Synopsis: (Back cover)
In a world where humanity has conquered death, disease, and war, the problem is no longer survival, but overpopulation. To maintain balance, there exists the Order of the Scythe, a group of reapers tasked with permanently eliminating people.

Citra Terranova and Rowan Damisch are two teenagers chosen as apprentice reapers, an honor neither of them wants. Under the guidance of the relentless Scythe Faraday, they must learn the rules of a profession that demands cold-bloodedness and unshakable morality. However, their training hides a terrible condition: only one of them can become a reaper; the other must die.

As Citra and Rowan struggle to preserve their humanity, they will discover that even in a perfect society, ambition, corruption, and abuse of power can still exist.


Personal Review:
The dystopian universe that Neal Shusterman has created for this saga is, in my opinion, very well done. At every moment, the ethics and morals of the characters shape the course of the story, which I find very interesting. It is also true that there are situations in the narrative where the opportunity to make the story more dramatic has been missed—for example, between Rowan and his best friend from school when Rowan makes a decision about his own destiny—but it is still an engaging work, with a modest beginning that gradually progresses toward a much darker place. It is a marvel if one follows the thread of discovering everything that the human being hides within and how far one can go when delving into emotions.

On the other hand, it frustrates me greatly that the flow of the story is frequently broken by inserting sections to explain the scythes’ thoughts. There are too many interruptions—almost as many as there are scenes. The work seems to be written for a film script or a theatrical play rather than a novel, and it does not allow the reader to enjoy the reading experience naturally.


About the Characters:
Citra Terranova
She is a strong, thoughtful teenager with a strong sense of justice. Although she does not want to become a reaper, she accepts the apprenticeship out of responsibility. She stands out for her empathy and her refusal to kill without an ethical reason, which leads her to question the rules of the Order of the Scythe.
Rowan Damisch
At the beginning, he is an insecure boy who is used to going unnoticed. During his training as an apprentice reaper, he becomes more serious and determined. Unlike Citra, he develops a harsher attitude, influenced by the methods used in his training.
Scythe Faraday
He is the initial mentor of Citra and Rowan. He represents the old school of reapers: he acts with respect, humility, and honor toward death. He believes that gleaning should be a solemn and just act, not a privilege. He is a key moral figure and an example of what the Order should be.
Scythe Curie
A legendary scythe, respected for her experience and ethical sense. She is firm, intelligent, and protective, and believes that reapers must preserve their humanity. She represents resistance against the corruption of the Order.
Scythe Goddard
He is the main antagonist of the book. Ambitious, cruel, and narcissistic, he enjoys the power his position gives him. He sees gleaning as a spectacle and feels no remorse when killing. He embodies corruption, abuse of power, and a complete lack of ethics within the Order.
The Thunderhead
It is the artificial intelligence that governs the world. Although it is not a human character, it is highly important to the story. It is responsible for maintaining peace, health, and order, but it cannot intervene in gleaning. It represents a rational and just authority, limited by human rules.


About the Narration:
The novel Scythe is written in the third person, with a narrative that mainly alternates between the points of view of Citra and Rowan. This technique allows the reader to understand the thoughts, fears, and doubts of both characters, and to see how each one faces the same conflict in different ways. The language is clear and direct, which makes the book easy to read, while also including deep reflections on life, death, and power.

Neal Shusterman combines the action typical of a young adult novel with moments of philosophical reflection, especially through the scythes’ journals, which are interspersed throughout the chapters. These passages provide different moral perspectives and help explain the evolution and corruption of the Order of the Scythe. However, from my point of view, the author overuses these texts, which interrupt the flow of reading too frequently.

As for the message, Shusterman invites readers to reflect on the use of power and the moral responsibility that comes with it. Through gleaning, he suggests that even in an apparently perfect society, ambition, injustice, and abuse of authority can arise. He also conveys the idea that technology and progress do not guarantee an ethical society if human decisions lack empathy and values.


Regarding the Story:
The story takes place in a futuristic society where humanity has achieved immortality and eliminated almost all traditional problems. However, Neal Shusterman uses this ideal setting to show that absolute progress does not necessarily imply moral improvement. Through the central conflict of the novel—the need to kill in order to maintain population balance—the author presents an ethical paradox: when death ceases to be natural, it becomes a human decision and, therefore, morally questionable.

The author’s main message revolves around the danger of power without limits. The Order of the Scythe, created to preserve balance, ends up reflecting the very flaws it seeks to prevent: corruption, abuse of authority, and personal ambition. Shusterman criticizes the idea that a system is just simply because of its structure, and argues that it is people and their values that determine its true ethics.

Regarding the author’s ideology, a humanistic and critical stance can be perceived. Shusterman emphasizes the importance of empathy, individual responsibility, and the ability to question established norms. Through characters such as Citra and the scythes of the old guard, the author suggests that moral disobedience may be necessary when laws cease to be just. He also shows distrust toward the glorification of violence and warns about the risks of delegating complex ethical decisions to rigid or dehumanized systems of power.
 

Final Thoughts:
If I have to focus on this first installment of the Arc of the Scythe series, I would rate it as “good, but improvable,” due to aspects I’ve already mentioned, such as the narrative interruptions or that cinematic-script feel, which disrupt my reading and break my concentration. Setting that aside, I find it an interesting and well-written work. It is very clear that Neal Shusterman has worked tirelessly on his story, something I greatly appreciate in novelists. For that reason, I’m willing to give it the benefit of the doubt and will continue reading the series, because I am fascinated by his use of emotions, thoughts, and actions in the characters to tell their story.


Rating: 7 / 10