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A review by rachelditty
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This is my first re-read of Scythe since I read it in high school, and I honestly still hold the same opinion of it: it's an incredibly well-crafted story with awe-striking world building, interesting characters, and a fantastic plot.
My biggest gripe with this book is the same as it was years go--I don't really care for the romance between Citra and Rowan. On one hand I can get past it when I really think on it. They're two kids who have been shunned from society and can find a kind of solace in each other when they can't find it with anyone else. On the other hand, it's very rushed and doesn't seem like the characters are even truly aware of why they're in love. It really feels like Shusterman made them love interests for the sake of them having love interests, not because they genuinely wanted to be in love.
I had a lot more feelings about Rowan than I was expecting to when he was under the wing of Scythe Goddard. Rowan goes from being this kid who has deemed himself "the lettuce" of his family; constantly ignored and no one's favorite. Then, as an apprentice, he sheds that title and becomes someone, but in return he's feared by all and is put through numerous trials that change who he is as a person, and not even his journal is safe because Goddard reads it for himself. Then he tries to shape himself back into the lettuce again, fade into the background and let the scythes he's surrounded by take all the glory, and they just won't let him. The scene where Rowan walks out of the building with the axe behind him as people kiss Goddard's ring on his hand really had me going, I was just so incredibly sad for him. And when finds Volta self-gleaning in the Tonist monastery. I just felt so bad for him. Then he had to render his mother deadish and did it without any hesitance and with such precision that people looked down on him for it, when in reality he never felt close to her and had no reason to hesitate. Whereas Citra talking with Ben before she "gleaned" him was so compassionate it made me tear up.
I don't really even know how to put into words how sad for Rowan I felt when he was trapped in the apprenticeship with Goddard. Rowan was constantly barraged with parties that kept him up at strange hours, training that pushed him to his limits, pleasing Esme when she would play card games with him, trying to keep his own thoughts in order and keep his humanity in check while being pushed on all sides by Goddard's thoughts and actions, and he was sexually harassed by Scythe Rand, all while in Goddard's mansion. Rowan was exposed to such physical and emotional fatigue that it's such a salute to his character that he was able to withstand it and still come out wanting to do the right thing. Rowan spoke so many times, especially in the Tonist monastery, that he could hear Goddard in his head and feel him in his soul, and that he didn't' know how to get himself out of that way of living, and it was just heartbreaking. He became the perfect weapon, and he hated it. He was constantly detaching himself from the gleanings because when he couldn't rescue people, he wanted to stay as far away from everything as he mentally could. He was fully prepared to die in order for Citra to win and make things better, and now he gets to do the same thing with his own methods, as frowned upon as they may be.
Citra is such an intelligent and cunning YA protagonist, and I'm so in love with how much she's able to shape that with Scythe Faraday AND Curie. She knows exactly when to tell people information and what she can do to skirt around the laws of the scythedom and of the thunderhead. Where Rowan is Sly, Citra is Clever, and they are such a great pair. I wish we got to see more of them actually getting to know each other and really like each other before they jump into a romance, and before they get separated.
Some quotes I loved:
"Rowan would find a way to make sense of the senseless," (p. 24)
"'Tonight we witness the spectacle of human folly and tragedy... Tomorrow, we shall live it.'" (p. 36).
"They knew what had happened at school, and what was happening now, but they dismissed it in that self-serving way parents often had of pretending anything they can't solve is not really a problem," (p. 38).
"'[Death] never hides,' the scythe told them with a world-weariness that was hard to describe. 'Nor does it sleep. You'll learn that soon enough,'" (p. 60).
"'It was the only time in all my years as a scythe that I had been thanked for what I do,'" (p. 87).
"'One apology is enough... especially when it's genuine.'" (p. 93).
"She owed it to the dead man to hurt a little for him." (p. 95).
"I fear for all of us if scythes begin to love what they do." (p. 96).
"No one rages against the system anymore. At most, they just glare at it a bit." (p. 101).
"And which is worse--to be despised or to be ignored?" (p. 155).
"...Scythe Goddard loved nothing more than performing to the gallery, even if it was just a gallery of one." (p. 240).
"...it shook the world, but the world was already shaking just fine without me." (p. 273).
