CANR
WORK TITLE: Courage to Dream
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.storyman.com/
CITY: Dove Canyon
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COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 412
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born November 12, 1962, in New York, NY; son of Milton and Charlotte Shusterman; married Elaine Jones (a teacher and photographer), January 31, 1987 (divorced); children: Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle, Erin.
EDUCATION:University of California, Irvine, B.A., 1985.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Screenwriter, playwright, and novelist. Director of educational films, including Heart on a Chain, MTI Film and Video, 1992, and What about the Sisters?, Coronet/MTI, 1994.
MEMBER:PEN, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Writers Guild of America (West).
AWARDS:Children’s Choice, International Reading Association, 1988, for The Shadow Club; American Library Association (ALA) Best Book, 1992, Children’s Choice, 1992, and Young Adult Choice, 1993, both International Reading Association, all for What Daddy Did; C.I.N.E. Golden Eagle Award for education, 1994, for What about the Sisters?; Best Books for Reluctant Readers, ALA, 1993, for The Eyes of Kid Midas; Best Books for Reluctant Readers, ALA, 1997, for MindQuakes: Stories to Shatter Your Brain; ALA Quick Pick Top Ten List and Best Book for Young Adults, both 1998, for The Dark Side of Nowhere; Boston Globe—Horn Book Award for fiction, 2005, for The Schwa Was Here, 2015, for Challenger Deep; ALA Top Ten Pick for Reluctant Readers and Best Young Adult Book, 2008, for Unwind; Young Adult Choice, International Reading Association, 2008, and ALA Popular Paperback, 2009, both for Everlost; and ALA/Young Adult Library Services Association Quick Picks, 2011, for Bruiser; National Book Award for young people’s literature, 2015, for Challenger Deep; Michael L. Printz Honor Book, 2017, for Scythe;Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults, 2024; Sydney Taylor Book Award Silver Medals in the Young Adult category, for Courage to Dream.
WRITINGS
Also author (with Eric Elfman) of film script Class Act. Creator of “How to Host a Mystery” and “How to Host a Murder” games.
Downsiders was optioned for a television movie by the Disney Channel, with a script by Shusterman; Everlost was optioned for film by Universal Studios, with a script by Shusterman; The Schwa Was Here was optioned for film, to be directed by Ron Underwood; Unwind was optioned for film, with a script by Shusterman; Game Changer was developed for a television series on Netflix; Paramount Pictures developed Dry for film.
SIDELIGHTS
“Writers are a lot like vampires,” noted author Neal Shusterman on his home page. “A vampire will never come into your house, unless invited—and once you invite one in, he’ll grab you by the throat, and won’t let you go. A writer’s much the same.” Shusterman, an award-winning author of books for young adults, screenplays, stage plays, music, and games, works in genres ranging from biography and realistic fiction to fantastic mystery, science fiction, and thriller. Following the publication of Dissidents, Shusterman’s third book, Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books contributor Roger Sutton called the author “a strong storyteller and a significant new voice in YA fiction.” Lyle Blake, writing in School Library Journal, found The Eyes of Kid Midas to be “inspired and hypnotically readable.” In his many books for young readers, including his popular “Dark Fusion” series for older teens, Shusterman acts the part of benevolent vampire, “feeding on your turmoil, as well as feeding on your peace,” as the author explained on his home page.
It was this power of books not only to entertain and inform but to totally captivate that Shusterman himself experienced as a young reader. At age ten, Shusterman, who was born and raised in Brooklyn, went off to summer camp. One particular book, Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach, which he discovered in the rafters of one of the cabins, swept him away in time and place, as did Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory not long after. “I remember wishing that I could create something as imaginative,” Shusterman said on his home page. Writing his own stories came soon thereafter; inspired by the movie Jaws, he wrote the scenario of a similarly beleaguered small town, substituting giant sand worms for the shark.
As a teen Shusterman moved with his family to Mexico City, Mexico, where he finished high school, and then went on to the University of California, Irvine, where he earned a degree in drama and psychology and set out to write his own novels. Returning to the same summer camp he had attended as a boy—now as a counselor—he tried out his stories on youthful ears and left another copy of Jonathan Livingston Seagull in the rafters for some other imaginative youth to discover. At age twenty-two he became the youngest syndicated columnist in the country when his humor column was picked up by Syndicated Writer’s Group.
Shusterman gained extensive recognition for his first novel, The Shadow Club, published in 1988. It tells the story of seven middle-school friends who grow tired of living in the shadows of their rivals. Each one is second-best at something, and they form a secret club to get back at the students who are number one. At first they restrict their activities to harmless practical jokes like putting a snake in an actress’s thermos or filling a trumpet player’s horn with green slime. Before long, however, their pranks become more destructive and violent. The mystery involves whether the members of the club have unleashed “a power that feeds on a previously hidden cruel or evil side of their personalities,” wrote David Gale in School Library Journal, or whether another student has been responsible for the more dangerous actions. In Voice of Youth Advocates, Lesa M. Holstine predicted that the book would be popular with young adults, since it would likely resemble their own experience with “rivalries and constantly changing friendships.” A long-awaited sequel, The Shadow Club Rising, was published in 2002.
