Arc of a Scythe

by Neal Shusterman

"Thou shalt kill." Death conquered. Immortality achieved. Scythes control population by gleaning. Citra and Rowan apprentice in the art of killing. Shusterman's dystopian thriller: Printz Honor, Time 100 Best YA. Universal film. Compared to Hunger Games.

The Arc of a Scythe is a chilling YA dystopian series by National Book Award-winning author, Neal Shusterman. The books are set in a world without hunger, disease or war, in a future where humanity has even conquered death. The Scythes are the only ones who can end a life and are tasked with controlling the size of the population. But for Citra and Rowan - two teens apprenticed to be scythes against their will - this perfect world comes with a heavy price, as they have to master the art of killing. Only one will be chosen as the Scythe, and the other will face execution from his or her opponent.

In the far future, death, disease, and unhappiness have been virtually eliminated due to advances in technology, and a benevolent artificial intelligence known as the Thunderhead peacefully governs a united Earth. To replicate natural death and keep population growth in check, a group of humans known as Scythes are mandated to kill. Author Neal Shusterman had written multiple teen dystopia fiction novels and wanted to create something that was a "truly perfect world" along with its consequences. He envisioned a "Jedi-like order" responsible for population control, where taking life isn't evil - it's necessary service.

The series comprises four books: Scythe (2016), Thunderhead (2018), The Toll (2019), and Gleanings (2022) - a short story collection expanding the world. Kirkus Reviews called the book "a thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning" as Shusterman made "dark tale thrusts realistic, likable teens into a surreal situation and raises deep philosophic questions". In 2021, Scythe was included on Time's list of the "100 Best YA Books of All Time," with Peter Allen Clark writing that the novel explores mortality, sacrifice, and the responsibilities of growing up, "offering young readers a thrilling and thought-provoking story."

Scythe won a Michael L. Printz Honor Book designation and was selected as Barnes & Noble's 2019 Young Adult Book Club pick. In May 2016, it was announced that Universal Pictures bought the film rights to the Arc of a Scythe series and planned to adapt Scythe, with Scott Stuber and Dylan Clark as producers and Trevor Engelson attached. Critics call it "a true successor to The Hunger Games," while readers praise Shusterman's exploration of philosophical questions: What gives life meaning if death is optional? Can mortality be ethical? When does order become tyranny?

The trilogy structure follows Citra becoming Scythe Anastasia under Curie's mentorship, gleaning with compassion while challenging corrupt "new order" scythes, and Rowan going rogue as an urban legend vigilante burning corrupt scythes. Thunderhead expands beyond Scythedom politics into the Tonist religion, "unsavories," and experimental societies, while The Toll delivers explosive conclusion with major revelations.

Perfect for readers seeking dystopian fiction asking philosophical questions, explorations of perfect worlds with dark costs, morally complex protagonists navigating impossible choices, and YA that doesn't shy from examining mortality, power, and what happens when immortality removes life's urgency.