"Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

What would happen if death came knocking on your door? This is a question we have been asking for generations, and in Neal Shusterman's 2016 novel, Scythe, this query is addressed and - quite literally - brought to life. Now, this review is (for the most part,) spoiler-free, as it is just my initial thoughts and reaction. For a full, comprehensive review, check out my website, The Owl's Nest.

Scythe is a story about how two teenagers, Citra Terranova and Rowan Damisch, are recruited to become the apprentices of the Honorable Scythe Faraday, an esteemed Scythe who believes that compassion and morality should be hand-in-hand with taking lives. In this society, death is no longer slow, painful, or accidental. Death comes for individuals through the way of "gleaning," which is from the hand of a Scythe. Though Citra and Rowan are initially against the path they are put on, they learn to grow into the life of a Scythe, and even learn to love each other.

Let's start with what I liked about this book: concept, characters, and style. I thought Shusterman had a very strong concept, as he managed to blend together the traditional image of a grim reaper and the technological advances of a painted utopia. The characterizations of the Scythes are impressive all on their own, as they are all individual in their gleaning techniques and their mannerisms.

Citra and Rowan too, are introduced as strong characters who manage to fit into the roles they've been given. Though they stem from differing circumstances, they are both compassionate and fully against living to kill - which, Faraday tells them, is the reason why they are worthy of becoming Scythes.

Throughout the book, there are excerpts from different Scythes' journals scattered between the chapters. Each excerpt gives a bigger picture to the climate of the culture as well as further characterization of the supporting players to the story. The most prominent journal author is that of Honorable Scythe Curie, who becomes Citra's mentor later on. There are also excerpts from Honorable Scythe Goddard, who plays as the main antagonist, and who becomes Rowan's mentor as the first real conflict begins.

Now, instead of saying "my critiques," I'll talk about what I thought could use a bit more work. Namely, I had issues with how Thunderhead (the computer system that basically presides over this entire utopia) works, the history of the Tone Cult, HS Goddard's true intentions, and Rowan's overall characterization.

Since it's been hinted that the former two will be explained more in the rest of the trilogy, I'll focus on Goddard and Rowan. HS Goddard, as I've stated previously, becomes the main antagonist toward the middle of the book. He displays tendencies of bloodlust and overall glee from his gleanings, which gives us a hint to his sadistic nature. What I found difficult to pinpoint was his intention and overall goal. I couldn't figure out if he was after power or fame, or maybe a combination of both. It was clear in the novel that he didn't have issues with abusing his privileges as a Scythe.

On the other hand, Rowan's character seems to dip through some very drastic changes, and though it makes sense in the overall context of the story, I thought it was a bit jarring and hard to follow. Rowan and Citra are both introduced as moral characters, so seeing Rowan break his principals was... unnerving. Again, I suspect that there will be a lot more character development for the both of them in the rest of the trilogy, especially with the hinted introduction of a new Scythe toward the end of the book.

Overall, I thought Shusterman's idea had been executed well onto paper. Though I have several reservations about the truth of the lore, I do understand that this was the first book in a trilogy, and that there will be many more secrets to unveil. Until then, I think Scythe was fantastic, and I would definitely pass it off as a recommendation. 8/10