Title: Scythe
Author: Neal Shusterman
Series: Arc of a Scythe #1
Published: 11/22/2016
Genre: YA Science Fiction > Dystopia
Format: e-book
Length: 448 pages
Rating: 5/5 stars
“Humanity is innocent; humanity is guilty, and both states are undeniably true.”
Goodreads Overview (4.35/5 stars)
Two teens are forced to murder—maybe each other—in the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology.
In a world where disease has been eliminated, the only way to die is to be randomly killed (“gleaned”) by professional reapers (“scythes”). Citra and Rowan are teenagers who have been selected to be scythe’s apprentices, and—despite wanting nothing to do with the vocation—they must learn the art of killing and come to understand the necessity of what they do.
Only one of them will be chosen as a scythe’s apprentice. And when it becomes clear that the winning apprentice’s first task will be to glean the loser, Citra and Rowan are pitted against one another in a fight for their lives.
First Thoughts
What would our world truly be like without natural death and government?
Review
Wow, just unbelievably wow. I haven’t read a book that drew me in like this in a long while. I couldn’t put it down. This book will leave you thinking long and hard about our current society and the changes we have gone through and continue to encounter. From the politics to the overall health of the environment, things we are debating on today, the author brings to light many thought provoking situations. I felt like the romance in this novel was well done and completely not insta-love. I was worried when I started that this would become more of a mushy romance vs. a true adventure novel. I was pleasantly surprised. As my first Neal Schusterman book, I am hooked. One of my new favorite books for sure!
Characters
Citra, the main female character, was very strong headed and motivated to be the best at everything. She went through enormous character development in this first novel and I look forward to seeing her change in the second.
Rowan, the main male character, was a middle of the road kid. The “lettuce” of the family that never really stood out or did anything spectacular. Rowan is just walking through life the best he can waiting for the day he may be gleaned.
Moral of the Story/Take-away
The moral of this book is to live your life instead of just making it through it. Take time to enjoy moments with family and friends. Remember that it’s not about what you have in life, but what memories and moments you create.
Top 5 Wednesday is a great Goodreads group with a new topic each week. Check out my original post for more information! This week's Top 5 Wednesday is Books You Want to Read Before the End of the Year. Halfway through the year, and it's time to evaluate our reading goals and take a look at our TBRs for the second half of the year!
- Obsidio (The Illuminae Files #3) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
I have owned this book for quite some time now, but I haven't been in the mood for this genre. I hope to get to it by the end of 2018.
- Us Against You (Bear Town #2) by Fredrik Backman
I absolutely loved Bear Town so I am excited to get my hands on the second book and see where the characters and the town end up.
- The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
I am getting married this year, so anything to do with weddings is on my list. I have hears so many great reviews on this one.
- Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson
This sounds so interesting to me. I know it's extremely popular right now and I usually wait for the hype to die down so I don't go into books with extremely high expectations.
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Another very popular book. This one sounds so different than anything I have read.
What books are you anticipating to read for the rest of 2018? Leave some suggestions down below. I'd love to check out your favorites!
Adventure On,
Amanda
Happy #tagtuesday! I was tagged on Instagram by @growing_bookshelf to do the #daysoftheweekinbooks tag. Let me know in the comments what your week looks like.
- Monday (Too Lazy to Read): Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld – I started reading this, but I just couldn’t get myself to actually get through the book. I don’t know if I wasn’t interested, or if the 599 pages overwhelmed me and I became much too lazy to finish it.
- Tuesday (Emotionally Difficult): The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah – I shed a few tears throughout this book. I was prepared to be blown away by the story due to the hype of this book, which is very accurate. It deals with a difficult side of WWII and I think that anyone interested in historical fiction should read this one.
- Wednesday (DNF’d): Projekt 1065: A Novel of World War II by Alan Gratz and Dan Bittner – I struggled to get as far as I did through this one. The characters are never really developed and the writing is difficult for me to enjoy. I felt like the spy aspect was very overdone and I was just not feeling it.
- Thursday (Wouldn’t Recommend): After You by Jojo Moyes – I rated this one 2 stars. I just wasn’t impressed with it. I really enjoyed the first book in the series Me Before You, but this book just wasn’t necessary to me. I was excited and anxious to read the next installment, but I was sadly disappointed.
- Friday (Anticipated Release): Wildcard by Marie Lu – I enjoyed Warcross and I am excited to see where Emika goes next. Warcross left on such a huge cliff hanger, that I NEED to know what happens next. (release date: September 18,2018)
- Saturday (Can’t Wait to Read): Never Fade (The Darkest Minds #2) by Alexandra Braken – I loved The Darkest Minds and I really want to see what happens in this world. The abilities are intriguing and the missions are intense. I just finished The Darkest Minds this year and I can’t wait to read the second one.
