About the Book
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Authors:
- Neal Shusterman
- Jarrod Shusterman
- Joelle Shusterman
- Sofía Lapuente
- Michael H. Payne
- Michelle Knowlden
- David Yoon
Cover Story: Optical Illusion
The Most Deserving of Immunity: “Formidable,” “Meet Cute and Die”
The Most Deserving of a Gleaning: “A Martian Minute”
The Most Delightfully Deranged: “Never Work with Animals”
Bonus Factor: Life in Space
Anti-Bonus Factor: Awful People
Break Glass in Case Of: Scythe Withdrawal
Content Warning: In keeping with the rest of the Arc of a Scythe series, there is violence, death, and murder, including the attempted murder of an animal, in this book.
Cover Story: Optical Illusion
I continue to love how the covers in this series use scythes to create the images of Scythes. Very clever. The astronaut (?) in the forefront of this one throws me off a bit, though.
The Deal:
A collection of stories (and one poem and one transcribed conversation) set in the Arc of a Scythe universe, Gleanings gives more insight into people (often Scythes) and situations we read about, perhaps briefly, in the original trilogy, but weren’t able to fully investigate due to the flow of the main plot.
The Most Deserving of Immunity: “Formidable,” “Meet Cute and Die”
Although she wasn’t without her faults, Scythe Marie Curie fascinated me while I read the Arc of the Scythe books. “Formidable” tells a story of her early years being a Scythe; specifically, how she got started on the path to becoming known as the “Grand Dame of Death” and proved that she was someone not to be trifled with. (Spoiler alert if you’ve not read the books: She murders the last American president and all of his cabinet. But this happens 150 years before Scythe, so it’s not a spoiler for the actual books.) While I certainly don’t condone murder, there is a truly cathartic feeling to a story about crappy, obsolete, power-hungry people getting removed from the equation.
The only bit of swoon in the book, “Meet Cute and Die” is more about a young woman figuring out that she’s smarter than anyone (specifically her aunt*) has given her credit for than an actual romance. It made me laugh more than once, and the action meet-cute of the story is quite an unusual one.
*Who totally reminded me of Lady Catherine de Bourgh …
The Most Deserving of a Gleaning: “A Martian Minute”
It’s been a while since I read the entire Arc of a Scythe series, so it took me a little ways into “A Martian Minute” to realize who the story was about. It’s someone you quickly learn to hate in the trilogy, but it was more than a little fascinating to read about him as a youth, and a semi-decent person at that. It rounds out the character a bit, helping him be not such a complete bastard. That said, he’s still terrible, and I don’t feel for him at all.
The Most Delightfully Deranged: “Never Work with Animals”
Full disclosure: Ultra-violence, or violence that’s so above and beyond the frame of reality it’s obviously totally fake, makes me laugh. I don’t know what this says about me, but I’ve come to terms with it. “Never Work With Animals” isn’t ultra-violent, but it does have moments of violent ridiculousness that made me chuckle. And the premise—I don’t want to ruin it, but it’s about a Scythe who likes to glean dog owners when he wants a new pet—is a little farfetched (heh), even for the Arc of a Scythe universe. (That’s saying something!) But boy if it didn’t make me want to punch my fist in the air when I read the resolution!
Bonus Factor: Life in Space
Pretty much all of the original Arc of a Scythe trilogy takes place on Earth, but Gleanings expands humanity’s purview past the atmosphere. These stories, specifically “A Dark Curtain Rises,” have me hoping that Shusterman’s considering writing more full novels in this universe, because there are obviously more stories to tell.
Anti-Bonus Factor: Awful People
It should come as no surprise that there are terrible people, most of them Scythes, in this anthology. Thankfully, most of them get thwarted or a comeuppance finds them, but having to read about them in the first place made me grumpy. (Humanity, never change please change.)
Break Glass in Case Of: Scythe Withdrawal
I figured this was a good month to (finally) check out this collection**, given that Scythe is the FYA Book Club pick of the month. It was a great addition to the series, and it makes me want to go back and read the whole trilogy again—she says with a mirthless chuckle—but also is a great way to revisit the universe without having to find the time to actually do that.
**Never you mind that I put this in my November 2022 TBR photo …
Literary Matchmaking
If you’ve read through this whole review to get here, you’ve likely already read Shusterman’s original Arc of a Scythe trilogy, but if not …
Leigh Bardugo’s collection of in-Grishaverse folktales similarly expands and compliments the Shadow and Bone/Six of Crows stories.
And if you’re looking for additional short stories with a gruesome twist, check out this Edgar Allen Poe-inspired anthology featuring stories from the likes of Dahlia Adler and Rin Chupeco.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, but got neither a private dance party with Tom Hiddleston nor money in exchange for this review. Gleanings is available now.
I have it on hold with the NYPL. Let’s see if I can hold out until it comes in. I DO have a lot of stuff to read. But sometimes the heart wants what it wants.
Although it looks large, I read it in one evening. I think you could sneak it in. 😉