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Arc of a Scythe #3.5
Gleanings
The New York Times bestselling Arc of the Scythe series continues with “captivating…thrilling” ( School Library Journal ) stories that span the timeline. Storylines continue. Origin stories are revealed. And new Scythes emerge!
There are still countless tales of the Scythedom to tell. Centuries passed between the Thunderhead cradling humanity and Scythe Goddard trying to turn it upside down. For years, humans lived in a world without hunger, disease, or death with Scythes as the living instruments of population control.
Neal Shusterman—along with collaborators David Yoon, Jarrod Shusterman, Sofía Lapuente, Michael H. Payne, Michelle Knowlden, and Joelle Shusterman—returns to the world throughout the timeline of the Arc of a Scythe series. Discover secrets and histories of characters you’ve followed for three volumes and meet new heroes, new foes, and some figures in between.
Gleanings shows just how expansive, terrifying, and thrilling the world that began with the Printz Honor–winning Scythe truly is.
There are still countless tales of the Scythedom to tell. Centuries passed between the Thunderhead cradling humanity and Scythe Goddard trying to turn it upside down. For years, humans lived in a world without hunger, disease, or death with Scythes as the living instruments of population control.
Neal Shusterman—along with collaborators David Yoon, Jarrod Shusterman, Sofía Lapuente, Michael H. Payne, Michelle Knowlden, and Joelle Shusterman—returns to the world throughout the timeline of the Arc of a Scythe series. Discover secrets and histories of characters you’ve followed for three volumes and meet new heroes, new foes, and some figures in between.
Gleanings shows just how expansive, terrifying, and thrilling the world that began with the Printz Honor–winning Scythe truly is.
423 pages, Hardcover
First published November 8, 2022
About the author
Neal Shusterman
86 books27.7k followersAward-winning author Neal Shusterman grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he began writing at an early age. After spending his junior and senior years of high school at the American School of Mexico City, Neal went on to UC Irvine, where he made his mark on the UCI swim team, and wrote a successful humor column. Within a year of graduating, he had his first book deal, and was hired to write a movie script.
In the years since, Neal has made his mark as a successful novelist, screenwriter, and television writer. As a full-time writer, he claims to be his own hardest task-master, always at work creating new stories to tell. His books have received many awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, as well as garnering a myriad of state and local awards across the country. Neal's talents range from film directing (two short films he directed won him the coveted CINE Golden Eagle Awards) to writing music and stage plays – including book and lyrical contributions to “American Twistory,” which is currently playing in Boston. He has even tried his hand at creating Games, having developed three successful "How to Host a Mystery" game for teens, as well as seven "How to Host a Murder" games.
As a screen and TV writer, Neal has written for the "Goosebumps" and “Animorphs” TV series, and wrote the Disney Channel Original Movie “Pixel Perfect”. Currently Neal is adapting his novel Everlost as a feature film for Universal Studios.
Wherever Neal goes, he quickly earns a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. Much of his fiction is traceable back to stories he tells to large audiences of children and teenagers -- such as his novel The Eyes of Kid Midas. As a speaker, Neal is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give Neal a unique approach to writing. Neal's novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor.
Of Everlost, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman has reimagined what happens after death and questions power and the meaning of charity. While all this is going on, he has also managed to write a rip-roaring adventure…”
Of What Daddy Did, Voice of Youth Advocates wrote; "This is a compelling, spell-binding story... A stunning novel, impossible to put down once begun.
Of The Schwa Was Here, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman's characters–reminiscent of those crafted by E. L. Konigsburg and Jerry Spinelli–are infused with the kind of controlled, precocious improbability that magically vivifies the finest children's classics.
Of Scorpion Shards, Publisher's Weekly wrote: "Shusterman takes an outlandish comic-book concept, and, through the sheer audacity and breadth of his imagination makes it stunningly believable. A spellbinder."
And of The Eyes of Kid Midas, The Midwest Book Review wrote "This wins our vote as one of the best young-adult titles of the year" and was called "Inspired and hypnotically readable" by School Library Journal.
Neal Shusterman lives in Southern California with his children Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle, and Erin, who are a constant source of inspiration!
In the years since, Neal has made his mark as a successful novelist, screenwriter, and television writer. As a full-time writer, he claims to be his own hardest task-master, always at work creating new stories to tell. His books have received many awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, as well as garnering a myriad of state and local awards across the country. Neal's talents range from film directing (two short films he directed won him the coveted CINE Golden Eagle Awards) to writing music and stage plays – including book and lyrical contributions to “American Twistory,” which is currently playing in Boston. He has even tried his hand at creating Games, having developed three successful "How to Host a Mystery" game for teens, as well as seven "How to Host a Murder" games.
As a screen and TV writer, Neal has written for the "Goosebumps" and “Animorphs” TV series, and wrote the Disney Channel Original Movie “Pixel Perfect”. Currently Neal is adapting his novel Everlost as a feature film for Universal Studios.
Wherever Neal goes, he quickly earns a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. Much of his fiction is traceable back to stories he tells to large audiences of children and teenagers -- such as his novel The Eyes of Kid Midas. As a speaker, Neal is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give Neal a unique approach to writing. Neal's novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor.
Of Everlost, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman has reimagined what happens after death and questions power and the meaning of charity. While all this is going on, he has also managed to write a rip-roaring adventure…”
Of What Daddy Did, Voice of Youth Advocates wrote; "This is a compelling, spell-binding story... A stunning novel, impossible to put down once begun.
Of The Schwa Was Here, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman's characters–reminiscent of those crafted by E. L. Konigsburg and Jerry Spinelli–are infused with the kind of controlled, precocious improbability that magically vivifies the finest children's classics.
