Two stars

Fiction

Scythe

Neal Schusterman

Published: 2016

Publisher: Walker Books Ltd

Pages: 440, Paperback

‘Scythe’ by Neal Schusterman is set in a utopian world where humans have conquered poverty, various social ills, and even death. There are no diseases, people don’t die of old age—they can reset their age when they feel like it, and if they get into accidents or such, they are taken to revival centers where they are brought back to life in a few days.

However, the only habitable planet is the earth. Missions to the moon and mars have failed. And so, the population needs to be curtailed, which is why there are these groups of people known as the scythes who have the power to ‘glean’ (meaning kill) people at their own discretion. Each scythe has a quota of people whose lives they have to end within a certain time. So scythes are equally revered and feared in this world where everything is seemingly perfect.

However, though scythes are supposed to glean without bias and killing people isn’t supposed to be enjoyable, there are some corrupt ones who treat it like a hunting sport, choosing to glean in mass and loving the bloodbath. Teenagers Citra and Rowan are taken in as scythe apprentices. Following their year-long training, they are told one of them will become a scythe and the other will go back to his/her old life. But halfway into their training, it’s decided that the winner will have to glean the other.

The two, who are mutually attracted, don’t know how to deal with this new development but each is determined to save the other. They also discover that some scythes are breaking the rules, terrorizing people and killing mercilessly. The two apprentices suddenly find themselves thrust into a world where nothing is as it seems and the future of humanity is at stake.

The writing is good. The story is okay. Scythe isn’t boring but it’s not as fascinating as it could have been. I didn’t want to give up on it as I wanted to know if and how Citra and Rowan would escape their doomed fate. Things do happen that make you gasp and shudder but these are few and far between, making it a slow read.

There are all these interesting ideas about how life would be if you had everything you ever wanted and there was no conflict whatsoever. It gets you thinking but it’s not enough to keep you hooked. All in all, Scythe is forgettable but good enough for a leisurely read.