11.24.2021 | Wednesday

The Toll

category: Book Reviews
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The Tolltitle: The Toll
author: Neal Shusterman
series: Arc of a Scythe #3
published: 5 November 2019
genre(s): dystopian
pages: 626
source: library
format: hardcover
buy/shelve it: Amazon | B&N | BookBub | Goodreads

rating: four-stars | series rating: five-stars

the blurb

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 New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe trilogy, constitutions are tested and old friends are brought back from the dead.


my review

The way Shusterman wove together the storylines of The Toll was masterful. It was done in such a way that I was always completely absorbed by each of them. I especially enjoyed Citra’s story. There was such change in her as a person since she was chosen to become an apprentice. Over the course of the three books, I really fell in love with her. I do wish Rowan had been a little more prominent in this book, but I loved the parts with him I had. Grayson’s arc, too, was fascinating. In the second book, he was sort of swept along, but in this third book, he really came into his own.

I loved most of this book, but one thing kept me from giving it a full five stars. The ending. In my opinion, it was wholly unsatisfying, which is a difficult thing to discuss without spoilers. For one thing, it felt like the villains conclusion was rather anti-climatic. Nor did I feel like the storylines of Grayson, Faraday, Rowan, and Citra were totally finished. I was hoping for some kind of epilogue for them, and for the world itself because the novel felt like it ended before we really saw the whole conclusion.

But I did love the book nonetheless, and there was plenty to keep me turning the pages!

About Neal Shusterman

Neal Shusterman is the author of many novels for young adults, including Unwind, which was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers, Everlost, and Downsiders, which was nominated for twelve state reading awards. He also writes screenplays for motion pictures and television shows such as Animorphs and Goosebumps. The father of four children, Neal lives in southern California.

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