"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." (p. 388).
"And if ever Scythe Lucifer comes my way, I hope he'll see me as one of the good ones. The way he once did." (p. 435).
I'm so ready to start the second book. I might even do it right now, to be honest. The Thunderhead already has such personality, I'm so excited to start the next book and get more from it. A great read I'd recommend to all!
I had a lot more feelings about Rowan than I was expecting to when he was under the wing of Scythe Goddard. Rowan goes from being this kid who has deemed himself "the lettuce" of his family; constantly ignored and no one's favorite. Then, as an apprentice, he sheds that title and becomes someone, but in return he's feared by all and is put through numerous trials that change who he is as a person, and not even his journal is safe because Goddard reads it for himself. Then he tries to shape himself back into the lettuce again, fade into the background and let the scythes he's surrounded by take all the glory, and they just won't let him. The scene where Rowan walks out of the building with the axe behind him as people kiss Goddard's ring on his hand really had me going, I was just so incredibly sad for him. And when finds Volta self-gleaning in the Tonist monastery. I just felt so bad for him. Then he had to render his mother deadish and did it without any hesitance and with such precision that people looked down on him for it, when in reality he never felt close to her and had no reason to hesitate. Whereas Citra talking with Ben before she "gleaned" him was so compassionate it made me tear up.
I don't really even know how to put into words how sad for Rowan I felt when he was trapped in the apprenticeship with Goddard. Rowan was constantly barraged with parties that kept him up at strange hours, training that pushed him to his limits, pleasing Esme when she would play card games with him, trying to keep his own thoughts in order and keep his humanity in check while being pushed on all sides by Goddard's thoughts and actions, and he was sexually harassed by Scythe Rand, all while in Goddard's mansion. Rowan was exposed to such physical and emotional fatigue that it's such a salute to his character that he was able to withstand it and still come out wanting to do the right thing. Rowan spoke so many times, especially in the Tonist monastery, that he could hear Goddard in his head and feel him in his soul, and that he didn't' know how to get himself out of that way of living, and it was just heartbreaking. He became the perfect weapon, and he hated it. He was constantly detaching himself from the gleanings because when he couldn't rescue people, he wanted to stay as far away from everything as he mentally could. He was fully prepared to die in order for Citra to win and make things better, and now he gets to do the same thing with his own methods, as frowned upon as they may be.
Citra is such an intelligent and cunning YA protagonist, and I'm so in love with how much she's able to shape that with Scythe Faraday AND Curie. She knows exactly when to tell people information and what she can do to skirt around the laws of the scythedom and of the thunderhead. Where Rowan is Sly, Citra is Clever, and they are such a great pair. I wish we got to see more of them actually getting to know each other and really like each other before they jump into a romance, and before they get separated.
Some quotes I loved:
"Rowan would find a way to make sense of the senseless," (p. 24)
"'Tonight we witness the spectacle of human folly and tragedy... Tomorrow, we shall live it.'" (p. 36).
"They knew what had happened at school, and what was happening now, but they dismissed it in that self-serving way parents often had of pretending anything they can't solve is not really a problem," (p. 38).
"'[Death] never hides,' the scythe told them with a world-weariness that was hard to describe. 'Nor does it sleep. You'll learn that soon enough,'" (p. 60).
"'It was the only time in all my years as a scythe that I had been thanked for what I do,'" (p. 87).
"'One apology is enough... especially when it's genuine.'" (p. 93).
"She owed it to the dead man to hurt a little for him." (p. 95).
"I fear for all of us if scythes begin to love what they do." (p. 96).
"No one rages against the system anymore. At most, they just glare at it a bit." (p. 101).
"And which is worse--to be despised or to be ignored?" (p. 155).
"...Scythe Goddard loved nothing more than performing to the gallery, even if it was just a gallery of one." (p. 240).
"...it shook the world, but the world was already shaking just fine without me." (p. 273).
"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." (p. 388).
"And if ever Scythe Lucifer comes my way, I hope he'll see me as one of the good ones. The way he once did." (p. 435).
I'm so ready to start the second book. I might even do it right now, to be honest. The Thunderhead already has such personality, I'm so excited to start the next book and get more from it. A great read I'd recommend to all!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail