The Toll (Arc of a Scythe #3) by Neal Shusterman -- Restarting January 5th 2024

[Shannara]

Danique wrote: "Omg yes that would actually be perfect! I'm so behind :P I can probably do like the 5th of January, would that work?"

Awesome!!! Yes, that will work perfectly!!! Thanks!!! I’ll reset the thread!!!

[Jenn]

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Date changed. Restarting January 5th 2024. Happy Reading ☺

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[Shannara]

Up to chapter 3 (view spoiler)[ Ugh, I can’t believe they’ve removed the restrictions on gleanings. So they can just glean however many people they want now?!!?! GREEEAAAATTT idea!!!!! (hide spoiler)]

[Shannara]

Up to part 2 (view spoiler)[ I cannot believe everything that’s going on!!! How are they going to escape the atoll?? What’s Rowan going to do?!?! He’s in flipping prison now!! And poor Anastasia, how will she convince everyone that Goddard is a lying a**hole?!?! (hide spoiler)]

[Danique]

I’m hoping to pick this up soon! I’m not sure why I keep putting it off 🥴

[Danique]

Finally finished!

Ch 6
(view spoiler)[Okay so I forgot everything about the last books already lmao, not sure why I’ve been dreading to pick this up 🥴 omg I forgot Curie died, I’m already SO MAD that Goddard is high blade and blames Rowan for it all omg kill me. And the quota is lifted, why!!! I forgot all about Greyson, wasn’t he the only one who the thunderhead would still speak to? But why again omg I forgot his entire role🤣

a new character, Jerico. Not sure if I like him, but hopefully he’ll open the safe for Citra and Rowan Omgg. Ugh right, that Munira chick, I still don’t like her at all and it’s annoying that she’ll play another big part in this book. They finally reached Nod, although not unscathed and they don’t even know what’s happening outside omg. They’re in for a surprise when they get back. Goddard is the bloody worst! Love the journal entries from all over the world and the scythedoms tho. The scythedom is fracturing shit dude. I’m glad they don’t all support Goddard tho. Man, I forgot how many characters this author liked to introduce and how hard it is to keep them all straight pff. So this Loriana girl was part of the Nimbus agents & they’re now pointed towards the blindspot omg! So they’ll find Faraday and Munira probably! Glad they have a way out then lol. (hide spoiler)]

[Danique]

Part 2
(view spoiler)[Goddard is brutal holy fuck, he just cut off Texas entirely because they wouldn’t follow him daaaamn. How do they not see it was him behind endura omg. FUCK YES I think I like Jeri and his scheming, they raised the fault with Citra and Rowan inside omg, can’t believe we haven’t seen them for nearly 100 pages 🤣 but how can they still be alive? Maybe just deadish? Can’t freaking WAIT.

YEEES they’re back!! Omg they’ve been dead for THREE YEARS!!! Holy shit but they really do think Rowan did it, I hope Citra will get him out. I can’t wait to see how they’ll stop Goddard omg the suspense is already killing me. Maybe faraday can lead the scythes after this? Ew I do hope Faraday and Munira don’t get together, that’d be gross - I see them more like grandfather and daughter.

Woah there were 977 people on those ships? Damn. Hilliard killed herself damn chick, that’s a too easy way out. But what are those ‘iterations’ in between chapters? Is it the thunderhead? They had contact with the thunderhead and he’s planning something omg, he’s beating his own algorithm, I LOVE IT! (hide spoiler)]

Ch 18
(view spoiler)[Ezra van Otterloo, sounds Dutch teehee. Omg Greyson became the toll, and people come to him to talk to the thunderhead. That must be exhausting geez. But they act as though he’s a god now damn. I wonder if this entire part has interludes from the tonists books instead of scythes? Not loving that. Damn, I want more Citra and Rowan, less of the others!! I don’t like Mendoza and how he uses Greyson.

Ah I still feel so bad for the thunderhead, I want someone to love him like he wants to :( ah I’m glad we’re back to scythe entries. Does citra not remember that Goddard sank them all? Dammit Rowan just tell them the truth instead of behaving like this, maybe they’d believed them if their stories did match. The comment about jeri not being a her was odd, do they mean to imply he was once a woman? Random. Omg right, Ayn! Completely forgot her and Tyger, it’s so sad that she’s using hologram technology to talk to him again :’( damn Goddard is dumping Ayn, she’s going to turn good I hope. Can’t believe he’s reshaping bias, so they can glean entire groups they don’t like omg. (hide spoiler)]

[Danique]

Part three
(view spoiler)[Damn they’ve been on the island for over a year already? Time flies. I can’t wait to find out what the thunderhead is planning & building there, since that chick seems scared of it? Oooooh so we went back in time a little, and it’s now three years after endura - the day Citra and Rowan came back. I thought all this island stuff and everything was happening at the same time, but it was before! Woah Greyson was gleaned he said? No, I don’t believe that unless we see it - I don’t think Morrison did it, especially for Goddard.

