Scythe
by Neal Shusterman
★ Top 25 book of 2016 · #12 on Best Books of 2016
In a world that has defeated hunger, disease, and even death, scythes alone may end lives to control population. Citra and Rowan are chosen as apprentices to the role, though neither wants it, and failure could cost them everything.
Best for: Teen and adult readers who enjoy dystopian worlds with high moral stakes
Scythe is #12 on BookWard's Best Books of 2016, out of 68 2016 books that cleared our data bar.
What Scythe is about
In a far future where disease, hunger and even death have been virtually conquered, a kindly artificial intelligence called the Thunderhead runs a united Earth. One job it leaves to people: the Scythes, who take lives on purpose so that the population stays in balance. They call it gleaning, and it is meant to echo the way death once arrived on its own.
Sixteen-year-old Citra Terranova and Rowan Damisch never wanted any part of this. Both are chosen as apprentices to Scythe Michael Faraday, and both know that failing could cost them their own lives. Then a rival Scythe who relishes the work begins pushing for something far crueler. Shusterman uses the setup to ask what a perfect world costs, who should hold the power to kill, and what it does to a person. It suits teen and adult readers who like dark, suspenseful ideas that linger.
Scythe on the Best Books of 2016
Scythe came out in 2016. Of the 68 books first published in 2016 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #12 on our Best Books of 2016 list.
Why it made the list: 754 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (30 ratings); 38 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 2016 list
- Deep Work Cal Newport, #10
- Crooked Kingdom Leigh Bardugo, #11
- Ego Is the Enemy Ryan Holiday, #13
- The Way I Used to Be Amber Smith, #14
See all Best Books of 2016 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 2015 Best Books of 2017.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 665 want to read it, 38 are reading it now and 51 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.3 out of 5 from 30 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 74 | 55% |
| Reader love | 79 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 72 | 20% |
Questions about Scythe
When was Scythe published?
Scythe by Neal Shusterman was first published in 2016.
Was Scythe one of the best books of 2016?
Scythe is #12 on BookWard's Best Books of 2016, out of 68 2016 books that cleared our data bar. 754 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (30 ratings); 38 are reading it right now.
Why is Scythe on the Best Books of 2016 list?
754 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.3 out of 5 (30 ratings); 38 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 2016
- It Ends with Us Colleen Hoover, #1
- Dog Man Dav Pilkey, #2
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Mark Manson, #3
- Never Split the Difference Chris Voss, #4
- The Hidden Oracle Rick Riordan, #5
- Born a Crime Trevor Noah, #6
See the full Best Books of 2016, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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