Scan barcode
andra_mihaela_s's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"For years humans lived in a perfect world controlled by scythes...Just Imagine the stories we don't know."
I must say I was very excited to read this collection! ^_^ And the fact that this is a collaboration with other authors...>...>...my intrigue only increased.
We have one poem (written by Joelle Shusterman) and 12 stories inside this amazing instalment.
I think that you'll enjoy reading this one even if you didn't like the the Toll...and dare I say it...even if you didn't finish the trilogy...>.>
Please don't come for me ^_^'.....What I meant is that, in this particular short stories collection, Neal Shusterman builds upon the foundation created already in the original Arc of a Scythe world; he expands on ideas and parts of the world we didn't explore following Citra and Rowan, and also...explained/ gave more information on certain characters, motifs and even offered the reader a glimpse on something they didn't know they needed!(certainly i didn't...>..>)
Let me tell you...it is very frustrating NOT to talk about each story individually, and only content with some vague paragraph in which I basically tell you to read this if the world fascinated you...
Alas..this is the life of a reader...:(((
CW: animal cruelty; different levels of cruelty between humans; violence; grief and suicidal thoughts;
Specifically when it comes to the actual content...not all stories were a hit for me, some were mind-blowing, some were great and fun, others interesting and offered a new perspective I didn't know I needed and the remaining were ok. :)
In order of what I liked best to least:
<b>A Martian Minute</b>....mind-blowning; talks about desire to escape ones life and choose for themselves; filled some undetected to me plot hole; it explains soooo much about this character; loved the nods to the future of these 2; I actually didn't figure it out until halfway through:)))...>..>
<b>A dark curtain rises</b>....mind-blowing; perspective I didn't know I needed; added info for a character that I loved :); talks about new beginnings ^_^
<b>A death of many colours</b>....great and fun!; talks about human nature and the stubbornness that is in our genes; discussion on the importance of beliefs for each human and how far we can take them;
<b>Perchance to glean</b>...great and fun!; discusses the thrill of the chase and how danger modifies our behaviour; loved this part due to it contributing greatly to the world-building! ^_^
<b>Cirri</b>...this one was interesting and invited to contemplation...the events described in here and the perspective especially were moving and well thought-out;
<b>A Mortal Canvas</b>...invoked reflection on art, life and what is precious to us; introspection on what it means to be mortal;
<b>The Persistence of Memory</b>...interesting and a great addition to world-building and view on different philosophies when it comes to scythes; really enjoyed the mood it set;
<b>Formidable</b>...talks about a major turning-point in the world's history through the decision of one young and impulsive scythe; a lovely surprise! I always wanted to know more about this event! ^^
<b>Meet Cute and Die</b> and <b>Never Work with Animals</b> wanted to transmit how flowed people and scythes are and how our past, strength and weaknesses influence the very foundation of our principles;
<b>Unsavory Row</b> added a lot to the world-building and I think was necessary to explain how the unsavories and the system around them work; really enjoyed to find out the secrets behind Apocalyte ^^
<b>Anastasia's Shadow</b> interesting and I think logical and necessary piece of information that takes place around the time between 2nd and 3rd book...I wanted more from this one in terms of ambition from the main character...but I understand why the author chose to portray the shadow as he did;
<b>The First Swing</b>...unfortunately, me and poems do not see eye to eye very often, and this one, although beautiful, got lost in the collection, being among such great stories.
Overall, I highly recommend you try this if you enjoyed the trilogy or if you're intrigued by the world! ^^
Enjoy
I must say I was very excited to read this collection! ^_^ And the fact that this is a collaboration with other authors...>...>...my intrigue only increased.
We have one poem (written by Joelle Shusterman) and 12 stories inside this amazing instalment.
I think that you'll enjoy reading this one even if you didn't like the the Toll...and dare I say it...even if you didn't finish the trilogy...>.>
Please don't come for me ^_^'.....What I meant is that, in this particular short stories collection, Neal Shusterman builds upon the foundation created already in the original Arc of a Scythe world; he expands on ideas and parts of the world we didn't explore following Citra and Rowan, and also...explained/ gave more information on certain characters, motifs and even offered the reader a glimpse on something they didn't know they needed!(certainly i didn't...>..>)
Let me tell you...it is very frustrating NOT to talk about each story individually, and only content with some vague paragraph in which I basically tell you to read this if the world fascinated you...