Huh so Jerico seems both man and woman? I don’t get his descriptions at all, especially because they use 'he'? Shite they now know that Citra and Rowan are still alive, they definitely could’ve played that better ugh. And he’s taken to Goddard, AGAIN! I hate his life in these books, he’s always treated terribly. The back and forth between past and present is a bit confusing tbh, is Greysons chapter in the past again then? Oh shit Morrison is in! As a pastry chef lmao. Yes so Morrison indeed didn’t kill him, but they make it seem as though he did. Who’s going to protect the tonists while Greyson goes undercover tho? Greyson does behave like a brat towards the thunderhead and everything, but I do like their relationship. (hide spoiler)]

Ch 35
(view spoiler)[Ah so Jeri is indeed man and woman, I’m glad that was finally cleared up. The idea of Madagascar sounds really good, apparently all kinds of genders/non-binary people live there. love the fluidity.

Woah I forgot Rand set Rowan free omg! Goddard is really mental, he doesn’t know what he’s doing at all. I’m so glad we’re finally getting some Rowan and Citra chapters yay. I really do like jeri, although I don’t have a clue what’s going on with citra at this point. Although I like Rowan’s attitude, it massively annoys me that he doesn’t keep telling people that he didn’t do endura & just tells them all sorts of lines wtf dude. Not sure how I feel about Tenka, I keep waiting for everyone to stab them in the back again. I’m also so sick of Citra living in great circumstances and Rowan suffering lmao.

Holy shite Rowan was saved, just in time - I don’t get what the Bowie knife comment meant tho, were we supposed to know those scythes? Goddard did a mass gleaning, I was just about to say that it was odd that we hadn’t seen any. He’s acting as though it was the plan but damn dude. Goddard is losing his shit.

I don’t understand why citra wouldn’t tell everyone at once, instead of dragging it out?!? Just tell them what happened argh this is frustrating. I’m sorry, but the moon thing is so fucking random all of a sudden? Apparently there was a colony on the moon and scythes ruined it, they just don’t know why yet. It feels like such random writing all of a sudden, not loving that part at all. I’m guessing people will go and live there but still wtf. Maybe thunderhead is planning on blowing up the entire earth and starting over? Can’t believe they’re using Rowan to kill scythes, poor guy. (hide spoiler)]

[Danique]

Part five
(view spoiler)[Damn the attack of the tonists what the fuck!! They’re crazy, WHY would they attack the actually good scythes? Man they suck, I hope they’ll all die. Tenka died :( can’t believe his parents are part of the tonists tho damn. Glad Citra and Jeri got out but damn that was close. Kinda shipping her and Jeri lmao I just see too little of her and Rowan in these books. Greyson still seems like he’s letting the power get to his head, the way he ordered that man to be gleaned. I wonder if he knew Anastasia was there as well, they knew each other right?

It was Goddard on the moon?!?!? Shooketh. I completely forgot about Morrison and why he’s so impressed by Anastasia? I forgot their backstory. Glad they’re all reunited teehee, only missing Rowan. Wait are jeri and the thunderhead connected, is that what Greyson implied with his comment? I’m confused. I loved them ‘tricking’ the thunderhead tho and him helping them in a roundabout way lmao, it was great. Also definitely shipping Greyson and Jeri, love it.

Alighieri was terrible lmao, so vain ew. Aaaah so Goddard sabotaged the moon and orbital colony because it’d give people room & scythes would be unnecessary omg. Mendoza is going to be trouuuuble, I knew it help I’m scared. We’re getting closer and closer to the endgame, I wonder whether the thunderhead wants to use an army of the dead or some shit? Can’t wait. I’m glad we haven’t seen the island as much, I still don’t care about any of those people. I do feel bad for the thunderhead and how scared he is himself, I just want someone to hug him omg. I hope it won’t die by the end of this, but I have a feeling he will :( (hide spoiler)]

Ch 49
(view spoiler)[Oh lmao I celebrated too soon, we’re now on the island again ugh. I still don’t understand the meaning of the iterations, is it the thunderhead deleting itself? It’s so vague. So they are indeed building spaceships to leave earth omg! And it’s no longer a blind spot for the thunderhead, kind of disappointed with how unimportant that aspect was tbh :/ definitely thought it’d have some depth.

