“Everyone is guilty of something, and everyone still harbors a memory of childhood innocence, no matter how many layers of life wrap around it. Humanity is innocent; humanity is guilty, and both states are undeniably true.”

Reread November 2019

This could easily be my favourite novel of all time. I love every aspect of the storytelling, themes, characters and incredible worldbuilding. Neal Shusterman is a master storyteller and my love for the genius grows with time and reread.

I like books that make me think about the world. That makes the reader consider themselves, their nature, their world, their future. As it is said "death made the whole world kin. Rowan wondered if a world without death would then make everyone strangers." Death is the one unifying fate of every being and many books have delved into exploring death. But Scythe transcends the discussion by discussing immortality not just as eternal bliss or purgatory but in a nuanced way that takes the aspects of our culture and transplants it to a few hundred years after death was defeated.

It is a book of philosophy masquerading as a novel and I adore it. The beauty of speculative fiction. Back to the genesis of science fiction discussing the nature of society, the nature of people and how technology and trends could lead to a paradise or hellscape.

I disagree with the categorizing this as dystopian because though there is subtle discussion on complacency, boredom, desentization, and prejudice by through the use of nanites controlling people's emotions, body type etc. The society is presented as better than the Age of Mortality. Though still flawed who would argue that the horrors of mortality and oppression are better than a complacent safe world. It is a teetering scale of what you value and who and what you harm by choosing one.

Shusterman even avoids the predictable avenue of a corrupted or uncompassionate AI. The Thunderhead is by far more superior at governing. The major complaint brought up by the book is that the Thunderhead must turn away from the horrors committed by the Scythedom. It is the humans that are the enemy not the AI. Which is a daunting question.

The journal entries is fantastic worldbuilding. The who book is stellar worldbuilding. I do love the aspects of an alienated world from our own. Whether not understanding the emotions of pain, or finding the world 'murder' funny because it's association with crows, or not sure how to pronounce torture.

Also on the reread I appreciate the Tonists and the place in the world. In a world where death is the rarity and pain elapsed who wouldn't worship it? It is another thing that makes the world thought out because if there was no eternal death without a scythe why wouldn't someone splat as an adrenaline junkie or who would not get lost because of remarriage or have confusion by mo one being the proper age.

Rowan is one of my favourite characters. One of my favourite traits is someone who is willing to play the villain as a kind of self sacrifice. I also think is development is unexpected and that he is flawed and not the poster boy of perfection. I also appreciate Citra. She is compelling and grows in the second half of the novel. But Faraday and Curie are without a doubt marvelous. Layered and complex and full of morality and questions. Also Volta hit me closer this time around.

All in all, one of the best if not the best novel I have ever read. It improves with reread and I believe I will be rereading it for many, many years to come and getting more each time. I cannot recommend it more highly!

Read May 2018

"Numbness is a mere purgatory of gray."-Rowan, Pg. 239

That ending though! The only thing that keeps this book from perfection is that there were some grammatical errors and things that an editor should have found. I loved the worldbuilding, Thunderhead and the Scythes. Worldviews. The Tones. It is so meticulously planned and thought through. I love it.

The characters arcs and changes throughout were beautiful and at times unprictable. I loved Citra, Rowan, Volta, Faraday and Currie. All of them have my heart and I want Currie as my kickbutt mother.

I loved the philosophy and arguments on two ends of a coin. I liked that each scythe had different methods and thoughts. I liked that they were all named after famous people.

"Death made the whole world kin. Rowan wondered if a world without death would then make everyone strangers."

"Rowan would find a way to make sense of the senseless."

"The ones who would most refuse to kill are the ones who should."-Faraday

"Immortality has turned us all into cartoons.”