The Toll

The Toll (2019) is the final book in the Arc of a Scythe trilogy by Neal Shusterman. The trilogy is a Young Adult (YA) dystopian series set in a world in which humankind has conquered death. In a universe where disease and aging have been eradicated, chosen figures called Scythes control the population by deciding who must be killed. While Scythedom may seem like a perfect system, the series gradually reveals its inherent corruption and brutality. The final installment unfolds in the aftermath of a disaster that leaves the fate of the world in question, the bloodthirsty scythe Robert Goddard in charge of all resources, and the honorable scythes Faraday, Rowan, and Citra assumed dead. It now falls to the Thunderhead, the AI programmed to serve humanity, and a mysterious figure named the Toll, to save humankind. The Toll was nominated for the GoodReads Choice Award in the Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction category and has been praised for its unconventional ending and its deep dive into ethical and philosophical issues.

This guide uses the 2019 Walker Brothers paperback edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide contain descriptions of violence and suicide, and instances of bias against people with genderfluid identities.