Omg I knew Mendoza would be trouble, he’s now working with Goddard? I’m hoping the thunderhead told Greyson about it and that’s why he fired him? Are the iterations how the thunderhead was created? Man the thunderhead went into Jeri!!! He went biological for a sec omg loved that, I’ve been shipping Greyson and the thunderhead since the beginning of time lmaoooo, sadly that won’t happen. I do wonder if he’ll use the bodies to inherit them too? I also feel like I should know the name cirrus lmao there are too many characters in this.

Omg the ship guy placed a tracker on their ship, connected to Goddard, what a dick!!! And they can’t even glean him ffs. Aw I teared up at Citra & Faraday’s reunion teehee. I don’t get it at all tho, thunderhead wants to send dead bodies to space? I’m so confused. Wait so cirrus is a new thunderhead? What the hell? And the bodies will be transplanted with different souls, and they’ll live on the moon and such? I’m still so confused, I don’t get the point at all. I can’t wait to see how it’ll all end tho, although this book confused me more than the others. (hide spoiler)]

[Danique]

Finished
(view spoiler)[FUCK YES CIRRUS BROUGHT ROWAN ALONG!! I was wondering how he’d ever get to them but fuck yes. I still hate Munira, she’s so annoying and petty, grow the fuck up. I hope she’ll die. Astrid’s tonists will get their own planet? Damn, that doesn’t seem smart. She’ll die before they get there tho lmao.

Omg they were shooting down ships and Ayn randomly killed the pilot and basically saved Rowan and Citra again? It doesn’t make any sense for her to chose that moment to stop him tho wtf? she wanted rowan dead too. Furthermore, why would she take Goddard’s body? Gosh there isn’t anyone left to take over his role, especially now that Citra put down her ring & left :( Faraday I guess but hm. Glad Munira isn’t a scythe now. Also glad Mendoza died lol bye.

Omg Astrid is all alone on her ship, that seems like the worst kind of hell, for over a thousand years omg. All the rings burst omg!!!! No more scythes! And Ezra died of a heart attack, does that mean they’re back to humanity? I’m confused again. Rowan should’ve went to sleep with citra, but it’s nice that he’s going to lead the people and then act as though he has been with her all along. Cute.

Ooooooih!!!! The inside of the rings had all the human diseases omg! Holy FUCK no I’m so heartbroken over Greyson dumping the thunderhead :( omg omg omg Ayn brought Tyger back!!!!! That’s why she took Goddard omg. What a cute ending, citra woke up and Rowan and her are together :’) still wish we could’ve seen much more of that. And Greyson and Jeri are together, was convinced jeri would die honestly. I wish we’d gotten to see all of them in space. I still cannot believe Greyson dumped the thunderhead, I’m so heartbroken over him and how alone he is. And only because of Jeri, I can’t help but hate Jeri for that. The thunderhead’s happy ending was the only one I wanted dammit :( but I’m glad it all ended so happily, although it all went very sci-fi. Faraday and the others now glean as euthanasia basically, which is kinda nice.

It’s still odd where this story went, and I’m disappointed in how little we got to see of citra and Rowan together through all these books, we got more of ANYONE else in this series, while they’re the main characters. But still, it was cute. Although I’m still oddly confused, not sure why, and I hate that we didn’t really get revenge on Goddard for his terrible actions. His death was too easy, and I’m disappointed in that. Also surprised by how little we saw of Goddard’s terrible reign, nearly no mass murders like in the last ones? Mixed feelings for sure! It definitely gave me the 100 vibes with the space travel idk. (hide spoiler)]

[Danique]

Shannara wrote: "Up to chapter 3 [spoilers removed]"

Omg right?? That really scared me

[Shannara]

Aw crud!! Sorry!! Didn’t see that you had started!!!

Up to part 3 - year of the cobra (view spoiler)[ dang!!! I thought Greyson would be gleaned for sure!!!! But I guess scythe Morrison isn’t as crazy as some of the others. Also, crap!!!! I can’t believe Rowan has been captured!!! I hope someone rescues him… as unlikely as that seems… (hide spoiler)]

[Shannara]

Danique wrote: "Finally finished!