Of Scorpion Shards, Publisher's Weekly wrote: "Shusterman takes an outlandish comic-book concept, and, through the sheer audacity and breadth of his imagination makes it stunningly believable. A spellbinder."
And of The Eyes of Kid Midas, The Midwest Book Review wrote "This wins our vote as one of the best young-adult titles of the year" and was called "Inspired and hypnotically readable" by School Library Journal.
Neal Shusterman lives in Southern California with his children Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle, and Erin, who are a constant source of inspiration!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,793 reviews
December 29, 2022
hey babe wake up a new scythe book is dropping
December 27, 2022
3.75 AHHHHH THIS WAS SUCH A BLAST!!! Scythe has been my favorite dystopian series since I was in middle school, so diving back into new content from this fascinating world was SO fun and nostalgic for me. While I definitely enjoyed some stories more than others, overall I had such a positive reading experience with this and it made me really want to reread the series for the umpteenth time.
My only complaint would probably be the lack of the main characters here. I miss Citra and Rowan so deeply and would have loved to see more of them than just small cameos and mentions throughout. I understand that ‘Gleanings’ was just meant to be tales from the Scythe world, but pleaseeee at least give me Scythe Rand and Tyger? Or Grayson and Jerico?? I’m on my knees here 😭.
I was really happy to see Scythe Curie have her time to shine in this collection though, as well as Goddard’s (much needed) villain origin story. Overall, this collection vastly exceeded my expectations. Do I love it as much as the original trilogy? No, but I still enjoyed it immensely; even the stories with no recognizable characters were brilliant and even jaw-dropping at times, so if you’re as obsessed with the world of Scythe as much as I am, I think you’ll really enjoy it!!
(My favorites (in no particular order) were ‘Formidable’, ‘A Martian Minute’, ‘The Mortal Canvas’, ‘The Persistence of Memory’, ‘Anastasia’s Shadow’, and ‘A Dark Curtain Rises’… but especially ‘A Dark Curtain Rises’… totally did not almost cry…)
My only complaint would probably be the lack of the main characters here. I miss Citra and Rowan so deeply and would have loved to see more of them than just small cameos and mentions throughout. I understand that ‘Gleanings’ was just meant to be tales from the Scythe world, but pleaseeee at least give me Scythe Rand and Tyger? Or Grayson and Jerico?? I’m on my knees here 😭.
I was really happy to see Scythe Curie have her time to shine in this collection though, as well as Goddard’s (much needed) villain origin story. Overall, this collection vastly exceeded my expectations. Do I love it as much as the original trilogy? No, but I still enjoyed it immensely; even the stories with no recognizable characters were brilliant and even jaw-dropping at times, so if you’re as obsessed with the world of Scythe as much as I am, I think you’ll really enjoy it!!
(My favorites (in no particular order) were ‘Formidable’, ‘A Martian Minute’, ‘The Mortal Canvas’, ‘The Persistence of Memory’, ‘Anastasia’s Shadow’, and ‘A Dark Curtain Rises’… but especially ‘A Dark Curtain Rises’… totally did not almost cry…)
Want to read
April 9, 2022is this for real? pls tell me it is or I’ll cry
this is one of my favorite dystopian worlds everrr
this is one of my favorite dystopian worlds everrr
September 20, 2023
This was a bit hit and miss for me. I liked the insight some of the stories provided into the Arc of A Scythe world, but some seemed bizarre for the sake of being bizarre.
I also feel like I would have appreciated this a lot more if it had been published closer to the conclusion of the series as opposed to 3 years later.
I also feel like I would have appreciated this a lot more if it had been published closer to the conclusion of the series as opposed to 3 years later.
April 19, 2023
A great mix of stories from the Arc of a Scythe world.
From living on Mars, to those to don’t even believe Scythes exist. This collection gave a lot of different view points from across the continents.
I enjoyed visiting this world again.
From living on Mars, to those to don’t even believe Scythes exist. This collection gave a lot of different view points from across the continents.
I enjoyed visiting this world again.
June 26, 2024
3,75
Bardzo potrzebne opowiadania, które rozjaśniają wiele rzeczy. Jak nie lubię 2 i 3 tomu serii to ta książka bardzo mi podeszła
Bardzo potrzebne opowiadania, które rozjaśniają wiele rzeczy. Jak nie lubię 2 i 3 tomu serii to ta książka bardzo mi podeszła
December 4, 2022
Neal Shusterman has somehow done it again. This book has cemented the Arc of a Scythe series as my favourite series of all time. I started 2022 with the first Scythe book which completely blew my mind and ended with the fourth and final scythe book which has again destroyed me. What a series is all I can say.
November 11, 2022
I enjoyed the world of Arc of a Scythe and was pretty excited to read more stories from the world within in. Like most anthologies there are stories that are great and add more to the world that we knew and then there are those that are just meh.
The strongest stories for me were the ones that touched on other characters I knew from the initial series. For instance A Martian Minute was one of the best developed short stories in the series and was the origin story for Goddard. I was so interested in how the moon settlement was going and what would have driven him to such extremes. It was a great story of how some small decisions led to some very big changes in the boy Goddard was to the Scythe he would eventually become. I felt so bad for the Thunderhead and how it had no power due to following the rules of not interfering in Scythe business.
The beginning and end of the Anthology follow Scythe Curie. The First Swing shows one of her first acts as a Scythe when she killed many who were still trying to be politicians who wanted to dismantle the Thunderhead. This set her up to be the Scythe we knew in the trilogy. The end story, A Dark Curtain Rises, explores one of the ships that made it to a new world and what former Scythe Curie's new role could be with the others who arrived. Kinda fitting beginning and end to the anthology.
