Book three was Scythe by Neal Shusterman. This one has been on my “to be read” pile for a while because the concept was intriguing and the simplistic cover is beautiful.
To start off, I loved the world-building Shusterman developed throughout the novel. Between Scythe journal pages at the end of every chapter and small info drops, the way our world reached the one in Scythe felt natural and I never encountered a point where I questioned why something happened in this world. And those small info dumps were never boring, mostly happening in a passing moment, either by dialogue or inner thoughts.
However, despite the wondrous world, I didn’t feel any connection to the main characters and felt like there was a lack of unique voice for Rowan and Citra. Due to this, I didn’t care much about what was happening to them directly. I was enthralled by the story and wanted to know what was going to happen, but I wasn’t rooting for either Rowan or Citra. Honestly, the only character I felt a connection to was Scythe Faraday. I loved his character, the way he was compassionate, and how he interacted with Rowan and Citra.
The politics within the Scythedom was enthralling too, showing the different extremes a Scythe may have in the age of immortality, where one can “turn a corner” to revert their age. Many hypothetical are discussed in this novel about morality and ethics around death and the Scythe’s duty to control the population by “gleaning” people, the only way to truly end someone’s life in this age of immortality.
Overall, I’d give it 4/5 splats. Very thought provoking book, though I wish there was a more unique voice between the two main characters.
The next book will be School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins. I’m looking forward to reading this as it’s part of the Hex Hall universe, a series I’ve loved since I was a teenager.
Kaylen Azalea Grimm 
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