Ch 6.."

Good lord, I forgot a lot of the previous books also!!! Lol… and yeah, there’s a ton of characters!!!! I hope I’m keeping them all straight in my head!!

[Shannara]

Danique wrote: "Part 2.."

(view spoiler)[ right?!?! Goddard is the absolute worst!!!! I know, I’m dying to know how they defeat him at this point. Maybe they get together with Greyson somehow?! Lol… and yeah, I want more of Rowan and Citra too. Less of everyone else. 😜 (hide spoiler)]

[Danique]

Shannara wrote: "Aw crud!! Sorry!! Didn’t see that you had started!!!

Up to part 3 - year of the cobra [spoilers removed]"

That's fine! I'll just come back to read your comments :) (view spoiler)[man the suspense and mystery was great! (hide spoiler)]

[Danique]

Shannara wrote: "Danique wrote: "Finally finished!

Ch 6.."

Good lord, I forgot a lot of the previous books also!!! Lol… and yeah, there’s a ton of characters!!!! I hope I’m keeping them all straight in my head!!"

Yeeees omg there were so many again, I lost track a little lol. Also can't say I cared about all of them :s

[Shannara]

Danique wrote: "Shannara wrote: "Aw crud!! Sorry!! Didn’t see that you had started!!!

Up to part 3 - year of the cobra [spoilers removed]"

That's fine! I'll just come back to read your comments :) [spoilers rem..."

Thanks so much!!!

[Shannara]

Up to part four (view spoiler)[ wow… Goddard is the worst!!! I cannot believe he had all those people gleaned. And who rescued Rowan?? Is it a real rescue or do they want to glean him too. Smh… and I really like Jeri and how he’s/she’s so protective with Anastasia. At least she has one person she can trust near her. (hide spoiler)]

[Shannara]

Danique wrote: "Part three..."

(view spoiler)[ oh I know!!! I feel so bad for Rowan. Somehow they’ve got to clear his name!!! (hide spoiler)]

[Shannara]

Up to part five (view spoiler)[ This is crazy!!! Goddard has lost his mind and I cannot believe there are still followers even when they know what he’s done!!! He’s murdered sooooo many people!!! I’m not sure how, but they’ve got to take him down!!! (hide spoiler)]

[Shannara]

Danique wrote: "Part three

(view spoiler)[ I know!!! Poor Rowan keeps getting the short end of the stick!!! I hope he finds a way out of this!!! (hide spoiler)]

[Shannara]

Finished (view spoiler)[ OMG!!! That last section was crazy!!! I’m so glad Ayn saw sense at last and gave the body back to Tyger. Stupid Goddard got what he deserved the jerk. And Citra and Rowan get to start all over on a new planet!!! Yay!!!! That super exciting!!! And no more traditional scythes… that’s interesting. I’m glad Faraday found something worthwhile to do with his life. Really enjoyed this series!!! (hide spoiler)]

[Shannara]

Danique wrote: "part five"

(view spoiler)[ I know!!!! I really liked Tenka too!!! Those tonists were fudging cold hearted!!! To be tossing other random people into the fire for no reason. I mean, I felt bad for that fire fighter who caught the bomb. Yikes. (hide spoiler)]

[Shannara]

Danique wrote: "Finished

(view spoiler)[ Yes!!! Why wasn’t Goddard like tortured and given the worst death ever?!?! Like I mean, I know she needed the body to give it back to Tyger, but still. Also, yes, so sad that Greyson dumped the thunderhead too. After all the thunderhead did for everyone… it was too abrupt. And I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. It’s not like the thunderhead made Jeri make out with anyone. It just watched the sunrise and touched his face. It took like five minutes. Seriously. But otherwise, yeah, enjoyed myself reading this one. Parts were a little lengthy, but wrapped up mostly nicely in the end. (hide spoiler)]

[Danique]

Shannara wrote: "Finished [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ omg right?? the last part was insane, the pacing was so fast all of a sudden lmao! The ending really surprised me though, I didn't expect the whole space subplot lol (hide spoiler)]

[Danique]

Shannara wrote: "Danique wrote: "Finished

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Yeah exactly! I get that it was a breach of trust or something, but the thunderhead could've chosen any other person and Greyson wouldn't have cared. that sucked :( (hide spoiler)]