Book Review

Book Review: The Toll (Arc of a Scythe #3) by Neal Shusterman

Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: Young adult sci-fi + dystopian
Length: 627 pages
Author: Neal Shusterman
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: November 5th, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

It’s been three years since Rowan and Citra disappeared; since Scythe Goddard came into power; since the Thunderhead closed itself off to everyone but Grayson Tolliver.

In this pulse-pounding conclusion to Neal Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe trilogy, constitutions are tested and old friends are brought back from the dead.

I THINK I LIKED THIS?

This was an…interesting finale. And I had REALLY hyped it up (especially after the ending of Thunderhead). I was expecting a lot from this book, and something a lot different which is why my feelings are a bit mixed up over it.

Who did I miss most? ROWAN AND CITRA. I felt like they were barely in this. And I thought they were supposed to be the whole crux of the story, it really turned out to be the Thunderhead. That was different in its own right.

Y’all. I had seen multiple reviews about people not knowing what was happening. And I was thinking how odd that was…then I read it. No lie, til about 500 pages in I didn’t quite know where everything was going. It was a tad ridiculous. Everything was hidden so much that I felt it dragging because the level of action in the previous book wasn’t present here.

I’m finding it difficult to write out this review because everything was not as I imagined. It was honestly kind of heart breaking watching the demise of the planet because of Goddard. I liked having so many different POVs though because that gave me perspectives from truly every angle. I saw what the protagonists and antagonists were thinking, and even what some random side characters were witnessing. It helped round out the narrative.

The evolution of the Thunderhead was intense. This all powerful AI somehow had some actual humanity in him and helped lead the charge for change. I would go into more detail on this, but it would be best if you went into this blind! I promise it’s at least interesting and will make you think.

Overall audience notes:

  • Young adult sci-fi + dystopian
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: a lot (which should be no surprise), page 107 – suicide by drowning, multiple killings in hundreds of different ways

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Monthly Wrap-Up

Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: December 2019

Oh hey, LAST READING MONTH OF THE DECADE.

And what a month it was. I tried to read as many Christmas books as I could get my hands on to really feel that Christmas spirit. It totally worked. I had a lot of fantastic reads for the end of the year.

  • Starsight (Skyward #2) by Brandon Sanderson – (☆☆☆☆)
  • The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones – (☆☆☆ 1/2)
  • There Will Come a Darkness (The Age of Darkness #1) by Katy Rose Pool – (☆☆☆ 1/2)
  • Bid My Soul Farewell (Give the Dark my Love #2) by Beth Revis – (☆☆☆ 1/2)
  • Of Rioters & Royals (Swift Shadows #1) by M.L. Greye – (☆☆☆☆)
  • Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Powell and Faith Erin Hicks – (☆☆☆☆)
  • Capturing the Devil (Stalking Jack the Ripper #4) by Kerri Maniscalco – (☆☆☆☆)
  • It Happened at Christmas by Christen Krumm – (☆☆☆☆ 1/2)
  • The Toll (Arc of a Scythe #3) by Neal Shusterman – (☆☆☆ 1/2)
  • Christmas Like This by Carina Taylor – (☆☆)
  • Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw – (☆☆☆ 1/2)
  • Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center – (☆☆☆☆)
  • Faking Under the Mistletoe by Ashley Shepherd – (☆☆☆☆☆)
  • Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss by Kasie West – (☆☆☆)
  • Defy the Stars (Constellation #1) by Claudia Gray – (☆☆☆☆☆)
  • [ARC] Entwined Paths (Swift Shadows #2) by M.L. Greye – (☆☆☆☆)
  • Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
  • One Christmas in Winter by Bell Renshaw – (☆☆☆☆)
  • [ARC] Ashlords by Scott Reintgen – (☆☆☆☆)
  • Defy the Worlds (Constellation #2) by Claudia Gray – (☆☆☆☆ 1/2)
  • The Beautiful (The Beautiful #1) by Renee Ahdieh – (☆☆☆☆)
  • Defy the Fates (Constellation #3) by Claudia Gray – (☆☆☆☆ 1/2)
  • Veins of Magic (The Otherworld #2) by Emma Hamm – (☆☆☆☆)
  • East (East #1) by Edith Pattou – (☆☆☆☆)

My favorite this month: Faking Under the Mistletoe

Least favorite this month: Christmas Like This

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Top 10 Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Fall TBR

Happy Top Ten Tuesday!

I broke this into two parts because not only are their some great new releases coming out, there’s also a huge stack of books I’m staring at in my house that need to be read too. Lots of books to read this fall y’all.

NEW RELEASES ON MY FALL TBR:

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones


The Beautiful (The Beautiful #1) by Renee Ahdieh


The Toll (Arc of a Sycthe #3) by Neal Shusterman


Supernova (Renegades #3) by Marissa Meyer


Starsight (Skyward #2) by Brandon Sanderson


The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air #3) by Holly Black


Ninth House (Ninth House Series #1) by Leigh Bardugo


Fireborne (The Aurelian Cycle #1) by Rosaria Munda


Blood Heir (Blood Heir Trilogy #1) by Amelie Wen Zhao


The Sky Weaver (Iskari #3) by Kristen Ciccarelli

BOOKS I’M DETERMINED TO READ THIS FALL:

Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive #2) by Brandon Sanderson


Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars #1) by Elizabeth Lim


A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell #1) by Deanna Raybourn


The Hollow Boy (Lockwood & Co. #3) by Jonathan Stroud


Hunting Prince Dracula (Stalking Jack the Ripper #2) by Kerri Maniscalco


There Will Come a Darkness (The Age of Darkness #1) by Katy Rose Pool


The Vine Witch (Vine Witch #1) by Luanne G. Smith


The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar


Vortex Visions (Air Awakens: Vortex Chronicles #1) by Elise Kova


The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1) by Julie Kagawa

What books are on your fall TBR? Any new releases or are you trying to conquer your back list? May we not be buried by our TBR this fall! Lets talk in the comments.

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Book Review

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases of the Second Half of 2019

Oh y’all. I have been really behind on blogging. I feel like I’ve gotten into a bit of a rut with it all. I’m keeping up with reviews, but otherwise it’s felt like a lot to get other posts. And when that happens I think that’s a sign to back away for a bit.

BUT. I am also interested in keeping up with Top Ten Tuesday. And this one is easy and fun to do so lets get started!


In no particular order because my excitement level is through the roof for all of these…

Smaller note: this is in by no way all of them. THESE DECISIONS ARE HARD. The rest of 2019 is going to have some amazing releases.


The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air #3) by Holly Black


Dark Age (Red Rising Sage #5) by Pierce Brown


Ninth House (Ninth House Series #1) by Leigh Bardugo


Vow of Thieves (Dance of Thieves #2) by Mary E. Pearson


Rage (Stormheart #2) by Cora Carmack


The Toll (Arc of a Scythe #3) by Neal Shusterman


The Traitor’s Kingdom (The Traitor’s Circle #3) by Erin Beaty


Starsight (Skyward #2) by Brandon Sanderson


Supernova (Renegades #3) by Marissa Meyer


Wild Savage Stars (Sweet Black Waves #2) by Kristina Perez

Are any of these on your TBR? What’s one of your most anticipated 2019 releases? Lets talk in the comments!

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