From the Bookshelf of Undead & UnRead Book Club - Frisco Public Library…

Scythe (Arc of a Scythe, #1)

Neal Shusterman

Start date: December 9, 2020

Finish date: January 12, 2021

Discussion: 2021 Meetings

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2021 Meetings

December - Bird Box
By Amy · 3 posts · 5 views

last updated Dec 18, 2021 11:44AM

November - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
By Amy · 2 posts · 13 views

last updated Nov 01, 2021 04:54PM

What Members Thought

Oct 23, 2017 Amanda Kratz rated it liked it

Shelves: 2021-undead-and-unread-book-club

True Rating 3.5*

Read for the Discord YA bookclub

*For its writing this book deserves a slightly higher rating than I am giving it, however the 3.5 is based on my personal enjoyment, not the quality of the book.

The basic premise of the book is that society has advanced so much that people need not fear death anymore. We have achieved a place in medicine where there is no disease, we can reset our ages, reverse immediate death, and we have nanites that constantly, heal, control pain, and balance o True Rating 3.5*

Read for the Discord YA bookclub

*For its writing this book deserves a slightly higher rating than I am giving it, however the 3.5 is based on my personal enjoyment, not the quality of the book.

The basic premise of the book is that society has advanced so much that people need not fear death anymore. We have achieved a place in medicine where there is no disease, we can reset our ages, reverse immediate death, and we have nanites that constantly, heal, control pain, and balance our emotions. A giant computer/A.I. (The Thunderhead) oversees all life, it has eliminated poverty, there are no food shortages or over crowding. Everything that can possibly achieved for humanity is already done. The “Scythedom” operates outside of the control of the Thunderhead and helps control the population while providing loss/meaning to life by killing/gleaning a small percentage of the population annually. The story follows 2 young kids on their journeys to become scythes.

The book is incredibly well written and is really a fascinating read. However I find the subject matter extremely morbid and not quiet to my tastes. Its some what depressing to look at a fictional world like this and reflect on your own mortality.

Overall the book is a very slow pace and “think-y” type of book. We spend a lot of times in the main character’s heads trying to decide what is right and wrong. The main characters are only apprentice scythes in this story so they aren’t allowed to kill/glen yet. So we see a lot of death, but our characters aren’t the ones doing it yet. So action wise there isn’t much our characters are doing. They are sitting there watching, interpreting and analyzing. Some interesting power plays and politics take over as the main focus of the book.

There is a hint of romance but again we don’t see much as the characters are constantly internalizing and analyzing everything. Kinda underwhelming and seems to be born out of the situation they find themselves.

Overall I think it’s a good book and an interesting read, just not sure it is my thing.

***Also side note: for those that have issues with suicide in books - note there are several instances of this in these books. Because the characters (in most cases) can be immediately revived, its becomes a joke to some and they kill themselves simply for the thrill of dying. For scythes the only way to stop being a scythe is suicide. ...more

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Apr 03, 2018 Dana rated it it was amazing

The future is perfect. No hunger, no illness, no death, unless one is purposefully gleaned by a Scythe in order to assist population control. The Scythes are supposed to be impartial and glean randomly without feeling. When two teens, Citra and Rowan, are chosen as apprentice Scythes and pitted against one another, they learn that not all Scythes follow the rules.

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