There were a few stories that I just downright disliked. Never Work With Animals was by far the worst story in the book. Besides seeing Scythe Lucifer for a minute the rest was just so mediocre for me. There was another, Perchance to Glean, about people who shared communal dreams of a sort. All gleanings happen in the dream world and while parts of it were interesting overall I didn't love the story.
I did like A Death of Many Colors as it explored how art was going to change in a new age if there was not a fear of death and most of the volatile emotions can be soothed with nanites. Meet Cute and Die was also one of the stories I connected with a little more and I really did enjoy the two characters it focused on.
Overall: if you liked the original trilogy there is will be some very good stories in this for you. If you have never read the trilogy do not read this book as nothing will make any sense to you. Most stories in the book get 3.5 to 4 stars with a few that I would rate at a 2 star.
The strongest stories for me were the ones that touched on other characters I knew from the initial series. For instance A Martian Minute was one of the best developed short stories in the series and was the origin story for Goddard. I was so interested in how the moon settlement was going and what would have driven him to such extremes. It was a great story of how some small decisions led to some very big changes in the boy Goddard was to the Scythe he would eventually become. I felt so bad for the Thunderhead and how it had no power due to following the rules of not interfering in Scythe business.
The beginning and end of the Anthology follow Scythe Curie. The First Swing shows one of her first acts as a Scythe when she killed many who were still trying to be politicians who wanted to dismantle the Thunderhead. This set her up to be the Scythe we knew in the trilogy. The end story, A Dark Curtain Rises, explores one of the ships that made it to a new world and what former Scythe Curie's new role could be with the others who arrived. Kinda fitting beginning and end to the anthology.
There were a few stories that I just downright disliked. Never Work With Animals was by far the worst story in the book. Besides seeing Scythe Lucifer for a minute the rest was just so mediocre for me. There was another, Perchance to Glean, about people who shared communal dreams of a sort. All gleanings happen in the dream world and while parts of it were interesting overall I didn't love the story.
I did like A Death of Many Colors as it explored how art was going to change in a new age if there was not a fear of death and most of the volatile emotions can be soothed with nanites. Meet Cute and Die was also one of the stories I connected with a little more and I really did enjoy the two characters it focused on.
Overall: if you liked the original trilogy there is will be some very good stories in this for you. If you have never read the trilogy do not read this book as nothing will make any sense to you. Most stories in the book get 3.5 to 4 stars with a few that I would rate at a 2 star.
January 12, 2024
Znośny zbiorek ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Filmikkor Recenzsson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_txz...
Filmikkor Recenzsson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_txz...
August 11, 2024
Gleanings, tagged as Arc of the Scythe #3.5, is a collection of 13-short stories set within Shusterman's incredible world of the Scythe. A world without death, or disease. A world I fell in love with as I binged the entire trilogy recently.
This was a fantastic collection. I listened to the audio and loved the multiple narrators, including Shusterman himself. It provided great new insights and gave me some extra time with a few of my favorite characters that I wasn't ready to say good-bye too yet.
I appreciated how the collection was arranged and liked how it was sort of book-ended by stories following one of my favorite characters of the series.
My favorite story though, which personally I think is worth picking up the entire collection for, is hands-down The Martian Minute, which gives the Reader tons more insight into the Mars disaster. It's a bit of an origin story for the most wicked villain of the series.
I loved how varied the perspectives were and how many of them connected to the original series. As bonus content goes, this leans into the must read category.
I did read this immediately upon finishing The Toll; as in, I started it the next day, so the entire series was fresh in my mind. I was emotional about it ending and didn't want it to be over. This provided just the right amount of material for me to feel like I can walk away with a full heart now.
Shusterman is a genius. That's clear throughout this series and I am really hopeful that we'll eventually get more in this world. I'm not sure if that is in the cards or not, but you better believe I would be first in line at the bookstore if it ever comes to fruition.
Overall, I had a fabulous experience with this. I'm sure glad I made time for it and am happy to display it with the rest of the series on my shelf!
This was a fantastic collection. I listened to the audio and loved the multiple narrators, including Shusterman himself. It provided great new insights and gave me some extra time with a few of my favorite characters that I wasn't ready to say good-bye too yet.
I appreciated how the collection was arranged and liked how it was sort of book-ended by stories following one of my favorite characters of the series.
My favorite story though, which personally I think is worth picking up the entire collection for, is hands-down The Martian Minute, which gives the Reader tons more insight into the Mars disaster. It's a bit of an origin story for the most wicked villain of the series.
I loved how varied the perspectives were and how many of them connected to the original series. As bonus content goes, this leans into the must read category.
I did read this immediately upon finishing The Toll; as in, I started it the next day, so the entire series was fresh in my mind. I was emotional about it ending and didn't want it to be over. This provided just the right amount of material for me to feel like I can walk away with a full heart now.
Shusterman is a genius. That's clear throughout this series and I am really hopeful that we'll eventually get more in this world. I'm not sure if that is in the cards or not, but you better believe I would be first in line at the bookstore if it ever comes to fruition.
Overall, I had a fabulous experience with this. I'm sure glad I made time for it and am happy to display it with the rest of the series on my shelf!
November 16, 2022
This anthology was phenomenal. Each short story was creative beyond belief, answering a multitude of questions the main trilogy left me with regarding the fascinating system of scythes and the Thunderhead.
The greatest stories from Gleanings were those that revisited characters who already appeared in Arc of a Scythe, villains and fan-favourites alike. The particular story I adored the most was easily A Martian Minute, partially because space operas are my favourite ultra-specific subgenre, but more importantly because of how insane the world-building and plot was for such a brief tale. The concept of interplanetary colonists preparing Mars for future inhabitants has certainly been done before, though I knew the addition of the Thunderhead would shake things up drastically. Goddard was a downright malicious villain for 3 books, so it was awesome to finally experience his hardcore origin story through a glimpse of his youth in space, of all places.
