A review by charlietuna92
Scythe by Neal Shusterman

4.0

I read this based on a friend’s recommendation and absolutely loved it. I’m a sucker for books that are dark, futuristic, and deal with morality. The idea that in the future humans could conquer death is not a new one. It’s a common theme in countless works of literature, film, television, and philosophy. Many people have mused about the meaning of life if death no longer exists. Many people, myself included, have come to the conclusion that life would be stagnant and less meaningful than it is when we know there’s a finite end. This book however, it takes a unique approach in that in order to control the planet’s population to sustain itself, people must be “artificially” killed. This concept brings up a lot of ideas about the morality and potential pitfalls of such a conclusion. As expected, there are factions of scythes who view themselves as gods in a godless world and those who view themselves as people providing a service. The twisting of the 10 Commandments to fit this new manner of death was a unique touch. Can’t wait to read the next in the series.