I loved being back in the Scythe universe and reading these snippets that could be sprinkled throughout the rest of the series. I really hope there are more books in this universe!

HELLOOOOO? That was so fun! I really loved how this book explored aspects of the original series that were only mentioned in passing like the RossShelf region and I loved exploring the lives of different Scythes!! Also, the way my heart JUMPED anytime Rowan or Citra were mentioned was insane haha. I saw the chapter name “Anastasia’s Shadow” and cried a little cause I miss those characters so much. I’m not even going to lie, I completely forgot Scythe Currie’s original name, so I was very confused who the last story was about until a line mentioning the lavender light being like the robes she used to wear and I burst into tears. Scythe Currie’s death always made me SO sad. Like so unbelievably sad, so while yes, she technically does become someone new in the last story, it made my heart so happy to see her basically get a happy ending, especially after seeing a glimpse of her past in the first story!

I will say, although I adored returning to this world, the BIGGEST miss was not including some story with Rowan and Citra! I’m a sucker for them and would loved to see a glimpse of them. Maybe not even a whole story, but a passing mention of how they’re doing! The end of The Toll BROKE me and I’ve read that series twice. Both times I broke down sobbing because of the epilogue. I wanted something, ANYTHING about how the two of them are doing.

Overall though, so good. I’m not usually a novella enjoyer, even if it’s a series or book I like. I typically lose interest and just want to go back and reread the original series, but this was so much fun to read! I’d honestly love another book just like it, exploring more regions (especially the charter regions), more scythes and what their lives are like and more about after the events of The Toll and the days right after death was conquered! It would be so cool!!

This series had me in a choke hold. I loved every single book and am so glad I got the chance to read this one. I’m a big fan of this author in general and will always be reading their works.

This collection of short stories was everything I wanted it to be, and more. The Arc of a Scythe series might very well be my own Roman Empire - it's a book series I think about frequently and one I discuss regularly with my 8th grade students. Every year I hook more students on this series and it brings me so much joy to see students tearing through these books much like I did when I was first reading them. When I saw this book was coming out, I knew I needed to read it, and read it quickly to recommend to my students.

I loved this.
End of story.

It was full of stories from people I wanted to know more about and stories of people I didn't know I wanted stories about. I found myself eager to start the next story but also cautioning myself to slow down so I could enjoy the stories instead of just devouring them as quickly as I could. This is a perfect endcap for those who finished The Toll and were left wanting just a little more.

I finalllllly got around to reading this. I loved the Scythe trilogy so much & I was so worried this was going to let me down. But it didn’t at all! It was just sooo different from the books & each perspective was unique & eye opening.

I was so excited to receive an early copy of this book because this is a series that I love and adore for so many reasons. Neal Shusterman never disappoints because this was another 10/10 banger.

I loved getting to have more information about some of the characters that I had missed so dearly (and others that made my eye twitch upon hearing their Scythe names). I ate those poems up like they were my favorite snack.

I truly don’t know how Neal can write masterpiece after masterpiece with this level of worldbuilding and make everything feel so genuine and intentional.

I will recommend this to anyone who has read the main trilogy and/or whoever is breathing.

As a middle school teacher who loved the Scythe series by Neal Shusterman, I was excited to explore the anthology "Gleanings" and find a story that would serve as a great stand-alone for a basal or an entryway into the series for a student. One story that stands out is "Formidable." This story provides a glimpse into the early days of Scythe Curie before she became a fully-ordained Scythe. It showcases her determined and fiery personality, making it an engaging read for students who are new to the series. Additionally, the story's exploration of the Scythedom's origins and the world without hunger, disease, or death can spark curiosity and interest in the larger Arc of a Scythe series. Incredible text!

These are great! If you loved the Arc of the Scythe trilogy, you have to read this! It was so nice to be back in the world. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for a review!

Neal Shusterman has become one of my favorite authors. His Dystopian worlds are so interesting and about things I've never seen before. I constantly recommend his books at my library and the world of the Scythedom is loved. Gleanings expanded on the world and we were able to see it through many characters eyes. This book added so much to the series and I would love to see even more stories set in this world.

This is hands down one of my favorite series to recommend to students. I have yet to meet a student who doesn’t like the series and so I was excited to hear there was another book! Luckily it did not disappoint and brought even more insights into the world of Scythes! I loved the other authors tales and the backstories of the Scythes we have grown to love, and hate! We get the origin stories of the Scythes, following The Toll, this felt important and how they were always flawed humans beneath the robes. I hope there are more books to come in this series!

