its publishing, I've decided to give it a try. Let me tell you, my only regret is to not have read it sooner. The idea is simple, yet Shusterman gives it life (so to speak, pun not intended): what if humans conquered death? How would our world survive with eternal beings that keep procreating and whose children also live forever? The solution is simple: create a Society of Death to keep the population growth in control. Brilliant! I bet, however, that you're already anxious with questions: what about diseases, hunger, social disparities? Believe it or not, Shusterman thinks about it all and creates a world that makes sense, answering all the possible questions that may assault the most curious reader. That's why I give him 5/5 stars on his world-building – he thought everything through.

Plot-wise, he also gets a standing ovation. My, oh my, what a ride! Every time you think you've figured it out, Shusterman surprises you with a plot twist that will leave you standing on the tip of your pinky toe. This doesn't mean that there won't be any predictable moments just that in the grand scheme of things, this story is remarkable.

Philosophy also plays a big part: the author makes you reflect on life, death and all the social issues such a society might face. It was interesting because I found myself wanting to contribute my opinion on how such a reality could work a bit better.

That being said, the only problem I had with this book was Citra. What an annoying character! She's too full of herself, too protected by her parents and her teachers, too "perfect". Rowan was my favourite, the one who truly deserved to become a Scythe (not that I think Terranova should've been killed instead) because he faced the most dangerous challenges. I also was not a fan of their relationship, of how quickly things developed between them without enough information being given to the reader.

I can't wait to see how things develop over the next books (which I immediately ordered after completing Scythe)! Neil Shusterman's writing is gorgeous - simple but very deep and meaningful - and his mind is brimming with excellence.