Like all Shusterman novels this is engaging, unique and accessible. I flew through the 435 pages in less than a week, a new record for me. Neal Shusterman begins this series by envisioning a near future where death has been eliminated for humankind. To keep the population to bearable numbers society tolerates and has codified "Scythes" who randomly select people for permanent death. The novel has everything from action to romance but most importantly it has really good philosophical underpinnings challenging the reader which are in no way high-falutin' or moralistic. Mr. Shusterman does a terrific job at simply putting forth the ideas and letting you decide. What happens to humanity when we no longer fear death? There is "ultimate power ultimately corrupts" of course but many of the ideas are far more subtle than that. I really loved this story, as I do with all of Shusterman's writing, which I find fresh and different. It is nice to see him consistently producing strong books. So many futuristic books focus on the tech, which can push non-Scifi readers away. Shusterman gets it right by keeping the focus on the people, and how their world changes who they are (or doesn't). Bravo. Worthy of the Printz Honor and other praises heaped upon it.
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