Neal Shusterman’s Thunderhead is the second book in the Arc of a Scythe. Over a year has passed since the two scythes apprentice scythes went their separate ways. Exiled and hunted, Rowan has gone off the grid. Under the alias of Scythe Lucifer, he gleans scythes that have violated the moral traditions. Meanwhile, Citra has taken on the mantel of Scythe Anastasia, gleaning with such kindness and compassion that it attracts the attention of her peers. As both characters use opposing methods to reform the corruption within the Scythedom, new and old enemies rise stirring new trouble.
Although Citra and Rowan receive the most attention, some new characters are introduced, enhancing and expanding the story.
Having trained under the caring Scythe Faraday and the radical Scythe Goddard, Rowan is now a force to be reckoned with. Like his Scythe Faraday, he thoroughly researches his victims, finding all their faults and misdeeds before making a judgement. Then, with his physical prowess and intelligence, kills the older scythes that no longer uphold the Scythedoms rules of compassion. He continues his murder tirade until he realizes that death is not the best way to bring about change.
Having trained under Scythe Faraday and Grand Dame of Death Scythe Curie, Citra has become an extremely compassionate scythe. With confidence and compassion, she devises a new way of gleaning that allows her victims more control over their death. Her actions begin to attract attention, both from her fellow junior scythes and from her higher-ups. She quickly becomes somewhat of an icon and a model for compassion scythes who still want to uphold the traditions of their forbearers. However, she has her own trials and tribulations to overcome as she works within the scythedom to challenge the New Order.
Graysen is one of our brand new characters. Born to parents who cared more about having kids than raising them, the Thunderhead became a parent to him, the only person who seemed to care about him. As a result, he grew up devoted to the Thunderhead. He is willing to do anything for it, even if it takes him to dark, unfamiliar places.
Thunderhead, like Scythe is a slow build. The book instantly catches you interest from page one, and then drops little bits of uneasy to reel you in. Although the pacing stays relatively constant throughout the book, the story never feels boring. There is a slow yet constant build of unease and increase in tension, keeping you locked into the book until everything boils over.
Unlike Scythe, which had a main focus on the scythes, Thunderhead adds new characters to expand the world Neal Shusterman created. Through Graysen, we get the insight of an average person and an average life compared to the inherently remarkable life of scythes. Part of Graysen’s story arc is delving past the point of normalcy to some of the darker, less seen aspects of this future utopia, allowing readers to truly gain a deeper, more complete understanding of the world.
The Thunderhead contributes to this increased understanding tremendously, altering his passive status in Scythe to a more active one. As with all AIs, the Thunderhead walks a fine line between being a calming, assuring presence and an absolutely terrifying one, often creating a disconcerting feeling. As its feelings of concern for the world and our main protagonists grows, we want to trust it, but its growing interference in the events of the story only remind the you that this Artificial Intelligence is omnipresent and extremely powerful.
I give this 504 page book 4.5 stars.
Arc of a Scythe
Humanity has finally conquered hunger, famine, disease, and death. Now death is left in the hands of the Scythes, a group of humans commanded to control the population