Thunderhead

Thunderhead is a 2018 science fiction novel by bestselling American author Neal Shusterman. It is the second book in the Arc of a Scythe trilogy and the sequel to Scythe, which introduces a world of human immortality and population control via highly-controlled death under the watchful gaze of a benevolent artificial intelligence, the Thunderhead. Thunderhead continues the story of Rowan Damisch and Citra Terranova one year after the events in Scythe, and introduces Greyson Tolliver and his unique relationship with the godlike presence of the Thunderhead. As humanity and the worldwide scythedom are threatened again by the evil Scythe Goddard, Citra, Rowan, and Greyson struggle to prevent the downfall of civilization. Shusterman combines irony, humor, and high stakes in this story about love, death, grief, compassion, longing, ambition, and pride.

The Arc of a Scythe trilogy has won numerous awards, including the ALA Michael L. Printz Award and the Alexandria Award. Thunderhead was the winner of the Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year Award as well as the ALA/YALSA Teens’ Top Ten List for 2019. This guide references the eBook of the Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.