Another favourite of mine was Anastasia’s Shadow, following scythe Anastasia’s brother Ben in between harrowing events of the series. While this was definitely one of the more tame stories in this collection, the character-driven reader in me was eager to learn about the younger brother who (from what I remember) didn’t have much of a presence in the trilogy. It made me unbelievably happy to see him fight for love, though his circumstances certainly kept me on my toes throughout.
There were a few stories that I thought were just okay, though the majority more than made up for any falters. This anthology was a lot of mindless fun, while also managing to include a number of really impactful messages. I loved gushing about the crazy twists to my sister and best friend. This anthology was unexpected, but so worth it for Arc of a Scythe fans!!
The greatest stories from Gleanings were those that revisited characters who already appeared in Arc of a Scythe, villains and fan-favourites alike. The particular story I adored the most was easily A Martian Minute, partially because space operas are my favourite ultra-specific subgenre, but more importantly because of how insane the world-building and plot was for such a brief tale. The concept of interplanetary colonists preparing Mars for future inhabitants has certainly been done before, though I knew the addition of the Thunderhead would shake things up drastically. Goddard was a downright malicious villain for 3 books, so it was awesome to finally experience his hardcore origin story through a glimpse of his youth in space, of all places.
Another favourite of mine was Anastasia’s Shadow, following scythe Anastasia’s brother Ben in between harrowing events of the series. While this was definitely one of the more tame stories in this collection, the character-driven reader in me was eager to learn about the younger brother who (from what I remember) didn’t have much of a presence in the trilogy. It made me unbelievably happy to see him fight for love, though his circumstances certainly kept me on my toes throughout.
There were a few stories that I thought were just okay, though the majority more than made up for any falters. This anthology was a lot of mindless fun, while also managing to include a number of really impactful messages. I loved gushing about the crazy twists to my sister and best friend. This anthology was unexpected, but so worth it for Arc of a Scythe fans!!
May 7, 2024
*3.46 stars, rounded down
TW// murder (including brothers, children, daughters, spouses, parents), mentions of pet death, car crashes, mention of gun violence, brief mentions of cheating, mentions of suicide
I have a love-hate relationship with the Scythe series. All of the books are decent, but the two sequels and this anthology feel like disappointments since the first Scythe book was so perfect.
This anthology was mostly enjoyable, but most of the stories felt very mediocre. Never Work with Animals, Anastasia’s Shadow, and Perchance to Glean were my favorites from this book. I don’t know if I’d necessarily recommend this anthology, but if you love the Scythe series, you will probably enjoy this one as you get to see the Scythe universe expanded upon and explored even further.
The First Swing (Joelle Shusterman): 3 stars - A short writing in verse. It reads like an entry in a scythe journal. I’m not the biggest fan of poems like this one but I did find it to be an insightful look into a scythe’s experience.
Formidable: 3 stars - The story of Scythe Curie's first months of being a scythe. It was an interesting backstory since it deals a lot with how leaders reacted to the Thunderhead taking control. I found it bland in some parts, but an important story for this series nonetheless. I also really liked how this story addressed the topic of pets and how they fit into the Scythe world.
Never Work with Animals (Michael H. Payne): 4 stars - This story was hard to read at several points because of all the mentions of dog death and murder, but it was a very satisfying story with an epic plot twist.
A Death of Many Colors: 3 stars - I’m not a huge fan of any of the characters in this one, but this story had a really unique setting and I loved getting to hear from a character in a charter region.
Unsavory Row: 3 stars - Another story where I wasn’t a fan of the characters and I’m not super invested in the unsavory part of the Scythe universe, but I loved that mind blowing plot twist and the pacing of this story was amazing.
A Martian Minute: 3 stars - This story gives the full backstory to the Mars colony. It’s a bit hard to read at times since I hated all the characters, but that was intentional and I found this story explained an event from the main series that desperately needed explaining.
The Mortal Canvas (David Yoon): 3 stars - This one was really well written, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of it. The character gleaned was the only character that was truly likeable in this story and unfortunately I guessed their gleaning from a mile away. I liked what their gleaning said about immortality though. Also, one of the student’s artwork was extremely troubling to me because it borders on sexual harassment to some extent and it would be violating to have artwork of anyone made like that without consent.
Cirri: 2 stars - There was some interesting information in this story, but I found this story to be really bland and lacking emotion. I’m not really into reading from the perspective of an AI device.
Anastasia’s Shadow: 4 stars - I wish this one was a full novel. It was really powerful to look at how a chosen one’s sibling reacts to their sibling being chosen and I loved the romance in the story. The ending was super bittersweet but it was so perfect at the same time.
The Persistence of Memory (Jarrod Shusterman and Sofia Lapuente): 4 stars - This had some of the most elaborate and creative methods to gleanings that I’ve ever read in this series. It was truly creative. I loved Penélope as a character and I could read a whole book following her life.
Meet Cute and Die: 3 stars - I found the setting and manner of gleaning to be really interesting, but the characters got on my nerves and I am pissed that Auntie Boo got better than she deserved at the end.
Perchance to Glean (Michelle Knowlden): 4 stars - This story explores one of the most unique charter regions from the Scythe series. It’s a fascinating story that has some really creative world building.
A Dark Curtain Rises: 4 stars - I was a little skeptical of this story at first since I knew it involved Cirrus a lot, but I liked the direction the story took. It felt like a perfect story to read directly after finishing The Toll. I wish there was more to this story though as I feel like this story and the ending of The Toll could easily lead to a spin-off series.
