Thunderhead

 By Neal Shusterman

There is no separation of general summary and spoilers. Read at your own risk.

So you've likely read Scythe and have now fallen head over heels for honorable Scythes and loathe any mention of gems on clothing. Can we discuss the cover of Thunderhead for a moment?? 

1. The colors are fun! Changing from Scythe's red (I am guessing resembling ultimate power) to now Citra's teal and Rowan's black (gray) is a nice change in pace. I will note, though, that the plot will not change in pace- buckle up.
2. Why is there fire??? (If you got a brief introduction to Thunderhead at the end of Scythe you know why)
3. I love the fact that both of my fictional loves are now present and back to back as if to take on the world together.
4. *If you didn't notice on the cover of Scythe, the person in the red robe has eyelashes, which we now know is Citra, and in the negative space just opposite her in the scythe she wields is an answering face lacking eyelashes, which notes Rowan. So technically to my #3 bullet, they're both on both covers....

Now to the meat of it. 

I was really surprised at the scope and shift in main characters in Thunderhead. Yes, of course Rowan and Citra and Faraday and Curie and Goddard all still exist and we are present in their stories. But the addition of insight into the Thunderhead's cognition and Greyson Tolliver cause a shift in perspective. I anticipated staying within the Scythedom and ironing out all of their wrinkles for three books, truly. It seems Shusterman again has something else planned. We are not just reading about the scythes, we are now reading about the mainframe of how society works. We are learning about the whole planet. Earth is the setting, not just MidMerica with a slight journey to Amazonia. 

To the characters we go:

Greyson's arc confuses me. I know there is still another book to be read, but the set up and time as Slayd make me wonder what could be the goal for him. Also, why does he fall for Purity of all characters??? And that name???? It has to be Shusterman making a joke about the contradictory names people sometimes choose in alternate lives.

I adore Curie and Citra together. They feel like a real team of both best friends and mentor/mentee and mom/daughter. In my posting about Scythe I say that as the author I wouldn't throw another crazy twist in the second book but Shusterman really walks the line. I don't qualify Curie's ending as the same as Faraday's brief demise but the tears definitely followed all the same. 

Rowan is a gorgeous character. I am not talking about his muscles or his face, but his loyalty to good virtues and his saturation with changing the world for the better. The Rowan and Goddard dynamic is both painful and fun to watch. That's the point. That's what I am guessing is what Rowan feels, too. He has fun toying with Goddard but we all know if Goddard wanted him more than deadish it would be easier than igniting a flamethrower.

Goddard. Well.... let's make a quick adjustment to that... Goddard/Tyger. The amount of physical discomfort that came from the depth of my disgust cannot be understated. If you read this and only nodded along or noted 'sure,' when that wheelchair rolled out... are you okay? Do you need to talk to someone- a professional maybe?

Again, Shusterman enjoyed the mini plot lines converging for the beautifully spectacular finale. What a show. Part of me wonders if Shusterman has these crazy ideas and Goddard is just his fall guy for all things insane. That seems to make more logical sense than the opposite; Shusterman knows Goddard to the core and writes terrible things for his character to accomplish. It's got to be the former. Shusterman has ideas about a floating island now sinking with all of the Scythedom eaten alive by sharks and simply giving Goddard the credit. ...and then Goddard giving Lucifer the credit. 

Rowan and Citra were definitely intimate in that vault. 

"In these terminal minutes of their current lives, it was just the two of them finally, finally giving in         to their ultimate act of completion. The binary becoming the one." Thunderhead p.500

There's no way we could be dealing with a Scythe baby in The Toll. The physical turmoil Citra's body will endure while hidden in Endura at the bottom of a freezing sea would not lend itself to sustaining her own life, let alone a child's. At least this is what I am telling myself for now. Shusterman, as discussed, has been known to throw a wicked curveball, though. 

And now to The Toll. If I were speculating I would likely guess that the Toll will have a lot to do with the Great Resonance that was the Thunderhead screaming. Originally, when I read Scythe (and had all 3 books on my shelf waiting for me) I hypothesized that The Toll would be about the Tolling of the Names from the first item on the scythe agenda in conclave. Maybe this is true, though I am not so sure.  We shall find out soon!

*I know that was long, but there are a lot of things to discuss*

Happy Reading, Bookworms!