Scythe (#1 of Arc of a Scythe)
Neal Shusterman, 7/10
‘Without the threat of suffering, we can’t experience True Joy’
‘Thou shalt kill’: In this post-modern world, the threats of poverty, hunger and disease are non-existent; With the evolution of the cloud, a new conscious entity, ‘the Thunderhead’, has developed, eradicating need for mechanical labour, jobs or research. Thus a cruel irony emerges, where the extinction of the prominent mortal problems has inadvertently lead to a dystopian lack of purpose in this faux-utopia. Living independently of the Thunderhead’s government, Scythes are the instrument of death in this ‘immortal’ world; the responsibility of curbing the increasing population lies solely on their shoulders. They must abide by 10 founding commandments, which were created to eradicate bias and ensure a perpetual peace within their world.
Their compassion and the initial reluctance toward their fate ironically dictates the futures of teenagers Rowan and Citra, who are subject to apprenticeship under the Honorable Scythe Faraday. Discouraged from a romantic relationship, the pair are determined to strive for ordainment, and their narrative unfolds slowly in 448 pages of thrill, plot and blood.
Neal Shusterman writes in a compounding style, using supporting characters and scenes to slowly build suspense. He particularly uses relationships between supporting characters and main characters to establish a resounding empathy between the character and us, the readers. Shusterman uses internal monologue effectively to establish a sense of familiarity, and allow us to feel connected to the characters and their thoughts. The oxymoronic theme of a dystopian utopia resonates and connects with our world, depicting the potential cons of immortality, further suggesting a need for awareness around technological advancement. The use of journal inputs from various characters is a unique way to establish the setting and gives depth to the characters and their actions. However, I feel that Rowan and Citra’s apprenticeship was drawn out for too long, especially with the outcome being all too predictable. Additionally I feel that we didn’t really see WHY Rowan and Citra were so connected, which ultimately diluted the plot and the depth of their relationship.
