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A review by 3lea
The Toll by Neal Shusterman
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I read summaries of the first two books in order to prepare myself to finish this series after 2 years(?) of putting it off. I guess I was burnt out from reading the world or because I was intimidated by this last book's size. And due to my pause in reading this series, some of my emotional connection towards the main characters (if I had any) has been lost since I don't even remember much of their purpose.
But to my surprise, this book didn't have those main characters as the center of attention. Instead, some new characters were placed, and characters like Greyson and the Thunderhead (the ai being my fave character along with Scythe Curie) were most prominent, which, I enjoyed very much.
I wished that the book was actually longer than it already was. (cause I am now indeed a thick book lover) because I think the ending was a little bit rushed in terms of the development of the characters and their decision for leaving Earth or not. For example, in that scene where Scythe Anastasia was like; "nope I am not coming to lead an entire spaceship to leave, after everything I've done to save the Earth!!"
But then once Rowan showed up she immediately gives up her title, says her goodbyes to the only other person who is considered her family (Scythe Faraday), and decides that life in the unknown is worth her efforts.
Just like other characters such as Jeri, to easily leave his (because it's sunny today) crew. Greyson to not even have the effort to have his goodbyes to sister Astrid. Speaking of, I thought that Sister Astrid and Jeri's characters were an interesting addition, I was fond of them. but at the same time, their personality and the way they were written felt a little bit inconsistent.
I also didn't think the way Goddard was killed wasn't satisfying enough. it was anticlimactic. I knew that Scythe Rand would be the one to end things with him, but come on! She literally waited until the very last minute without savoring the moment to do so, but I guess the latter is her style.
I wanted to know more about the Thunderhead's fear of possibly making a mistake, cause what was that about?
But honestly, whoever made the idea that humans should be the ones behind the decision of death, is one hell of a shit.
I have always been fond of Neal's writing, despite the number of characters, and events that take place in the series, I was never overwhelmed and was easily able to visualize what I was reading.
In conclusion, this series satisfies everything I look for in a sci-fi, dystopian adventure. A mix of philosophy, politics, and religious discussions tied with an interesting world not far from what reality could be, along with lively characters who have distinct personalities and passions.
But to my surprise, this book didn't have those main characters as the center of attention. Instead, some new characters were placed, and characters like Greyson and the Thunderhead (the ai being my fave character along with Scythe Curie) were most prominent, which, I enjoyed very much.
But then once Rowan showed up she immediately gives up her title, says her goodbyes to the only other person who is considered her family (Scythe Faraday), and decides that life in the unknown is worth her efforts.
Just like other characters such as Jeri, to easily leave his (because it's sunny today) crew. Greyson to not even have the effort to have his goodbyes to sister Astrid. Speaking of, I thought that Sister Astrid and Jeri's characters were an interesting addition, I was fond of them. but at the same time, their personality and the way they were written felt a little bit inconsistent.
I also didn't think the way Goddard was killed wasn't satisfying enough. it was anticlimactic. I knew that Scythe Rand would be the one to end things with him, but come on! She literally waited until the very last minute without savoring the moment to do so, but I guess the latter is her style.
I wanted to know more about the Thunderhead's fear of possibly making a mistake, cause what was that about?
But honestly, whoever made the idea that humans should be the ones behind the decision of death, is one hell of a shit.
I have always been fond of Neal's writing, despite the number of characters, and events that take place in the series, I was never overwhelmed and was easily able to visualize what I was reading.
In conclusion, this series satisfies everything I look for in a sci-fi, dystopian adventure. A mix of philosophy, politics, and religious discussions tied with an interesting world not far from what reality could be, along with lively characters who have distinct personalities and passions.