Scythe: Book Review

 

Rowen and Citra were two ordinary teens living their lives. They came into contact with scythe Faraday (in a world where there is no natural death, they have scythes to “glean” people, which means they can’t die on their own).  He couldn't make up his mind between the two prodigies. He took them both on and trained them, he would decide which one to make a scythe, at an end of year gathering called “conclave” which happens every solstice.

Scythe Faraday chose Rowen and Citra, because he knew that they would do their job the right way, and not use the power for their own self-gain or prowess. Faraday knew that Rowen and Citra wouldn’t take any joy in gleaning.  This would affect the way they gleaned as well as the way they would become scythes themselves. 

There was a lot of tension between Rowen and Citra at first, but eventually, it ironed itself out.  Scythe Faraday made it very clear that there was to be no romantic feeling between them.  It was hard for both of them at times, more so Rowen than Citra.  Both of them used the attraction between them as a grounding of sorts to make sure they weren't totally heartless.  This helped them become better Scythes, as well as remind them that they were still human.  Even though it made things harder because eventually, one would have to glean the other.       

In the Scythdom, when scythes get tired of gleaning, or it simply just got too much for them, they would self-glean.  Rowen and Citra had finished a day of training and gone to bed when another scythe came for both of them.  They were told that scythe Faraday had self -gleaned.  With Faraday gone Rowen and Citra were split up. Citra went with Scythe Curie and Rowen went with Scythe Goddard.  Scythe Curie is calm and serious about her work and does everything quickly and swiftly.  Scythe Goddard, on the other hand, is self-absorbed and feels the need for attention. He has a group of scythes around him and enjoys taking his time gleaning.  The atmosphere was different between Rowen and Citra, which made things more difficult.  Rowen became more unpredictable and Citra became more calm about what was to come.  Rowen had decided that Citra would get the role of being a scythe. Meanwhile, Citra had decided that Rowen was becoming more like Scythe Goddard, which was really Rowen’s way of rebelling against the powers that be. In the end, his rebellion keeps him human and alive. 

Rowen and Citra could always count on each other, even when things got difficult.  They were chosen and they did the best that they could, under hard circumstances.  Rowen and Citra had a relationship that sometimes, proved difficult at times but won out in the end.  Even when Citra had to glean Rowen, Rowen found a way out and got away. Through it all, they still had an unbreakable bond.