TW// murder (including brothers, children, daughters, spouses, parents), mentions of pet death, car crashes, mention of gun violence, brief mentions of cheating, mentions of suicide
I have a love-hate relationship with the Scythe series. All of the books are decent, but the two sequels and this anthology feel like disappointments since the first Scythe book was so perfect.
This anthology was mostly enjoyable, but most of the stories felt very mediocre. Never Work with Animals, Anastasia’s Shadow, and Perchance to Glean were my favorites from this book. I don’t know if I’d necessarily recommend this anthology, but if you love the Scythe series, you will probably enjoy this one as you get to see the Scythe universe expanded upon and explored even further.
The First Swing (Joelle Shusterman): 3 stars - A short writing in verse. It reads like an entry in a scythe journal. I’m not the biggest fan of poems like this one but I did find it to be an insightful look into a scythe’s experience.
Formidable: 3 stars - The story of Scythe Curie's first months of being a scythe. It was an interesting backstory since it deals a lot with how leaders reacted to the Thunderhead taking control. I found it bland in some parts, but an important story for this series nonetheless. I also really liked how this story addressed the topic of pets and how they fit into the Scythe world.
Never Work with Animals (Michael H. Payne): 4 stars - This story was hard to read at several points because of all the mentions of dog death and murder, but it was a very satisfying story with an epic plot twist.
A Death of Many Colors: 3 stars - I’m not a huge fan of any of the characters in this one, but this story had a really unique setting and I loved getting to hear from a character in a charter region.
Unsavory Row: 3 stars - Another story where I wasn’t a fan of the characters and I’m not super invested in the unsavory part of the Scythe universe, but I loved that mind blowing plot twist and the pacing of this story was amazing.
A Martian Minute: 3 stars - This story gives the full backstory to the Mars colony. It’s a bit hard to read at times since I hated all the characters, but that was intentional and I found this story explained an event from the main series that desperately needed explaining.
The Mortal Canvas (David Yoon): 3 stars - This one was really well written, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of it. The character gleaned was the only character that was truly likeable in this story and unfortunately I guessed their gleaning from a mile away. I liked what their gleaning said about immortality though. Also, one of the student’s artwork was extremely troubling to me because it borders on sexual harassment to some extent and it would be violating to have artwork of anyone made like that without consent.
Cirri: 2 stars - There was some interesting information in this story, but I found this story to be really bland and lacking emotion. I’m not really into reading from the perspective of an AI device.
Anastasia’s Shadow: 4 stars - I wish this one was a full novel. It was really powerful to look at how a chosen one’s sibling reacts to their sibling being chosen and I loved the romance in the story. The ending was super bittersweet but it was so perfect at the same time.
The Persistence of Memory (Jarrod Shusterman and Sofia Lapuente): 4 stars - This had some of the most elaborate and creative methods to gleanings that I’ve ever read in this series. It was truly creative. I loved Penélope as a character and I could read a whole book following her life.
Meet Cute and Die: 3 stars - I found the setting and manner of gleaning to be really interesting, but the characters got on my nerves and I am pissed that Auntie Boo got better than she deserved at the end.
Perchance to Glean (Michelle Knowlden): 4 stars - This story explores one of the most unique charter regions from the Scythe series. It’s a fascinating story that has some really creative world building.
A Dark Curtain Rises: 4 stars - I was a little skeptical of this story at first since I knew it involved Cirrus a lot, but I liked the direction the story took. It felt like a perfect story to read directly after finishing The Toll. I wish there was more to this story though as I feel like this story and the ending of The Toll could easily lead to a spin-off series.
Want to read
April 4, 2022since when is this a thing?? and why did not one tell me about this??
May 11, 2024
Kompletnie zbędny jest ten zbiorek, nie czuję, żeby rozwinął dla mnie w jakikolwiek sposób serię, za to dał mi poczucie zmarnowanego czasu.
June 19, 2024
3,7/5 Historie nie są równe jakościowo, część z nich była dla mnie obojętna, a inne bardzo mnie zaangażowały.
Gdyby nie ostatnia historia, to nie wiem czy dałabym 4/5, ale był to ogromny SZOK!
Gdyby nie ostatnia historia, to nie wiem czy dałabym 4/5, ale był to ogromny SZOK!
November 17, 2022
9 out of 10
What a joy to go back to one of your favorite book series and discover so many great stories! This honestly was way more than what I hoped for, and I loved almost every story, which is rare for a short story collection - I was so close to just giving it a 10/10. There wasn't a single one I disliked - just a few that I liked a bit less. It's tough to even pick favorites but I would say my top 3 are probably Meet Cute and Die, A Martian Minute, and The Persistence of Memory. Obviously, I highly recommend this to any fan of the Arc of a Scythe, and it will probably make you want to binge re-read the trilogy immediately - I know I want to!
What a joy to go back to one of your favorite book series and discover so many great stories! This honestly was way more than what I hoped for, and I loved almost every story, which is rare for a short story collection - I was so close to just giving it a 10/10. There wasn't a single one I disliked - just a few that I liked a bit less. It's tough to even pick favorites but I would say my top 3 are probably Meet Cute and Die, A Martian Minute, and The Persistence of Memory. Obviously, I highly recommend this to any fan of the Arc of a Scythe, and it will probably make you want to binge re-read the trilogy immediately - I know I want to!
January 12, 2023
4.5
2023 reads: 15/350
this is a collection of stories spanning from before scythe started to after the toll ended. it’s been a while since i read the original trilogy, but i was so excited to dive back into this world and i’m very glad it didn’t disappoint! each story was interesting and i wouldn’t say there were any i’d consider unnecessary or worse than the others. though not many familiar faces showed up, this was an enjoyable read and i’d recommend to anyone who loved the original trilogy.
