Scythe

This book surprised me! I finished it in three days.

I loved the characters of Scythe Faraday and Scythe Curie, but especially Faraday. I love how unpredictable he is sometimes, and every one of his moments is very memorable.

I don't think I will forget the scene where a naughty kid is so triumphant when he sneaks a kiss on Faraday's ring (which grants him immunity for a year), and then is immediately horrified when Scythe tells him, "Congratulations, you get immunity for a year. And when that time is up, I'll be showing up at your house." That's not the complete phrasing, but something like that. Or those scenes where Faraday commands Citra and Rowan to do something, and they refuse, and then he reveals it was actually a test. It got kind of old the second time, but they are still memorable scenes. Or when one chapter ends with Faraday saying hopefully, "Maybe things will change." Maybe things will get better. And then...The next chapter starts, and Scythe Faraday is declared dead.He was sort of unpredictable (or at least intended to be unpredictable), and I liked it a lot. Now, the romance was so forced and silly in the beginning, and questionable in the middle, but at the end it was satisfying.

At first, the book made me think about death. Regardless of our differences, all humans–us–we have the same destination, and that is the grave. The book made me think about that. It led me to decide that our short lifespans are actually blessings, because they make us think. They motivate us, and they make us more greatful about our existence. They make us seek truth and purpose, and they can lead us to the real truth and real purpose. In a world of immortality, all of these things are lost.

But then, as the book goes on, it kind of makes you numb to death. Of course, the main characters protest mass killings, but there are still a lot of violent deaths described very casually. I guess, in the context and entire plot of the book (and considering its length), this dilution of emotion is an unavoidable effect. I still think that the book is great.