Plot
270 years after the Mortal Age, teenagers Citra Terranova and Rowan Damisch each meet Scythe Michael Faraday, both of whom he chooses to become his apprentices. They then live with Faraday and learn Scythe laws and customs, ways of gleaning, and how to determine who to glean.
A few months later, Faraday takes his apprentices to the Triennial Regional Conclave of Scythes, where Scythedom policies are discussed and various ceremonies are performed. At each Conclave, apprentices are tested; the first test is on knowledge. When Citra is asked what her greatest wrongdoing was, Scythe Marie Curie deems her to be lying. Rowan intentionally fails his question so that he remains on the same level as Citra. Scythe Ayn Rand objects to Scythe Faraday training two apprentices simultaneously, and High Blade Xenocrates decides that only one can become a Scythe, and whomever is chosen will glean the other.
Soon after the conclave, Citra and Rowan are informed that Faraday self-gleaned (died by suicide). The Scythedom believes that Faraday chose to end his life to free them from their apprenticeships, but Citra believes he was murdered. Citra and Rowan are separated and taken on by other Scythes: Citra by Scythe Curie, and Rowan by Scythe Goddard. They do not meet again until the next Conclave, where they are tested by fighting each other. Both apprentices attempt to throw the match, but then Rowan is disqualified for rendering Citra "dead-ish" (fatally injured but able to be revived.)
While Citra works to solve the mystery of what really happened to Scythe Faraday, Rowan's morals are put to the test as he experiences Scythe Goddard's extravagant lifestyle and harsh training. Goddard enjoys killing and stages mass gleanings with his junior Scythes, especially targeting "Tonists," an anti-Scythe religious group.
At the next conclave, the apprentices are given a final test. Although both Citra and Rowan pass, Citra becomes the newest Scythe and chooses Anastasia Romanov as her Patron Historic. Her first assignment is to glean Rowan. However, she "accidentally" grants him immunity for a year, and he escapes the conclave. In the epilogue, Scythe Anastasia remarks on the recent stories of Scythe Lucifer, a rogue Scythe who hunts down corrupt and unworthy Scythes.
Reception
Michael Berry of Common Sense Media gave the book four stars out of five, calling it a "chilling concept fuels sci-fi thriller about life and death." [2] 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". [3] Andrea Brown of Publishers Weekly described it as "powerful tale is guaranteed to make readers think deeply". [4]
In 2019, the book was selected as the Barnes & Noble Young Adult Book Club pick. [5] 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." [6]
Adaptation
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. [7] In April 2017, Josh Campbell and Matt Stuecken, the writers of 10 Cloverfield Lane , were hired to adapt the book into a screenplay. [8] [9] Television writer Sera Gamble originally wrote the script, but left in 2020 and was replaced by Gary Dauberman. In November 2022, the project began redrafting with a new writer, with filmmaker Steven Spielberg becoming involved. [10] In March 2024, however, Shusterman reported on his TikTok account that Scythe would instead be produced as a TV show with Universal.
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