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Scythe (Arc of a Scythe, #1)

Neal Shusterman

Start date: March 1, 2018

Finish date: March 31, 2018

Discussion: Series

Why we're reading this: Won the theme BOTM
Theme: Dystopian
[close] Won the theme BOTM
Theme: Dystopian

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Series

* Continuing Series- Nightbane
By Bailey · 4 posts · 30 views

last updated Aug 12, 2025 07:32AM

* New Series- The Princess Trials
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last updated Aug 27, 2025 04:41PM

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What Members Thought

Sep 12, 2018 Rachel rated it liked it

Wow. This was a really incredible dystopian concept that took a hard look at what actually makes a utopia. Science has advanced to the point that no one has to die, feel pain, and they can continually reset their lifespans to grow old and turn back to 21 and start all over again. There's little crime. No one goes hungry. Everyone has a place to live. It's all governed by a super computer called the Thunderhead that has worked everything out....except for overpopulation.

With no one dying, the Ear Wow. This was a really incredible dystopian concept that took a hard look at what actually makes a utopia. Science has advanced to the point that no one has to die, feel pain, and they can continually reset their lifespans to grow old and turn back to 21 and start all over again. There's little crime. No one goes hungry. Everyone has a place to live. It's all governed by a super computer called the Thunderhead that has worked everything out....except for overpopulation.

With no one dying, the Earth's resources aren't sustainable, so in come the scythes, the human solution to the problem. These deigned scythes are responsible for culling the population, by killing some people at random as means of control. I like how each scythe has their own method and means for selecting victims and killing them and dealing with the bereaved.

Citra and Rowan both encounter Scythe Farraday, and he decides to take them on as apprentices to study under him. But no scythe has ever taken on two apprentices at once so...SURPRISE! Whoever passes their scythe testing has to kill the other one.

I can absolutely see why everyone is gushing about this one. Based purely on concept and worldbuilding, I would give it 7/10. No doubt Shusterman is an incredible writer. I loved how he interspersed sections from scythe journals into the narrative, giving internal voice to other characters and establishing the rules of Scythedom, but with all this care taken into the background, I feel like the foreground (plot, characters, development) sort of faltered?

The plot of the novel doesn't start until 150 pages in. That's 150 pages of build-up and backstory. At that point we learn the stakes, and I was ready to get into the action...but then we break for more training and build up. Granted, there are some twists and turns tossed in there, but they didn't really pack the nail biting punch I wanted. Mostly I was confused. (view spoiler)

And the romance, sigh, if you can call it that. I am kind of tired of the fact that if you put a boy and a girl into the same room together in YA and they are close to the same age, no doubt they will fall madly in love. And I really couldn't see any attraction or reason for their romance beyond that. Citra and Rowan didn't have a lot in common. They didn't talk that much, and when they did it was mostly about scythe stuff. This somehow transforms into willing to die for one another.

I did really enjoy how it ended, though, and I'm hoping with all of this world-building out the way, the second book can get right into plot. ...more

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Feb 16, 2018 Angie Taylor rated it it was amazing

Just read this for a second time with my hubby! Again, LOVED this weird twisted story about the right and wrong nuances of humanity and morality.

My favorite read of 2018 so far!! Such an intriguing depiction of what it means to be human and mortal, good and evil, justice and mercy, and how human might take for granted life. Such an interesting book.

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