In the world of Scythe, Nothing is Truly Perfect

Ryan Hong, Staff Writer|October 23, 2018

simonandshuster.com

The first of a new series, “Scythe” raises themes about man’s quest for perfection and issues surrounding life and death.

Search 0:54 / 0:59 SCYTHE Book Trailer 28,413 views 272 13 SHARE SAVE Riveted Published on Nov 22, 2016 Two teens must learn the “art of killing” in the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology. Get your copy now! Amazon: http://amzn.to/2fuvYFe Barns & Noble: http://bit.ly/2gD8IlA Books-a-Million: http://bit.ly/2fYy501 Indies: http://bit.ly/2gPRlRO GET RIVETED WITH US! Website: http://rivetedlit.com/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/rivetedlit Facebook: http://facebook.com/rivetedlit Instagram: http://instagram.com/rivetedlit 50 Comments Stephen Rexford Commenting publicly as Stephen Rexford Morrigan, The Hufflepuff High Fae Morrigan, The Hufflepuff High Fae 5 months ago excuse me but WHY THE HELL IS ROWAN SO UGLY IN HERE??? 14 MisterMirza MisterMirza 1 year ago Just finished the book for a school project. Probably one of the best books i"ve ever read. 10/10 i loved reading every second of it. If you are slightly interested, READ IT. You wont regret it. :) 24 Clear5tyle Clear5tyle 1 year ago Imagine if they put out a movie one day! 38 user 1 year ago Just finished this book and... I kind of can"t even. 52 Riley Migneault 1 year ago Reading the book currently, I like it but very disturbing 9 The Weeb Patrol 1 year ago I met Neal shusterman at my school 16 beeschorger 1 year ago i hope the movie is as good as the book :[] 8 Peanut Kao 9 months ago Got Thunderhead Omg omg omg omg yaaasssss 3 Ruth Thompson 6 months ago Is that the Stranger Things theme played backwards? 4 nouz bwyn 1 year ago I am so excittteeeddddd 9 ObliviousHD 7 months ago Just finished reading Thunderhead. Honestly one of the most well thought out and exciting sequels I"ve ever read! Please please get the 2nd book guys, it"s just as good (and probably better) than the first one!! Really excited to read The Toll in 2019!:) 1 Lord Frieza 1 year ago Bleach anybody 5 Human Thing 8 months ago ALL RIGHT IM READING THIS BOOK 1 Salena Grace 1 year ago So they are making a movie ????? If not please do 1 Ninja Gaming 101 6 days ago (edited) Omg. I just got to that one part before the fourth section of the book where citra got arrested... I can’t even. I basically yelled “oh my god” and paced my room for ten minutes shell shocked. Great book tho Rebecca Sargent 2 months ago Love the book Squids AJ 1 month ago This does not belong to you. Krissi 2212 2 months ago Omg so cool i"m halfway through th first part and omfg lindsayss 2 months ago SO MUCH SUSPENSE!!! Eurus Holmes 5 months ago Stranger Things music <3 Up next AUTOPLAY 8:17 Book Review | Scythe by Neal Shusterman Connor O"Brien 7.1K views 11:47 32 Incredible Easter Eggs You Missed in Harry Potter Movies Fact Republic 517K views 18:11 Saudi Arabia: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) LastWeekTonight Recommended for you 12:03 Jim"s Pranks Against Dwight - The Office US The Office US 16M views 6:55 Iliza Shlesinger - Lying Brian - This Is Not Happening - Uncensored Comedy Central Recommended for you 14 2018-19 Gateway Nominees librarianoliva 8:00:00 ? Best Fireplace 1080p ? | Relaxing fireplace sound | Full HD | 8 HOURS The Fireplace Recommended for you 15:08 The American Revolution - OverSimplified (Part 1) OverSimplified Recommended for you 13:25 Hamilton cast performs "Alexander Hamilton" at White House CBSN Recommended for you 20:06 I grew up in a cult. It was heaven -- and hell. | Lilia Tarawa | TEDxChristchurch TEDx Talks Recommended for you Trout fishing on the Manistee River DeLong Outdoors Recommended for you VULFPECK /// It Gets Funkier Vulf Recommended for you 4 Theories About The Office Too Good Not To Be True The Why 2M views Looks aren"t everything. Believe me, I"m a model. | Cameron Russell TED Recommended for you Relaxing Jazz & Bossa Nova Music Radio - 24/7 Chill Out Piano & Guitar Music Live Stream Cafe Music BGM channel 7.7K watching LIVE NOW 787 long takeoff at San Diego & nice wingflex JustPlanes Recommended for you 13 Badass Movie Scenes (Full Scenes) P3 PixzelByPixzel 8.8M views UNWIND - Short Film MainstayPro 2.7M views Top 10 Greatest Novels of All Time WatchMojo.com 963K views 11 YA Books Hitting the Big Screen in 2018 | 2018 Movie Preview Shine On Media 258K views Embed Video Start at 0:54 EMBED OPTIONS Show player controls. Enable privacy-enhanced mode. API Reference Developer Sample By embedding YouTube videos on your site, you are agreeing to YouTube API Terms of Service

riveted.com

Nothing is truly perfect: the world of scythe

“Scythe” is a great book with an interesting (if a little too perfect of a) world and brings something new to the cliched and worn-out tropes of the dystopian genre. It’s a book all about doing what’s right in world where morality has been flipped on its head.

In a time when disease, accidents, and even death itself have all but been completely erased, the only ones who can end lives in order preserve the resources required to keep the world this way are the mysterious and feared scythes, easily identified by the robes they wear to announce their presence.  Protagonists Rowan and Citra, two children who never asked to have a job taking lives and never wanted to, are chosen as apprentices for their compassion for others as apprentices to the scythedom and forced to decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong.

Both have a history with their new master, scythe Faraday, a scythe who somehow manages to show kindness even to those he must kill. After an encounter with Faraday, a teenage Citra finds herself disgusted but strangely fascinated by the customs of the scythes, while Rowan comes to despise the scythedom for the seemingly remorseless murder of a classmate right in front of his eyes. Both of them share one thing: their compassion, one of the prerequisites for being a scythe. The care for others that causes Rowan to hold the hand of a classmate that he doesn’t even know until the end, and leads

Unfortunately, not all scythes are as benevolent as Faraday. Some enjoy their work, taking pleasure in great massacres as a sport, using unusually cruel methods of killing. As Citra and Rowan learn more about the scythedom and the world they live in, they must navigate the scythedom’s tangled web of politics, where they learn that the scythedom is not as perfect as it is supposed to be.

One of this book’s greatest merits is how often it makes you think. The scythes must kill some so that others can enjoy their perfect world, and this brings up many issues of morality. The reader often ends up pondering this book alongside the characters. In the world of this book, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, and this is what drive the scythes to kill others.

It has a persistent question of morality and will challenge your views on the world. The world of Scythe is deep, immersive, and original, and it is so fleshed out that it feels almost real. On the surface, this book may appear to be another dystopian book, but there are many elements that make it differ from many other books.

“My greatest wish for humanity is not for peace or comfort or joy. It is that we all still die a little inside every time we witness the death of another. For only the pain of empathy will keep us human. There’s no version of god that can help us if we ever lose that.”