5/5

For fans of: A.I., short story compilations, villain origin story, dystopian stories

The Big Questions:

• What genre is this in? Dystopian

• Are there any swoon-worthy characters? Sadly, no.

• Is it spicy? No

• Is it violent or gory? There are descriptions of fighting, but nothing gory

• Should I buy, borrow, or pass on this book? If you are a fan of the Arc of a Scythe series, buy it!

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.

Review: Once again, Neal Shusterman knocks it out of the park. This is probably the first collection of short stories where I loved every single one. I didn’t realize how much I missed the Scythedom universe until I read this collection and I think I am due for a re-read. All the stories fit so well in the universe. My favourite stories out of all of these were the origin stories of some familiar characters from the trilogy as well as side-stories from minor characters. There are also great stories highlighting different scythes as well as stories just showing life under the watchful eye of the Thunderhead. The stories set early in the Thunderhead’s history focusing on the transition from mortal to immortal age were so interesting as people recognize not just what they were gaining with the end of natural death, but what they were giving up. If you are a fan of the original trilogy, I can’t recommend this collection enough.