Scythe is a thought-provoking novel that explores what it means to be human in a world where humanity has control over life and death.
I love how the many POVs lets us explore different approaches to “immortality” and scythedom at a deeper level. For example, though Citra and Rowan, among others, agree that the current scythe system is flawed, they differ in their beliefs on what must be done. I even grew an appreciation for the villain, though I do not agree with his ideologies.
Because of the many POVs, our time with the MCs is cut short. While I could see Citra and Rowan growing and changing over the course of the novel, I never felt as if I really got to know them, and there was not as much depth to their characters as there could have been. That said, enough is done with their characters that I’m okay with this. Because the time spent with the other POVs was put to good use in exploring how the world in which they live has influenced individuals’ attitude towards life and death.
There are Easter Eggs in this book in the references to the Age of Mortality (our world). Shusterman inserts these references with such grace that it felt perfectly natural to view these things as elements of an antiquated society. I enjoyed reading about how people in a futuristic world might perceive our culture.
A note on the audiobook: I wasn’t fond of the female voices in the audiobook. They sounded alike and were, frankly, annoying, but the male voices were more diverse and well done.
Scythe explores what it means to be human in a world where no one dies of natural causes, the ethics of killing individuals for the betterment of the whole, and the means by which change should be wrought in a corrupt system. I look forward to reading the next book in the Arc of a Scythe series!
Who would I recommend it to?
I recommend Scythe to readers who enjoy thought-provoking novels set in a false utopia.
Comparable titles: The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid, The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse, The Giver by Lois Lowry
Final Thoughts
Scythe by @NealShusterman is a thought-provoking novel that explores what it means to be human in a dystopian world where humanity has control over life and death. #yalit #dystopianClick To TweetChat with Me
If you lived in a world where nobody dies of natural causes and you can reset your age, how old would you want to be and how would you use your time?
Author: Crystal
A story girl at heart, Crystal is a bibliophile who can easily spend the day immersed in a good read. She writes under the name Kristy Wang. You can follow her writing adventures on X and Instagram @_kristywang.
Angie Elle says
Great review. I love the premise of this book, and all the reviews for it have been good. I’m not sure what age I would want to reset myself to, or that I’d want to potentially live forever. That doesn’t sound enticing to me.
Crystal says
Scythe is fantastic. I’m looking forward to reading Thunderhead! I agree that resetting my age or potentially living forever doesn’t sound enticing. I’d love the opportunity to read more and learn more, but I feel like it’d get old pretty quick!
Kristen @ Metaphors and Moonlight says
Yep, that is the problem with too many POV. But I’m glad to hear they were still done well! And that does sound really interesting to consider how people of this future society would think of ours!
Crystal says
Yeah. There were a bit too many POVs for my comfort, but I enjoyed it. Scythe raises interesting questions!
Ethan says
I really enjoy Gaiman’s writing. This sounds like another hit!
Crystal says
It’s fantastic. It’s actually by Neal Shusterman. I made a typo in my post (oops)!
EDIT: I also love Gaiman’s writing. He’s a fantastic writer as well!
Melliane says
I heard a lot about this novel. It’s even in French. I should try it
Crystal says
That’s so cool to hear, Melliane. I’ll have to check out the French edition. I studied it in HS and would love to brush up on my French.
Aj @ Read All The Things! says
I love this book! It’s one of my favorites of the year so far. Great review!
Crystal says
Scythe is fantastic. Thank you, AJ!