The Toll by Neal Shusterman

Title: The Toll (Arc of a Scythe #3)

Author: Neal Shusterman

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Pages: 640

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR; Currently Reading - So Good I Didn’t Want It to End

Citra and Rowan have disappeared. Endura is gone. It seems like nothing stands between Scythe Goddard and absolute dominion over the world scythedom. With the silence of the Thunderhead and the reverberations of the Great Resonance still shaking the earth to its core, the question remains: Is there anyone left who can stop him?

The answer lies in the Tone, the Toll, and the Thunder.

What a ride! I was a little scared going into this book after the shocking conclusion to the second book. I should not have been scared. Right away, we’re pulled right back into the storyline following all of our favorite (or hated) characters. I was excited that we get even more Greyson in this book and the introduction to another amazing character, Jeri. I couldn’t wait to see how our beloved characters would take down Goddard’s new order and restore some type of harmony to the world. And then there was the question of the Thunderhead and it’s intentions. I loved that we got to see more inner workings from the Thunderhead. I did not guess it’s ultimate goal until after Anastasia’s first message. From then, I was so excited to see how it all ended. I loved every page of this series. A must read!

Arc of a Scythe:

• #1 Scythe

• #2 Thunderhead

• #3 The Toll

Next up on the TBR pile:

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

Title: Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe #2)

Author: Neal Shusterman

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Pages: 512

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Humans learn from their mistakes. I cannot. I make no mistakes.

The Thunderhead is the perfect ruler of a perfect world, but it has no control over the scythedom. A year has passed since Rowan had gone off grid. Since then, he has become an urban legend, a vigilante snuffing out corrupt scythes in a trial by fire. His story is told in whispers across the continent.

As Scythe Anastasia, Citra gleans with compassion and openly challenges the ideals of the “new order.” But when her life is threatened and her methods questioned, it becomes clear that not everyone is open to the change.

Old foes and new enemies converge, and as corruption within the Scythedom spreads, Rowan and Citra begin to lose hope. Will the Thunderhead intervene?

Or will it simply watch as this perfect world begins to unravel?

Finally got the second volume in the trilogy after purposefully giving it some time, and I sped through it. Multiple times I audibly gasped out loud. I am so glad that Citra and Rowan didn’t completely change their entire personalities, but did show growth and change. But my favorite parts of this volume were all the entries from the Thunderhead. I loved seeing inside the all-knowing being. Its thoughts on life, death, the scythedom, and the future of life on Earth. The action kept up throughout the book forcing me to turn the pages as fast I could. So good! And that twist at the end was a killer! I can’t wait to see how this story ends.

Arc of a Scythe:

• #1 Scythe

• #2 Thunderhead

• #3 The Toll

Next up on the TBR pile:

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Title: Scythe (Arc of a Scythe #1)

Author: Neal Shusterman

Publisher: Simon & Schuster 2016

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Pages: 330

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

I finally picked this up and it was really really hard to put down at the end of the night to sleep. I was immediately right into the story and the world that Shusterman creates. I wanted to understand how a world got to the point that we join the story. I loved that eventually we got to learn more about the Thunderhead. Hope that continues throughout the other two books. As to the scythes themselves, Citra and Rowan are great lead characters. But really makes it are the side characters. Scythes Faraday, Curie, and yes, even Goddard are fascinating figures to follow. I’m glad the book doesn’t fall into the whiny teen romance trap, but focuses on the questions of the scythes and death. Definitely have to pick up the second book in the series soon.

Arc of a Scythe:

• #1 Scythe

• #2 Thunderhead

• #3 The Toll

Next up on the TBR pile:

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

Title: Challenger Deep

Author: Neal Shusterman

Publisher: HarperTeen 2016

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Pages: 320

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - 365 Days of YA; Popsugar - “Pop, Sugar, Challenge”

Caden Bosch is on a ship that's headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the southern part of the Marianas Trench.
Caden Bosch is a brilliant high school student whose friends are starting to notice his odd behavior.
Caden Bosch is designated the ship's artist in residence to document the journey with images.
Caden Bosch pretends to join the school track team but spends his days walking for miles, absorbed by the thoughts in his head.
Caden Bosch is split between his allegiance to the captain and the allure of mutiny.
Caden Bosch is torn.

This is a very rough, but compelling accurate portrayal of mental illness in a teen. I didn’t quite know what to expect when I picked this one up. I quickly dove into the abyss within Caden’s mind. As in many YA novels, the writing isn’t dense but it took me many days to finish this one as I had to take so many breaks. The subject is just so incredibly heavy. I couldn’t read more than 25 pages in one sitting. However, I found the characters so compelling. I had to keep at it to see where the story led. I’m glad I stuck with it until the end.

Next up on the TBR pile: