Title: Gleanings
Author: Neal Shusterman
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: November 8, 2022
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Summary
The world of the Scythedom has an infinite number of stories to tell that the Arc of a Scythe series didn’t cover. There are large periods of time where humanity was living with immortality, with only scythes as population control. There are bound to be a lot of different stories to come with that.
With a variety of collaborators, Neal Shusterman presents a series of stories chronicling different eras of the Scythedom. Readers get to see from familiar characters, as well as be presented with new ones. See histories of beloved characters as well as get a glimpse at what’s happening around them. Expanding on the world that readers already love.
Review: Gleanings
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy of Gleanings by Neal Shusterman to review! The Scythe series is one of my most recent favorites, and I recommend it every chance I get. If you’re still looking for dystopian vibes, this is definitely a great series for you!
What I like about this short story collection is it gives Shusterman an opportunity to expand the world of the scythes. Not only do we get to hear from some favorite characters, we get new voices as well. Using short stories is a great way to add variety to the world and give us details we didn’t otherwise get in the original trilogy. I am happy Shusterman returned to this world, and would definitely read a spin-off series if he did one!
Like most short story collections, not all stories held my attention. But the one with Citra’s younger brother was great, as was the story with the dog (which was actually kind of creepy, actually). The short stories giving background on characters, like Scythe Curie, also helped to give the original series more complexity.
All in all, if you like expansions for your favorite series, you’ll love this short story collections.
4/5 stars