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Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman - 3* - My Review

Thunderhead is the second book in the Arc of a Scythe series. It continues the story of Citra and Rowan in a world where death has been abolished in favor of “gleaning,” which is done by the Scythedom. Citra is now Scythe Anastasia, and Rowan is a is an outlaw vigilante (in hiding) called Scythe Lucifer. She gleans according to what she learned during her education, and he hunts down corrupt scythes who abuse their power. The Thunderhead is a benevolent artificial intelligence that governs humanity but has limited power. The plot builds to a dramatic confrontation, where authoritarian scythes are trying to take control, and the Thunderhead is preparing to intervene.

The narrative shifts between Anastasia and Lucifer, with additional short chapters narrated by the Thunderhead itself. The main theme is how power corrupts those who possess it. I found it an interesting premise, and the world operates according to an internal logic, which I always appreciate. However, Rowan's storyline feels repetitive. He kills a corrupt scythe, escapes, and repeats the cycle. There are several convoluted events, especially (view spoiler)[the reappearance of characters after they had supposedly been killed off. (hide spoiler)] It ends with a dramatic cliffhanger to set up the conclusion of the trilogy. I read this book due to a recommendation from my nephew, and I will likely not read the final book in the series.