No spoilers in this rapid review of Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman. (There will, however, be minor spoilers for the first book in the series.) I loved it and give it 4.5 stars. Part of the appeal of this series is it’s just so different. Good different. After the extreme popularity of The Hunger Games series, dystopian was THE genre for a time. Now I’ve gone a while without reading much dystopian, and this series made me realize I’ve missed it. Shusterman’s idea is unique and thought-provoking, and his characters are interesting and likable. It’s a win-win-win (or something similar). 😉
Citra and Rowan have been on two very different paths since the scythe ceremony. Citra has found the most compassionate way to glean possible, and Rowan is acting as a rogue scythe even though he wasn’t granted a ring. The human world they left behind goes on much as before, just without them, but there are rumbles in the scythe world. Both Citra and Rowan have shaken things up, and their lives might be in danger because of it.
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Even though Goddard is dead and gone, his disciples still push for the ideals he promoted. And the old order scythes are scrambling to maintain the tried and true ways. Even though it’s forbidden, the Thunderhead begins to look for a subtle way to get involved in the mayhem. Old order versus new age…What is the future of the scythdome? And will the losing faction survive?
The whole book was good, but Shusterman really hit his stride in the second half of Thunderhead. The reveals came fast and furiously, and there were a couple of jaw-dropping moments, for sure. All of the main characters had great storylines, but I enjoyed Faraday’s most of all. I’m interested to see what his discovery means and why it bothers a certain entity so much.
Another element of this sequel I enjoyed was learning a little more about the unusual religious group mentioned in Scythe. Oh, those Tonists! I was a little confused about the Great Resonance they’ve been waiting for and its significance to the overall plot. I’m glad Shusterman explored area this a little more.
And then that ending…what a shake-up! Where do we go from here, Mr. Shusterman? When and where will book three pick up? I can’t wait to find out! If you haven’t read this series or you haven’t read Thunderhead yet, pick up a copy now! You won’t be disappointed.
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My son (14) and I were fighting over who got to read this first. I read Scythe first and LOVED it and I knew it would be perfect for my son. The second book was just as captivating. The only trouble is, now we have to wait for book 3 to come out. I didn’t take notes, so I’ll have to read the recap of Thunderhead before I start book 3. Neal is now on my must-read author list for sure!
I agree: He’s definitely an auto-read author for me now, too! 🙂 I can’t wait for book 3 and wish we knew a release date for sure. So far, all Goodreads has listed is ‘2019,’ so the publisher must not have landed on a date yet. I hope it’s sooner rather than later!!!