In the year 2042, there is no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Scythe by Neal Shusterman overs us a peek at a technology-ruled world, known as the "Thunderhead", wherein politics have long been irrelevant. With the help of the Thunderhead, human has achieved what people in the Age of Morality would refer to as a utopia: a method to cheat death and the ability to reset their appearance to any age with twenty-first as the youngest.
With no threat of death, people have formed a way to prevent the world from being overpopulated. Scythes then exist to kill people based on quota, and it's the only group of exclusive people that the Thunderhead can't intervene in. Knowing how brutal their work is, neither Citra Terranova nor Rowan Damisch is interested in being an apprentice to a Scythe. Mastering the "art" of taking life is no small thing for either of them, and it's hard to adapt when their conscience tells them otherwise.
Scythe was a good, well-plotted book, there was no denying that. The plot was clever, and the idea behind the story was fresh. How the world-building was developed in this book was very well-thought-out too. I felt like the author had considered everything, even the tiniest little detail, to intercept any plot hole, and with that went the fact that I closed this book feeling satisfied, not really bothered by anything unanswered.
But sometimes being too "perfect" in theory was not always a perfect thing. I don't know if any of you could resonate with this opinion (like, c'mon, I just praised this book quite highly!), but all these perfect timings felt more like an orchestral event rather than something natural. I'm not saying this is bad, but the sentiment wiped the last star needed for it to be a perfect read and instead sprinkled it with something that made the story seem a tad bit dry.
Moreover, the chemistry between Citra and Rowan was not something that grew visibly for us readers. While some might find it disappointing, I preferred it that way somehow. This book mainly explored their individual growth from mere teenagers to soon-to-be Scythes with different edges, and I found both of them evolved interestingly.
Last but important, I would recommend this book for you fantasy or dystopian or science fiction lovers. Who knows, maybe you would find Scythe the book perfect for you.
Actual rating: 4★
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