Book Bearings
Scythe
- 449 pages · about 7 hours
- First published 2016
- 21 editions
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1 About this book
In the far future, humanity has done away with hunger, disease, war and death itself, and a benevolent artificial intelligence called the Thunderhead governs the world. Because there is no natural death, an order of men and women known as scythes is charged with ending lives, to keep the population in check. Citra and Rowan are two teenagers chosen, against their wishes, to be apprenticed to a scythe and to learn what the work demands. Neal Shusterman's novel, published in 2016, is the first in the Arc of a Scythe series.
- Science fiction
- Murder
- Adventure
- Death
- Competition (Psychology)
- Apprentices
- Social Issues
- Death & Dying
2 What to expect
A young adult science fiction novel set in a future without natural death, where an order of scythes must take lives to keep the population in check, and two teenagers are trained for the job. It asks serious questions about mortality, power and conscience inside a plot of rivalry within the order. It is fast and thoughtful, with a good deal of calmly described violence, and it is the first book of a series.
Good for readers who want: thought-provoking young adult science fiction, moral dilemmas, and the start of a gripping series.
3 About Neal Shusterman
Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
4 More by Neal Shusterman
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