Alas..this is the life of a reader...:(((
CW: animal cruelty; different levels of cruelty between humans; violence; grief and suicidal thoughts;
Specifically when it comes to the actual content...not all stories were a hit for me, some were mind-blowing, some were great and fun, others interesting and offered a new perspective I didn't know I needed and the remaining were ok. :)
In order of what I liked best to least:
<b>A Martian Minute</b>....mind-blowning; talks about desire to escape ones life and choose for themselves; filled some undetected to me plot hole; it explains soooo much about this character; loved the nods to the future of these 2; I actually didn't figure it out until halfway through:)))...>..>
<b>A dark curtain rises</b>....mind-blowing; perspective I didn't know I needed; added info for a character that I loved :); talks about new beginnings ^_^
<b>A death of many colours</b>....great and fun!; talks about human nature and the stubbornness that is in our genes; discussion on the importance of beliefs for each human and how far we can take them;
<b>Perchance to glean</b>...great and fun!; discusses the thrill of the chase and how danger modifies our behaviour; loved this part due to it contributing greatly to the world-building! ^_^
<b>Cirri</b>...this one was interesting and invited to contemplation...the events described in here and the perspective especially were moving and well thought-out;
<b>A Mortal Canvas</b>...invoked reflection on art, life and what is precious to us; introspection on what it means to be mortal;
<b>The Persistence of Memory</b>...interesting and a great addition to world-building and view on different philosophies when it comes to scythes; really enjoyed the mood it set;
<b>Formidable</b>...talks about a major turning-point in the world's history through the decision of one young and impulsive scythe; a lovely surprise! I always wanted to know more about this event! ^^
<b>Meet Cute and Die</b> and <b>Never Work with Animals</b> wanted to transmit how flowed people and scythes are and how our past, strength and weaknesses influence the very foundation of our principles;
<b>Unsavory Row</b> added a lot to the world-building and I think was necessary to explain how the unsavories and the system around them work; really enjoyed to find out the secrets behind Apocalyte ^^
<b>Anastasia's Shadow</b> interesting and I think logical and necessary piece of information that takes place around the time between 2nd and 3rd book...I wanted more from this one in terms of ambition from the main character...but I understand why the author chose to portray the shadow as he did;
<b>The First Swing</b>...unfortunately, me and poems do not see eye to eye very often, and this one, although beautiful, got lost in the collection, being among such great stories.
Overall, I highly recommend you try this if you enjoyed the trilogy or if you're intrigued by the world! ^^
Enjoy
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting
kimtazo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
paulina_laukova's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
phantastic's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Gleanings is a collection of 12 short stories (and 1 poem) from the Arc of a Scythe universe, featuring characters both new and old. While the book serves as a great way to get readers interested in the Arc of a Scythe universe again, the stories vary in quality: ranging from must-reads for all fans of the main series to stories that teeter between boredom and occasional amusement.
Rankings:
- The Mortal Canvas
- A Martian Minute
- Anastasia’s Shadow
- A Dark Curtain Rises
- Cirri
- A Death of Many Colors
- Perchance to Glean
- Unsavory Row
- Formidable
- Meet Cute and Die
- The Persistence of Memory
- Never Work with Animals
The Mortal Canvas is a story with vast emotional depth with great emphasis and respect for artistic value. Under the pressure of a scythe, four students have to compete with one another to create “the best art piece,” yet struggle to understand how to truly create from the soul due to the freedom of immortality. Each character had personality and uniqueness that made their interactions with one another rich and memorable. I found myself rooting for every one of them throughout the story, and the reveals at the end leave an impact that will not be forgotten soon.
A Martian Minute serves as the selling point of Gleanings, being both backstory for Goddard and a reveal of how the Mars colony was sabotaged. Although it was the longest story of the book, it didn’t feel like it dragged on at any point, with it always remaining tense and exciting. You get wonderful insight into Goddard’s upbringing and how it shaped him as a person - perhaps developing a twinge of empathy for the person he used to be. Additionally, this story gives us far greater insight into Xenocrates’ mind than seen throughout the main series. This story is a must-read for any fans of the series as a whole.
Perchance to Glean uncovers many mysteries relating to the RossShelf charter region and its communal dreaming experiment, following two dreamers and their desperate escape from a pursuing scythe; however, the rules in dreams are less harsh than reality’s, leading to one of the most explosively fantastical adventures, featuring many creative elements that never failed to grip my attention. Despite that, the ending took a sudden shift in tone that was jarring, abrupt, and felt like it destroyed everything that the story was building up toward. Had it ended differently, Perchance to Glean could’ve easily landed in 1st or 2nd place on my rankings.
Overall, Gleanings offers a decently enjoyable selection of narratives from the Arc of a Scythe universe. Not every story will be a hit, but most will leave you feeling satisfied with your read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide attempt
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Injury/Injury detail
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
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.
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.
-----
I enjoyed these short stories set in the world of Scythe. Stay tuned for a full review!
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.
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.
-----
I enjoyed these short stories set in the world of Scythe. Stay tuned for a full review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
ashleyerne's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Murder
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury