Home › Dystopian › Scythe
  • Scythe by Neal Shusterman book cover
  • Scythe by Neal Shusterman book cover
1 2

Scythe

by Neal Shusterman

Be the first to review this book

Apprenticeship in a world beyond death

$21.01 USD
$35.02 USD $21.01 USD
Save 40%

Hardcover New

Format

Print BookCurrently viewing Hardcover $21.01 USD$35.02 USD
Print BookAvailable Hardcover $23.48 USD$39.14 USD
Delivery to your door
In stock·Dispatches in 1–2 business days
Standard shipping* from $4.35
Standard shipping transit* 5–8 business days after dispatch

Faster options are available.

Rates and delivery estimates depend on your destination and item quantity. Estimates are informational only; the final shipping method and rate are selected at checkout.
Secure checkout
American Express Apple Pay DiscoverGoogle Pay Mastercard PayPalVisa
30-day eligible returns Returns & refunds policy

Awards & Recognition

  • Award recognition

    Printz Honor

    The source identifies Scythe as a Printz Honor-winning book.

  • Editorial selection

    A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021)

    Selected as a Best YA Book of All Time.

  • Author recognition

    National Book Award-winning author

    The source describes Neal Shusterman as a National Book Award-winning author.

AlbakiReads Editorial

Apprenticeship in a world beyond death

In the world of Scythe, humanity has overcome disease, hunger, war—and death. Population is controlled by scythes, whose assigned role is to end lives. Citra and Rowan are selected to apprentice to one, though neither wants the position. Their training brings the task of taking life into the center of a society that has otherwise eliminated it, while the stakes of apprenticeship make their own futures uncertain. The setup connects a speculative premise to questions about who holds the power to decide when a life ends and what costs may accompany an apparently perfected society. As the first book in the Arc of a Scythe series, it establishes this conflict through the two teens’ shared apprenticeship.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Teen and young adult readers interested in dystopian fiction.
  • Readers drawn to speculative worlds that explore mortality and population control.
  • Readers interested in stories centered on two young people facing a shared, unwanted responsibility.

Themes

MortalityPower over life and deathPopulation controlThe cost of a seemingly perfect society

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

ATimeBest YA Book of All Time (2021)

Two teens must learn the "art of killing" in this Printz Honor-winning book, the first in the chilling, New York Timesbestselling Arc of a Scythe series from National Book Award-winning authorNeal Shusterman.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered them all...even death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life, and they are commanded to do so in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe--a role that neither wants. These teens must master the "art" of taking life, knowing that failure could mean losing their own. The more they train, the more Citra and Rowan learn that a perfect world comes with a heavy price.
Shipping & returnsShipping options, delivery timing, and our return policy.

In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews

You may also like

View all