- Sunday (Didn’t Want to End): Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling – Now this might seem cliché, but I honestly wish we could get another story in this world. I know we keep getting spin offs, but I’d love to see more of Hogwarts or even the other schools. I just really miss this world. This is the only book/series I have re-read multiple times.
Adventure On,
Amanda
I was tagged on Instagram to do the #toptenfictionalcharacters tag. I decided I would list more details for the tag here as well as my list on Instagram. Let’s get started, in no particular order.
- Hermione Granger – Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
- Hermione will forever be my favorite character. She is strong, intelligent, and a bit quirky. I love how much she cares for her friends and all the people of the wizarding world as well as the muggles.
- Katniss Everdeen – The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Katniss hooked me when she volunteered for her sister. My sister is my everything and I would do the same thing for her as Katniss did for her sister. I love how strong she is even in the worst situations. She is also very real and emotional when she can and should be.
- Don Tillman – The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
- Don was such a fun character. His analytical mind trying to mix with love and life was hilarious and relatable. I loved both books in this duology and I miss this character all the time.
- Augustus Waters – The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
- Augustus is the ideal character dealing with the not ideal situation. His outlook on life, even when his isn't promised, made me feel hope for the future. The way he took care of Hazel was heartwarming.
- June Iparis – Legend by Marie Lu
- June was a loveable character. She was out to do whatever it took to make things right. I loved her energy and the ability to see what was actually happening versus what 'they' wanted her to think was happening.
- Alice Cullen – Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
- Alice, oh Alice. I don't know what to say about her. I could go on and on about how awesome was as a friend, sister, daughter, vampire, ect. I loved her character through the entire series. And yes, I am not shy to say I loved Twilight when I first read it and I am glad to have enjoyed it during my early reading years.
- Scout Finch – To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee
- Scout has been a favorite character of mine since I read this book in junior high. She was so determined to prove how strong and lovable she was.
- Newt Scamander – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling
- Newt is just hilarious. He is so blunt and has a strong will for his work. I love that he was so adventurous.
- Percy Jackson – Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
- Percy was a fun character to watch develop. He wasn't necessarily the best at everything, but he made the best of the situation he was in. His friendships were to die for and I loved his personality throughout the series.
- Scythe Anastasia – Scythe by Neal Shusterman
- Anastasia (Citra) was a fun character. I recently read this book and I loved her development throughout the book. She was so shy and grew into a wonderful leader.
Here are some honorable mentions with some of my favorite Disney characters.
- Woody – Toy Story
- Ralph – Wreck It Ralph
- Olaf - Frozen
What are some of your favorite characters? If you haven't done so, take some time to do this tag as well and comment your link below so I can check it out!
Adventure On,
Amanda
Title: Hunted
Author: Meagan Spooner
Published: 03/14/2017
Genre: YA Fantasy Retelling
Format: Audiobook
Length: 9 hours (384 pages)
Rating: 4/5 stars
“There’s no such thing as living happily ever after – there’s only living. We make the choice to do it happily.”
Goodreads Overview (3.93/5 stars)
Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them.
So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance.
Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?
First Thoughts
How did I miss all of the craziness in the Disney story?
Review
OK, so I have to give myself a break, I watched the Disney movies in a totally different state of mind. And, as this is a retelling, things are very different and much more obvious. Throughout the book, there was tension and haste towards life and its meanings. A few strong points that stuck out to me during this retelling were Stockholm Syndrome and bestiality. I didn’t really recognize these things in the original Disney version of Beauty and the Beast, but man did it stick out like a sore thumb here (more towards the end than anything). This retelling is a mix of Beauty and the Beast and Russian folk tales and I loved the combination of both. I was disappointed in the ending and felt it was so rushed. I believe the beginning could have happened faster and then allowed for a smoother wrap up at the end. Overall I would definitely recommend to both lovers of retellings and those not so fond of them.
Characters
Yeva, nicknamed “Beauty”, is a strong woman with a love for the wild. She is supposed to be a proper young lady ready to marry a man courted to her. She loves to hunt and is more of a tomboy than the fine princess she is destined to be.
The Beast, nicknamed “Eovan”, is a sheltered and miserable beast. I was confused during most of the story when they referred to “we” instead of “I”, but with no spoilers, you will figure out why. He doesn’t have too much to say throughout the book, but his small parts really have an impact.
Moral of the Story/Take-away
The moral of this retelling is different than that of the original. I gathered that there’s nothing magical that will make you happy, no man/person will make you happy, and no amount of money will make you happy. You are the only one that can make you happy and the choices you make daily strongly affect that.
