Scythe is a young-adult dystopian novel written by Neal Shusterman. It is the first book in a trilogy. The novel is set in a futuristic society in which natural death and disease have been eliminated, resulting in the only way to die is to be killed by Scythes, members of a selective group tasked to keep the world’s population from growing too high. The novel follows Citra and Rowan, two teenagers chosen as apprentices to a Scythe. They must learn the art of taking lives in order to keep their own.
Scythe is a truly compelling YA novel. The story is clever, with many twists that surprise the reader without creating plot holes or coming too far out of left field. One of the primary pros of this book is the world building, which is deep and well thought out while still naturally fitting into the story. Scythe doesn’t shy away from darker and thought-provoking themes, in spite of its quick pace. I highly recommend this book to anyone, not just young-adult or dystopian readers. I rate it 5 stars.