Title: Scythe
Author: Neal Shusterman
Format: Audible Audiobook
Publisher: Audible Studios
Narrator: Greg Tremblay
Summary:
Citra and Rowan are teenagers living in a time where death has been conquered. Kids now go splat for fun – jump from a building and die – knowing they will be brought back in a few days. The only way to die is if a Scythe kills you.
Scythes have become a necessary evil. They are a chosen few who kill people to keep the population in check. As the population grows, more Scythes are needed. Citra and Rowan are both chosen to be trained as Scythes, but only one will be chosen.
There is also corruption within the society of Schythes. Citra and Rowen are suddenly navigating a dangerous landscape.
Review:
Holy crap! Possibly unintentional, this book came with a side effect of making me consider where we are going. Trying to cure everything. Here is a world where we have cured everything, and now need a special society to keep the population in check.
This story had mystery in the Scythe society, wondering where the corruption was coming from and how. There is also the struggle Citra and Rowan have as they try to deal with killing people, and knowing it is final. This is something they are not used to dealing with on a personal level.
Before being chosen as apprentices, they both come in contact with the Scythe they apprentice to, and dealt with why he was there differently. They each showed strength in their own way when faced with the finality of death.
It’s interesting to see how people react to the Scythes, and how the Scythes deal with their purpose. Scythes need to go out and do normal things like shopping for groceries. People offer to pay for the groceries, or give them plenty of space. They don’t want to cross a Scythe fearing they will be the next person the Scythe terminates.
I couldn’t put this book down. The narration was fantastic too. I was transported to this world where death doesn’t exist unless a Scythe comes at me. If I were in an auto accident and died, I would just be brought back to life. I wouldn’t need to worry about not being around for my family.
This is definitely an interesting world to visit, but not somewhere I would want to live. Even so, I can’t recommend this book enough. Thunderhead is the next book of the series and I will certainly be picking it up soon.