Stars- 5/5

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the Publishers for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I was so excited when I received an arc of this from Netgalley and I loved every single part of it! It was totally not what I expected when reading the short stories but I really enjoyed each one. I absolutely love the Scythedom and the Science Fiction World it resides in so I really enjoyed learning more about some of the main characters in the series and several new characters as well. There is definitely one in particular I liked the most though...

Also just a heads up! This definitely should be read and listed as book 4 in the series as there are a few parts that would spoil the first three books. Go pick up a copy!

Short stories are not my favorite, but it was fun returning to the Arc of a Scythe world. Definitely worth it if you enjoyed the trilogy. For the most part I enjoyed all the stories, but a couple were more in the five star range. The two that stood out were definitely Cirri and Perchance to Glean.

The best anthology I’ve ever read!!! I love how the stories were fun and still stayed true to the essence of the series. I actually wanna reread it and annotate it because there’s so many quotes (especially in the story coauthored by David Yoon) that I wanna remember for the rest of my life. Ughh I love it here! Thank you Simon Teen for sending me an ARC copy

A must-read for anyone who loves the Arc of Scythe series. I was so excited to return to this world, and these stories did not disappoint. While there were a few that seemed unnecessary, I loved the backstories for Goddard and Curie and the nods to other characters from the trilogy, like Ben. An anthology can’t quite match the momentum of the series, but it’s an enjoyable read that continues to offer insight into humanity, as Shusterman always does.

GLEANINGS • Neal Shusterman • Pub Date: November 9, 2022

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. GLEANINGS is a spin-off to the Arc of the Scythe trilogy that delivers short stories from the same world. I would not recommend it as a standalone.

Abridged Goodreads Synopsis: There are still countless tales of the Scythedom to tell. Centuries passed between the Thunderhead cradling humanity and Scythe Goddard trying to turn it upside down. For years humans lived in a world without hunger, disease, or death with Scythes as the living instruments of population control. The Arc of a Scythe series continues with stories that span the timeline. Storylines continue. Origin stories are revealed. And new Scythes emerge...

Back in early 2022, I binged the Arc of the Scythe series. While I found the dystopian plot fascinating, the overall execution ended up being a bit of a letdown. Understandably, I was a little wary to dive back in. I have learned though that I am a big fan of short stories that pull from a series I am already familiar with (e.g. "The Assassin's Blade" was my FAVORITE "Throne of Glass" book...) so I decided to give this book a try. I was NOT disappointed!

First and foremost, let me temper expectations: While there are several short stories centered around characters we already know and love (or detest), none of these short stories are about Citra or Rowan. I personally found this to be a positive, as I would rather dig in to some of the other supporting characters, but if that is why you are picking up this book...you will be disappointed.

Now which familiar names are featured in these short stories? You'll just have to read GLEANINGS to find out! But let's just say that these stories really created a richer picture of their corresponding characters. We also get a few short stories with MCs who we never had a chance to meet in the Scythedom. This gave the author(s) the opportunity to explore some other aspects of the Sythedom that were only hinted at previously.

TLD;DR: This was a great mix of short stories from the Scythedom featuring characters we know, and characters I am so glad were introduced! The short story format allowed Shusterman to get right to the gold - something I felt was lacking in the lengthier novels that made up the trilogy. If you read the Arc of the Scythe series, you'll definitely appreciate this book.

Scythe is literally one of my all time favorite books and something that I loved so much about it was the almost ensemble way it was written. The reader gets to see so many POVs and all with such impeccable timing to maximize the way the story develops. One thing I always wanted with this series was to know more about these characters and this world and GLEANINGS delivered!

There was a perfect balance between new and old characters as well as funny and serious stories. This book made me feel all the feelings and my only wish is that we get Gleanings 2 because I could read short stories set in this world forever.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved the Scythe trilogy and was excited to see this collection of short stories to further round out the collection. The stories vary quite a bit, including different authors. Some I definitely liked more than others.

Although I did not complete this title, I really enjoyed this companion piece gl in the series. The shorter stories were neat to give us more info on scythe beyond the main character

An interesting look into tiny pieces of this world written by different authors. I love the world Shusterman created and was excited to read more about supporting characters within the larger world. Really enjoyed!

5/5 Stars

Loved this. I decided to read the physical copy of this book and was so happy to be back in this world. Absolutely one of my favorite series.