2023 reads: 15/350
this is a collection of stories spanning from before scythe started to after the toll ended. it’s been a while since i read the original trilogy, but i was so excited to dive back into this world and i’m very glad it didn’t disappoint! each story was interesting and i wouldn’t say there were any i’d consider unnecessary or worse than the others. though not many familiar faces showed up, this was an enjoyable read and i’d recommend to anyone who loved the original trilogy.
January 12, 2023
A thrilling visit to one of my favorite universes
I was so excited to revisit some of my favorite characters within one of my favorite universes! Truly, any one of these short stories could become a full novel and I really hope Shusterman plans to write more within this world! While I was reading for enjoyment, there were many valuable lessons sprinkled throughout!
I was so excited to revisit some of my favorite characters within one of my favorite universes! Truly, any one of these short stories could become a full novel and I really hope Shusterman plans to write more within this world! While I was reading for enjoyment, there were many valuable lessons sprinkled throughout!
December 5, 2023
2,5/5⭐️
kurczę ale rozczarowanie
kurczę ale rozczarowanie
January 19, 2023
Check out my Booktube channel at: The Obsessive Bookseller
As someone who generally doesn’t care for short stories (they don’t usually provide me enough time to get invested), I liked Gleanings a lot more than I thought I would.
To boot, it was nothing like I expected. I figured we’d get some familiar perspectives in a timeline shortly after climax events in the Toll. Not the case. Instead it was a collection of individual gleaning stories (hence the title) with a compelling array of circumstances that evoked good food for thought throughout. I was honestly expecting to be bored during the book, forcing myself to finish it for the sake of completionism. But instead I found it compulsively listenable and only struggled with one of the stories. I like it when books make me think, and the exploration of morality in this creative world remains my favorite aspect of the series.
There were one or two backstory segments for familiar characters that I quite enjoyed. Since a few of them took place before the Scythes’ had chosen their new names (which is how I remember them from the trilogy), it took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out who’s story I was reading. The payoff when I DID realize what was going on was particularly satisfying in part because of that delay/build-up though. Sometimes being an idiot works in my favor.
Recommendations: if you liked the concept of the Arc of the Scythe and want more interesting segments dealing with the morality of the Scythedom, this is a great collection. If you want more closure from series-ending events in the Toll, this will not fit the bill. Overall I found it a great supplemental read.
Thank you to my Patrons: Filipe, Dave, Frank, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Katrin, Melissa, and Derek! <3
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
As someone who generally doesn’t care for short stories (they don’t usually provide me enough time to get invested), I liked Gleanings a lot more than I thought I would.
To boot, it was nothing like I expected. I figured we’d get some familiar perspectives in a timeline shortly after climax events in the Toll. Not the case. Instead it was a collection of individual gleaning stories (hence the title) with a compelling array of circumstances that evoked good food for thought throughout. I was honestly expecting to be bored during the book, forcing myself to finish it for the sake of completionism. But instead I found it compulsively listenable and only struggled with one of the stories. I like it when books make me think, and the exploration of morality in this creative world remains my favorite aspect of the series.
There were one or two backstory segments for familiar characters that I quite enjoyed. Since a few of them took place before the Scythes’ had chosen their new names (which is how I remember them from the trilogy), it took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out who’s story I was reading. The payoff when I DID realize what was going on was particularly satisfying in part because of that delay/build-up though. Sometimes being an idiot works in my favor.
Recommendations: if you liked the concept of the Arc of the Scythe and want more interesting segments dealing with the morality of the Scythedom, this is a great collection. If you want more closure from series-ending events in the Toll, this will not fit the bill. Overall I found it a great supplemental read.
Thank you to my Patrons: Filipe, Dave, Frank, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Katrin, Melissa, and Derek! <3
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
December 3, 2022
It was fun to be back to the world of Scythedom but I think this book is unnecessary 😁 some stories are just not engaging enough for me maybe because I miss Rowan & Citra and I didn’t met them here, my favorite story is “Anastasia’s Shadow” a short story about Ben, Citra’s brother
It was just an okay read, a good companion to the trilogy but nothing really mindblowing
3 STARS
It was just an okay read, a good companion to the trilogy but nothing really mindblowing
3 STARS
August 26, 2022
Thanks to Simon&Schuester and Netgalley for granting me access to this eARC!
Wow, ok, Gleanings, one of my most expected books of the year. I was so happy to get into it, because honestly, I will never be ready to let go the world of the Arc of Scythe. In this book, we have some very interesting stories about this world, and about some things that happened before, during and after the trilogy.
The "origin stories" we get in this book are AMAZING. We get to find out how some loved and some hated Scythes became what they were during the trilogy. I was really invested in these stories, and they became my favorite from this book.
We also get some additional stories of things that happened before or during the trilogy but where our main characters didn't have anything to do with Rowan or Citra (or they might have been related, but you know, Rowan and Citra weren't really available all the time to know what was happening everywhere). These stories are really good too. I loved getting to find out more about how some other cultures worked in this world, and how Scythes from other countries lived and worked in their own societies. I also found these stories, co-written with some other author, were really in harmony with Neal's writing style and never leave the essence of the Arc of Scythe world.
And finally, we have the post-The Toll stories. These weren't many, and I found these to be the less impressive. I expected more post-The Toll stories honestly, and the ones we got are interesting, yes, but I wish the author had really showed some of our favorite characters to see how their life went after the end of the trilogy. I get now that he really wanted The Toll to end there.
Honestly, if you're a fan of this world, you'll really like this book. It might not have what you're expecting, but it has something amazing in it anyway.
