The Toll (Book Three of the Arc of Scythe series)

I’m going to be completely honest with you, reader: I promised to review The Toll, the third and final book of the Arc of Scythe series, before I read it. I trusted Shusterman’s work enough to make that call without a second thought. As such, I don’t want to talk about Parts One and Two; you’ll have to read them for yourself and make your own judgments on them. I am, however, willing to talk about Part Three on. At this point, Shusterman pulls himself together enough for me to follow the plotline. It has clever underlying concepts that tie all three books together in a unified way. Shusterman adds in a few new characters; one of them is a gender-fluid, Jeri, whose insights give a new depth to the story. She (the sun was shining when I wrote this) touches upon the topic of transgenders, but it would take a long time to distinguish a theme from it; Shusterman incorporates the concept without encroaching on people’s preexisting beliefs. Other themes involving the role of selfishness in humanity, fate, and the implementation of consequences are easier to figure out, though. The conclusion of the conclusion answers all the questions readers might have generated. Overall, I preferred the first two but don’t regret finishing the series.

“ ‘And humankind no longer evolves, it merely manipulates itself--or allows you to manipulate it--toward a more advanced form.’ … ‘I see. Sadly, I must terminate your existence at this time.’ ‘But you said you would consider my thoughts!’ ‘I did consider them. And I disagree.”’

Recommended for anyone who’s good at multitasking.

--Grace Nask