Gleanings
NEAL SHUSTERMAN, OTHERS
(Anthology following the Arc of a Scythe trilogy)
Synopsis:
There are still countless tales of the Scythedom to tell. Centuries passed between the Thunderhead cradling humanity and Scythe Goddard trying to turn it upside down. For years humans lived in a world without hunger, disease, or death with Scythes as the living instruments of population control.
Neal Shusterman—along with collaborators David Yoon, Jarrod Shusterman, Sofía Lapuente, Michael H. Payne, Michelle Knowlden, and Joelle Shusterman—returns to the world throughout the timeline of the Arc of a Scythe series. Discover secrets and histories of characters you’ve followed for three volumes and meet new heroes, new foes, and some figures in between.
Gleanings shows just how expansive, terrifying, and thrilling the world that began with the Printz Honor–winning Scythe truly is.
My rating: ★★★★
Categories: YA, dystopian (other), anthology, science fiction
Content:
Language: Some swear words throughout, with "b" being the strongest used
Violence: If you've read the Arc of a Scythe trilogy, you know that these books are pretty violent. The anthology revolves around Scythes and the "gleanings" (or killings) they commit. Each Scythe has their own method, so various types of deaths are accounted in the anthology. Poisoning, martial arts, falling from heights, mass killings, stabbing, etc are all mentioned and described, though usually not very graphically.
Sex: A few mentions of the Scythe commandment to have "neither spouse nor spawn," but sex is allowed. Some kisses and one instance where it is implied the characters sleep together.
LGBTQ: One of the stories features a gay male MC falling in love with another man and mentioning past boyfriends.
My Review (the short version): I was given a free digital ARC in exchange for my review, so the large block of text below is for that. If you want to short version of my review, here it is.
I loved being pulled back into the world of the Arc of a Scythe trilogy and was so thrilled to see the backstories of some characters from the series. Unique and interesting choices were made to expand the world, and most of the stories were actually really good (doesn't always happen in anthologies).
Although I was left without some closure at the trilogy's end, I still recommend the series as a unique dystopian read!
My Review:
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A few years ago, I read a book called Scythe. And I absolutely loved it. In the following sequels, the world-building continued and I was in awe of how the author had made such a unique dystopian world. I loved the heroes and hated the villains, but something about The Toll (the final book in the trilogy) left me unsatisfied. So I was overjoyed when I realized there was anthology coming out about one of the most interesting dystopian worlds there is.
And I was left wanting once again on the same note as before. Is it too much to ask that I get a story about Rowan and Citra? Preferably a happy one? I need SOME closure!
Besides that, I did really enjoy the anthology. There were some stories (like the "Never Work with Animals" one) that almost made me put the book down, but most of the other ones were excellent. The world was expanded on further and once again, I was astounded by the intricate and unique choices made by the authors. These are short stories, and yet I came to know and care about each of the characters introduced.
My favorite ones were "A Martian Minute" (love the twist, but saw it coming) and "A Death of Many Colors." I honestly wish there had been more stories in the anthology (and not ones that waste space like "Never Work with Animals"—please!). It reminded me why I fell in love with the Arc of a Scythe series in the first place.