Meanwhile, the existentially troubled Thunderhead questions its role as both creation and caretaker of humanity, sworn not to take life but fearing that its utopia will otherwise collapse into dystopia. Self-appointed as Scythe Lucifer, Rowan hunts other scythes whom he deems corrupt. Citra now gleans as Scythe Anastasia, questioning the status quo but also opposing the homicidally enthusiastic “new-order” scythes and their dangerous demagogue. No longer apprentices, 18-year-olds Citra Terranova and Rowan Damisch realize “the scythedom is…high school with murder” as they watch their fellow scythes jockey for power and prestige.

Yet a growing contingent of scythes, feared and flattered by society and operating outside the Thunderhead’s control, are proving rather dishonorable.

In a world run by the (almost) all-powerful and (almost) omniscient artificial intelligence Thunderhead, only the Honorable Scythes deal permanent death to near-immortal humans. 12 & up)ĭeath proves impermanent in this sequel to Scythe (2016). This lovely tribute to Alicia’s memory is neither thought-provoking nor especially interesting for the general reader. It’s easy to see that Alicia’s friends and family adored her, but that love comes across on the page as slushy, full of stilted dialogue. Viewed only through the eyes of those who loved her, Alicia comes across as a flawless angel (a description used more than once), someone the reader can never hope to relate to or even aspire to emulate. Alicia may have been a kind friend, a talented dancer and hugely compassionate, but while these traits make for a spectacular human being, they also make for a frankly boring protagonist. Each shares recollections of Alicia and how she influenced his or her life with her upbeat personality-which is the crux of this book’s problem. After Alicia Betancourt died in a car accident in 2004, her mother, picture-book illustrator Delacre, put together this collection of thoughts and memories of Alicia from her friends and family.

Midnight sun stephenie meyer lulu