Scythe (2016) is the first installment in Neal Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe trilogy, a thought-provoking dystopian novel set in a perfected future where humanity has eradicated death, disease, and suffering. In this seemingly flawless world, the only threat to balance is overpopulation, managed by an order of professional reapers known as Scythes—the sole individuals permitted to “glean” (kill) others to maintain equilibrium. The story follows Citra Terranova and Rowan Damisch, two teenagers reluctantly apprenticed to Scythe Faraday, a compassionate mentor who teaches them the gravity of their role. As they train, they uncover deep corruption within the Scythedom, particularly embodied by the sadistic Scythe Goddard, who twists the sacred duty of gleaning into a spectacle of power.
Shusterman crafts a chilling yet philosophical narrative, exploring themes of mortality, ethics, and the consequences of absolute control. The novel’s brilliance lies in its inversion of traditional dystopian tropes—here, society is not oppressed by an external force but by its own inability to govern immortality responsibly. With razor-sharp prose and morally complex characters, Scythe challenges readers to ponder the price of eternal life and the true meaning of justice.
For similar reads, consider Unwind (2007), another of Shusterman’s explorations of ethical extremes, or The Giver (1993) by Lois Lowry for a classic take on a controlled utopia. The trilogy continues with Thunderhead (2018) and concludes in The Toll (2019), each expanding the world’s lore and stakes.