This is my ranking of the stories in this book:
1.Formidable
2.A Martian Minute
3.The Persistence of Memory
4.The Mortal Canvas
5.Anastasia’s Shadow
6.Cirri
7.A Dark Curtain Rises
8.A death of many colors
9.Unsavory Row
10.Perchance to Glean
11.Meet Cute and Die
12.Never work with animals
Wow, ok, Gleanings, one of my most expected books of the year. I was so happy to get into it, because honestly, I will never be ready to let go the world of the Arc of Scythe. In this book, we have some very interesting stories about this world, and about some things that happened before, during and after the trilogy.
The "origin stories" we get in this book are AMAZING. We get to find out how some loved and some hated Scythes became what they were during the trilogy. I was really invested in these stories, and they became my favorite from this book.
We also get some additional stories of things that happened before or during the trilogy but where our main characters didn't have anything to do with Rowan or Citra (or they might have been related, but you know, Rowan and Citra weren't really available all the time to know what was happening everywhere). These stories are really good too. I loved getting to find out more about how some other cultures worked in this world, and how Scythes from other countries lived and worked in their own societies. I also found these stories, co-written with some other author, were really in harmony with Neal's writing style and never leave the essence of the Arc of Scythe world.
And finally, we have the post-The Toll stories. These weren't many, and I found these to be the less impressive. I expected more post-The Toll stories honestly, and the ones we got are interesting, yes, but I wish the author had really showed some of our favorite characters to see how their life went after the end of the trilogy. I get now that he really wanted The Toll to end there.
Honestly, if you're a fan of this world, you'll really like this book. It might not have what you're expecting, but it has something amazing in it anyway.
This is my ranking of the stories in this book:
1.Formidable
2.A Martian Minute
3.The Persistence of Memory
4.The Mortal Canvas
5.Anastasia’s Shadow
6.Cirri
7.A Dark Curtain Rises
8.A death of many colors
9.Unsavory Row
10.Perchance to Glean
11.Meet Cute and Die
12.Never work with animals
April 6, 2024
عرض کنم خدمتتون که این کتاب مجموعهای از داستانهای کوتاه جهان داس مرگه و باید اول مجموعه رو خونده باشین.
بازهی زمانی داستانها از آغاز جهان پسامیرایی تا قرنها بعد از پایان جلد سوم مجموعهست.
شخصیتهای آشنای محبوب و منفور زیادی داریم، دربارهی قوموخویشهای شخصیتهای مهم و نامهم و اثر وقایع مجموعه بر زندگیشون داستان داریم، دربارهی آدمهای اساساً غریبه هم داستان داریم و گریزهای ریزودرشتی به مجموعه زده میشه که اگه خوب خونده باشین متوجهشون میشین ولی اگه یادتون نیاد هم اشکالی نداره و در فهم قصهها مشکلی پیش نمیاد.
من عموماً طرفدار داستانهای کوتاه جانبی مجم��عهها نیستم ولی بعضی داستانهای این کتاب به نظرم لازم و مکمل تجربهی مجموعه بودن.
پ.ن یه داستان اینجا هست که خیلی دلم میخواد واکنشتون بهش رو ببینم و ممکنه حتی پاشم برم به غریبهها هم پیام بدم ببینم نظرشون دربارهی اون یه داستان چی بوده. :)))
بازهی زمانی داستانها از آغاز جهان پسامیرایی تا قرنها بعد از پایان جلد سوم مجموعهست.
شخصیتهای آشنای محبوب و منفور زیادی داریم، دربارهی قوموخویشهای شخصیتهای مهم و نامهم و اثر وقایع مجموعه بر زندگیشون داستان داریم، دربارهی آدمهای اساساً غریبه هم داستان داریم و گریزهای ریزودرشتی به مجموعه زده میشه که اگه خوب خونده باشین متوجهشون میشین ولی اگه یادتون نیاد هم اشکالی نداره و در فهم قصهها مشکلی پیش نمیاد.
من عموماً طرفدار داستانهای کوتاه جانبی مجم��عهها نیستم ولی بعضی داستانهای این کتاب به نظرم لازم و مکمل تجربهی مجموعه بودن.
پ.ن یه داستان اینجا هست که خیلی دلم میخواد واکنشتون بهش رو ببینم و ممکنه حتی پاشم برم به غریبهها هم پیام بدم ببینم نظرشون دربارهی اون یه داستان چی بوده. :)))
June 19, 2023
So freaking good, this is no surprise!! 😭 The Arc of Scythe remains one of my favorites of al time and this was such an amazing addition to the series. I have a hard time with short story collections but this one being in the Scythe universe was everything and more. We got insight, closure, and answers to questions we didn’t even know we had. As always, such a great read. Im forever obsessed with Shusterman
November 30, 2023
3.5 ⭐.
kocham ten świat, ale do zbiorów opowiadań nigdy się nie przekonam i ta książka mi to dobitnie uświadomiła.
kocham ten świat, ale do zbiorów opowiadań nigdy się nie przekonam i ta książka mi to dobitnie uświadomiła.
November 20, 2023
5/5
Dziękuję Panie Shusterman za tę cudowną przygodę 🥺❤️ Nie żałuję ani jednej minuty poświęconej na czytanie tego arcydzieła
Dziękuję Panie Shusterman za tę cudowną przygodę 🥺❤️ Nie żałuję ani jednej minuty poświęconej na czytanie tego arcydzieła
March 28, 2023
"‘Push him harder,’ Constantine told Ben’s instructors.
‘What if he breaks?’ Scythe Coleman asked, to which Constantine responded:
‘All apprentices must be broken before they can be molded into a scythe.’"
