BY LYNNE INOUYE
STAFF WRITER
Scythe, by Neal Shusterman, is a riveting work with interesting twists and complex characters that make you question—what really draws the line between right and wrong? The book grabs your attention, and, from the start, spins a fascinating tale about two young people forced into a role they never wanted. But then again, what normal person would want to master the art of killing?
In this utopian world, humanity has reached its peak. With no disease, no warfare, and technologies that allow humans to be practically immortal, natural death has reached a standstill. To control the ever-growing population, a decision is reached. The scythedom is formed, and with it, the very best of humanity take upon themselves the burden of killing. This is a burden, because scythes are remorseful, wise people who do not enjoy their job. It just has to be done, as even in a world of complete peace and prosperity, the cycle of life and death must continue on.
At least, that’s the idea.
Though a fair amount of people would jump at the idea of being a scythe, as they’re somewhat of celebrities, Citra Terranova and Rowan Damisch are not these people. Still, they find themselves apprenticed to Scythe Faraday, through circumstances of their own. Neither of them really want to be in charge of killing. Neither of them really even like Scythe Faraday, but they end up in the scythedom, nonetheless.
Citra and Rowan and their relationship with the scythedom is a very interesting aspect of this book. Shusterman writes in a way that makes the two protagonists very much three-dimensional, and then he adds a whole different layer in how realistically he portrays their growth. With the amount of conflict and twists in this novel, the characters need to constantly adapt and change. However, it doesn’t feel forced. Reading it for the second time, it was honestly a surprise to see how different Rowan and Citra were from here to the second book. However, throughout the two available books of this series, one thing remains constant regarding our two main characters. That is that Citra and Rowan really do compliment each other nicely, from a writing standpoint. Somehow, no matter what happens, their relationship always works.
Now, Citra and Rowan, however likable they are, are not actually the stars of the show. This might not come as a surprise, but one of the most memorable things about this book, the thing that sets it apart from any other, is the plot. Or, well, the interesting moral dilemmas and questions the plot brings up. Scythe is a book that deals with a lot of heavy, complicated things, but the way Shusterman presents it to the reader makes it relatively easy to digest. I really think it makes it memorable.
Scythe is a book that sticks with a person, all in all. Scythe, its sequel, and I’m sure the final book, The Toll, coming out this November, are all fantastic reads. So, if you’re looking for a YA sci-fi book, I’d definitely recommend giving Scythe a try!
Image from: https://nealshustermanreal.tumblr.com/post/169435480208/only-the-pain-of-empathy-will-keep-us-human