Scythe + Thunderhead (Books #1 & 2 of the Arc of a Scythe trilogy) [B0977]

2019 PBs with some wear. A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021). A thrilling Printz Honor-winning series by National Book Award-winning author Neal Shusterman in which Citra and Rowan learn that a perfect world comes only with a heavy price. Thou shalt not kill: A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life-and they are commanded to do so to keep the size of the population under control. Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice with a scythe-a role that neither wants. These teens must master the "art" of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own. When they try to break free of their roles, the two apprentices discover those in power will not peacefully relinquish their control. Can Citra and Rowan change things for the better without being silenced themselves? Note: the 3rd book in the series is 'The Toll'.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Honestly, I would recommend to anyone who loves a good thriller, sci fi, or dystopian book. My overall favorite series!"; "Definitely one of my favorite series of all time. Amazing writing-I don't usually care about more than the main characters in a story like this, but all of the side characters and stories were so engaging and rich that they drew me in. The way that every story ties together is very satisfying and fun to read."; "SO Good. I just finished Thunderhead, so I'm onto Book 3 of the series!"; "This series shook me. If I could pick one thing for everyone to read, this would be it. I did not expect to like this series at all, but now it is my favorite. This is my first written review for any book since I'm usually too lazy to write them (lol) but this book 110% deserved this. PLEASE read this even if you don't think you will enjoy it at first."