**I found this picture online, from Paper Fury. It is NOT MINE**
-------------------------------
Thoughts About the Book:
- I think Neal Shusterman, along with all the other co-authors of this book, did a great job creating a prelude/epologue to the Arc of a Scythe series. It was really well written, and delving deeper into some of the protoganists' from the Arc of a Scythe series played an integral role in this novel.
- The dog story... was just downright weird. Intriguing, but weird... oh well... *shrugs*
- Finding out what happened to the other ships headed to other planets out there was really cool. I mean, it just filled up that hollow hole I had after finishing The Toll, since I was left with more questions than answers due to that stinkin' amibigous ending *rolls eyes*
- OK, OK, OK... CAN WE JUST TALK ABOUT THAT LAST CHAPTER?! LIKE- SHFJKDSFF OHMYGRAPES! IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL! *wipes away a tear* I mean, seriously, wHo'S cHoPpInG oNiOnS iN hErE???
---------------------------------------
Quotes I Saved:
p.211 • "Fear might be cold, but it was white-hot to the touch."
p.306 • "First love was required, then came technique.
---------------------------------------
Christian Perspective / CWs:
*I know I'm putting this in spoilers, but just know it's spoiler free**
------------------------------------
THAT ENDING, THOUGH! OHMYGOSHHH, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
IF Y'ALL DON'T SEE ME ON GR FOR THE NEXT WEEK, IT'S BECAUSE I'M AT THERAPY ;')
‘What if he breaks?’ Scythe Coleman asked, to which Constantine responded:
‘All apprentices must be broken before they can be molded into a scythe.’"
**I found this picture online, from Paper Fury. It is NOT MINE**
-------------------------------
Thoughts About the Book:
- I think Neal Shusterman, along with all the other co-authors of this book, did a great job creating a prelude/epologue to the Arc of a Scythe series. It was really well written, and delving deeper into some of the protoganists' from the Arc of a Scythe series played an integral role in this novel.
- The dog story... was just downright weird. Intriguing, but weird... oh well... *shrugs*
- Finding out what happened to the other ships headed to other planets out there was really cool. I mean, it just filled up that hollow hole I had after finishing The Toll, since I was left with more questions than answers due to that stinkin' amibigous ending *rolls eyes*
- OK, OK, OK... CAN WE JUST TALK ABOUT THAT LAST CHAPTER?! LIKE- SHFJKDSFF OHMYGRAPES! IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL! *wipes away a tear* I mean, seriously, wHo'S cHoPpInG oNiOnS iN hErE???
---------------------------------------
Quotes I Saved:
p.211 • "Fear might be cold, but it was white-hot to the touch."
p.306 • "First love was required, then came technique.
---------------------------------------
Christian Perspective / CWs:
*I know I'm putting this in spoilers, but just know it's spoiler free**
------------------------------------
THAT ENDING, THOUGH! OHMYGOSHHH, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
October 24, 2022
5 Reasons to Read
Five reasons to read Gleanings!
1. Scythes!! I mean…
2. Some of the best origin stories! Get to know detailed backstories for some of your favorite, and not so favorite, Scythes.
3. Introduction to new Scythes around the world! What is important to one is not as important to another.
4. Non-Scythe stories including stories of some side characters we didn’t get to know. We’re also introduced to new apprenticeships!
5. New motivations! Each Scythe has different motivations and methods for Gleaning. Learn more about the balance of power among the Scythes and how it is different for each one.
This book was fantastic as expected! Neal Shusterman has created a world so expansive that there will always be more stories to discover.
I enjoyed getting to know more about some of the Scythes we saw in the trilogy and meeting new ones. The stories were well developed and the characters fleshed out accordingly.
I loved that the stories featured were not remotely the same and that we got to see stories of Scythes, Apprentices, and even some unsavories.
I definitely recommend this to everyone!
Five reasons to read Gleanings!
1. Scythes!! I mean…
2. Some of the best origin stories! Get to know detailed backstories for some of your favorite, and not so favorite, Scythes.
3. Introduction to new Scythes around the world! What is important to one is not as important to another.
4. Non-Scythe stories including stories of some side characters we didn’t get to know. We’re also introduced to new apprenticeships!
5. New motivations! Each Scythe has different motivations and methods for Gleaning. Learn more about the balance of power among the Scythes and how it is different for each one.
This book was fantastic as expected! Neal Shusterman has created a world so expansive that there will always be more stories to discover.
I enjoyed getting to know more about some of the Scythes we saw in the trilogy and meeting new ones. The stories were well developed and the characters fleshed out accordingly.
I loved that the stories featured were not remotely the same and that we got to see stories of Scythes, Apprentices, and even some unsavories.
I definitely recommend this to everyone!
December 8, 2022
Un-Follow Me Now, This Is Gonna Be the Only Thing I Talk About For The Next Week. Ive Wanted This For Years Fuck. What The Fuck.
Edit: Ok, now that I've actually read this book I just want to say that it really is as amazing as I thought it would be! Every single story in here was just absolutely perfect. Just like the original series, I was hooked from beginning to end.
There are my top 3 stories (in order of appearance). It was really hard to narrow it down to 3.
- The Mortal Canvas
- Perchance to Glean
- A Dark Curtain Rises (this one might actually be my favourite. It made me so emotional oh my god)
-Honourable mention goes to A Death of Many Colours.
Edit: Ok, now that I've actually read this book I just want to say that it really is as amazing as I thought it would be! Every single story in here was just absolutely perfect. Just like the original series, I was hooked from beginning to end.
There are my top 3 stories (in order of appearance). It was really hard to narrow it down to 3.
- The Mortal Canvas
- Perchance to Glean
- A Dark Curtain Rises (this one might actually be my favourite. It made me so emotional oh my god)
-Honourable mention goes to A Death of Many Colours.
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