Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Rising Thunder by Neal Shusterman - ESSENTIAL

Rising Thunder (Scythe prequel, First Blades #1) by Neal Shusterman
, 560 pages. Simon and Schuster, DECEMBER 2026. $25

Language: PG-13 (55 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13 (deaths mentioned, some bloody)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Who created Thunderhead? Who were the first Scythes and why did they start their gruesome business? How did humankind create immortality?

Welcome back to the beginnings of the world of Scythes where you will find as many questions as you do answers and love every minute of it. Shusterman crafts interesting, complicated, and thoughtful narratives and he does not disappoint as he unveils the first scythes and how they “got the job”. I can’t wait for others to read this so that I have people to talk to about it!

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

No comments: