Book Recommendation- Meghan Smith

Book Recommendation- Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Meghan Smith

Now excuse me for being a nerd, but I was really struggling with what to write this month. I mean, "Anything goes" Talk about vague. As the month progressed, I wasn't able to come up with anything interesting to write about and I was nervous because the due date was drawing closer and closer. But the other night I was sitting in bed thinking about the book I had just finished. The writing style, the world-building, the characters, and the way it made the gears in my head turn in just the right way. That's when I had a brilliant idea. I'd talk about this book, Scythe by Neal Shusterman, for my blogpost... perfect. 

The first book of Shusterman's "Arc of a Scythe" series, Scythe is set in a "perfect" world unknown years into the future, (In the book it's stated that they stopped counting the years and replaced them with animals, like the lunar new year but with no repeating animals, so we don't know exactly how far in the future it is) where humanity has overcome basically everything that will ever kill them. Disease, old age, natural disaster, etc. People are basically immortal, and if they do die, their death isn't permanent as they are just sent to the nearest revival center and brought back to life. Humanity is ruled over by a benevolent, incorruptible consciousness known as the Thunderhead. That is all of humanity except for the scythedom.

Scythes are the only people in the world who can kill people and they stay dead. "Gleaning" to control the population. They are well versed in the art of taking a life and are the only true immortal beings, only able to die at the hands of themselves. Scythes are like royalty in this society, they are well respected, feared- they don't have to pay for anything and, of course, don't have to follow the rules/expectations laid down by the Thunderhead. 

Citra Terranova and Rowan Damisch are chosen to be apprentices to the same Scythe, (something that has never happened before and causes some interesting controversy) and are forced to master different gleaning techniques, the history of Scythes and the world among many other things. The book is shocking, fast-paced, and extremely interesting. With twists and turns that will make you hold onto every last word.

Anyways, that's enough nerding out for me, but if your looking for something to read and get invested in (and maybe spend too much time hyperfixating on it if your like me) then I would definitely recommend checking it out!