The Toll by Neal Shusterman (review)

Shusterman, Neal The Toll. Simon, 2019 [640p] (Arc of the Scythe) Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-4814-9706-0 $19.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-1-4814-9708-4 $10.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 9-12

In Scythe (BCCB 10/16), Shusterman introduced readers to a world in which natural death was no longer a threat and the principled Scythes controlled the population, selectively "gleaning" people according to scythedom laws. The sequel, Thunderhead (BCCB 2/18), introduced the Thunderhead, the benevolent AI tapped into everyone's lives. That book concluded with our heroes Citra and Rowan flung to the bottom of the sea and rendered "deadish," bad guy Goddard off to bring the world to heel as its Overblade, and the Thunderhead ceasing its connection to humanity, choosing instead Greyson Tolliver (who will soon be known as the Toll) as a sort of prophet. Now Rowan and Citra have revived in a horrible world in which Goddard holds mass gleanings and encourages Scythes to kill as sadistically as they see fit, and the Toll just barely keeps humanity and himself together as the increasingly cryptic Thunderhead promises help but gives few answers. The book earns every one of its 600+ pages, with Shusterman effortlessly balancing multiple subplots, different timelines, the development of old and the introduction of new characters, and bringing it all to a stunning and entirely satisfying ending. Chapters shift among the varying storylines, each one immediately engaging and immersive and then easily woven back into the overall story arc as the focus moves forward. Breathless action sequences will appeal to readers more inclined toward an adrenaline rush, while thought-provoking interrogations of love, religion, humanity, and technology will intrigue fans of more contemplative dystopias and especially viewers of Black Mirror.