Arc of a Scythe

Neal Shusterman

In a future where humanity has conquered disease and extended life indefinitely, the world’s population is kept in balance by a secret order of “Scythes” who decide who must die. When a new apprentice is drawn into the Scythes’ code—part philosophy, part ritual, part necessity—he discovers that mercy and morality are never as simple as they seem. As the system’s ideals are tested by personal ambition and shifting loyalties, the story explores what it means to value life, who gets to define “the greater good,” and how power can hide behind compassion. Neal Shusterman blends fast-paced, thought-provoking storytelling with sharp ethical questions, creating a gripping, dystopian tale that challenges readers to rethink the cost of survival.

Neal Shusterman

Rowan and Citra are bound to the same extraordinary mission yet guided by radically different beliefs about what justice should look like. As they navigate the moral weight of the scythedom, their choices pull them into conflict—while the vast, watchful intelligence known as the Thunderhead responds in ways neither can fully predict. Blending high-stakes action with sharp ethical inquiry, this story explores consent, responsibility, and the uneasy line between mercy and control. Neal Shusterman’s signature blend of speculative imagination and character-driven tension turns every decision into a test of values, making the stakes feel personal even as the world expands beyond anything ordinary.

Neal Shusterman

In a world where toll booths are a literal gateway to the afterlife, Citra and Rowan are thrust into a deadly game of life and death. As scythes, they are tasked with the grim duty of ending lives to control the population, but the lines between good and evil blur when they are forced to glean each other. This gripping novel explores profound questions about morality, the value of life, and the corrupting nature of power, all within a society that has conquered death but created new forms of suffering. Shusterman masterfully crafts a thought-provoking narrative that challenges readers to consider the true cost of immortality.

Neal Shusterman

In this thought-provoking collection, Neal Shusterman gathers fresh, illuminating “gleanings” that range across ideas, observations, and imaginative sparks—each one inviting readers to look closer at the world and at themselves. With his signature blend of lyrical insight and speculative curiosity, Shusterman explores how stories are made, how people change, and how meaning can be found in the overlooked corners of everyday life. The book moves fluidly between reflection and invention, highlighting themes of creativity, empathy, and the quiet power of perspective. For fans of Shusterman’s inventive storytelling, these pieces offer a compelling glimpse into the mind behind the magic—without needing a single plot to hold it all together.