In Dissidents, Derek is a rebellious fifteen-year-old who is shipped off to Moscow to live with his disinterested mother, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, after his father dies in a car accident. Derek misses his father, hates all the restrictions of his new life, has trouble making friends at school, and acts out his frustrations in wild behavior. He soon becomes fascinated with Anna, the daughter of an exiled Soviet dissident, after he sees her in a television interview. Anna’s mother is dying, and Derek comes up with a scheme to reunite her with her father. Although a Publishers Weekly contributor found Shusterman’s portrayal of U.S.-Soviet relations “simplistic,” the reviewer went on to praise the book as “a briskly paced, intriguing” adventure. Kristiana Gregory, writing in the Los Angeles Times Book Review, called Dissidents “an excellent glimpse of life on the other side of the globe.”
According to Horn Book reviewer Ellen Fader, Speeding Bullet treats readers to a “gritty, fast-paced, and, at times, funny” tale. Nick is an angst-ridden tenth-grader who does poorly in school and has no luck with girls. His life changes dramatically one day when, without thinking, he puts himself in danger to rescue a little girl who is about to be hit by a subway train. He becomes a hero and is thanked personally by the mayor of New York City. Nick then decides to make saving people his mission in life, and before long he also rescues an old man from a burning building. His newfound celebrity status gets the attention of Linda, the beautiful but deceitful daughter of a wealthy developer, and the two begin dating. Nick continues rescuing people, but he soon discovers that Linda has set up the situations and paid actors to portray people in distress. His next real rescue attempt results in Nick being shot, but he recovers and ends up with a better outlook on life. In School Library Journal, Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst called Shusterman’s book “a complex, multilayered novel” that would provide young adults with “much material for contemplation,” while a writer for Publishers Weekly found it “a fast-paced modern parable with compelling characters and true-to-life dialogue.”
Shusterman’s book What Daddy Did is based on a true story. It is presented as the diary of fourteen-year-old Preston, whose father killed his mother during a heated argument. It details Preston’s complex emotions as he deals with the tragedy, learns to live without his parents, and then struggles with his father’s release from prison. Preston finally comes to forgive his father and even serves as best man when his father remarries. Dorothy M. Broderick, writing in Voice of Youth Advocates, called What Daddy Did “a compelling, spellbinding story of a family gone wrong,” adding that it might inspire young adults to “actually stop and think about their own relationship with their parents.” Though Gerry Larson commented in School Library Journal that “too many issues are not sufficiently resolved” in the book, Rita M. Fontinha wrote in Kliatt that it “is an important book for many reasons: violence, love, faith, growth, denial, forgiveness are all explored and resolved.”
In The Eyes of Kid Midas Shusterman takes a fantasy situation and shows the frightening consequences as it spins out of control. Kevin Midas, the smallest kid in the seventh grade, is continually picked on by class bullies and annoyed by his family at home. Then he climbs to the top of a mysterious hill on a school trip and finds a magical pair of sunglasses that make all his wishes come true. At first, he uses the sunglasses for simple things such as making an ice cream cone appear in his hand or making a bully jump into a lake. Over time he becomes addicted to the power, even though he realizes that his wishes can be dangerous and irreversible. When even his dreams start turning into reality and no one seems to notice that anything is out of the ordinary besides him, Kevin must find a way to return things to normal before it is too late. Voice of Youth Advocates contributor Judith A. Sheriff stated that events in the novel “provide much for thought and discussion, yet do not get in the way of a well-told and intriguing story.” Writing in the Wilson Library Bulletin, Frances Bradburn noted that “Shusterman has written a powerful fantasy based on every adolescent’s desire to control his or her life,” while a contributor to Publishers Weekly called the book both “imaginative and witty” and one that “convincingly proves the dangers of the narcissistic ethos of having it all.”
The Dark Side of Nowhere, a science-fiction thriller, finds teenager Jason feeling trapped in his small town until he discovers an awful secret about himself. Jason undergoes an identity crisis and a crucial choice after discovering that he is the son of aliens who stayed on Earth following an unsuccessful invasion. In Booklist Carolyn Phelan noted that the novel contains “a fast-paced story, giving Jason many vivid, original turns of phrase.” A writer for Kirkus Reviews felt that “Shusterman delivers a tense thriller that doesn’t duck larger issues” and “seamlessly combines gritty, heart-stopping plotting with a wealth of complex issues.” School Library Journal contributor Bruce Anne Shook concluded that The Dark Side of Nowhere serves up “great science fiction.”
With Downsiders Shusterman again skirts the boundaries between reality and science fiction/fantasy. Talon is a young New Yorker with a difference. His people live underground—the “Downsiders” of the title—in the sewers and subways beneath the city. His people never mix with “Topsiders” until Talon falls for Lindsay. But their fragile romance is threatened when Lindsay’s father, a city engineer, is working on an underground aqueduct and one of Talon’s friends denounces him for his collaboration with the Topsiders. The book contains “sophisticated social satire,” wrote Shook in a School Library Journal review of the book. Although Shook acknowledged “a few weak spots,” the critic went on to call Downsiders “an exciting and entertaining story that will please fans of adventure, science fiction, and fantasy.” Janice M. Del Negro, reviewing the title for Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, commented specifically on the “quick and suspenseful” pace of the novel and on the “believable underground culture” that Shusterman creates. The novelist “twines suspense and satire through this ingenious tale,” wrote a contributor to Kirkus Reviews, summarizing Downsiders as a “cleverly envisioned romp.”
A “surreal, scary fantasy, packed with suspenseful psychological drama,” according to Booklist contributor Ed Sullivan, Full Tilt finds sixteen-year-old Blake embroiled in a mystery after he receives an invitation from a beautiful young woman. The invitation is to a private carnival, and when Blake’s older brother Quinn goes in Blake’s stead, he winds up in a comatose state. When Blake learns that Quinn has lost his very soul, he must endure a test that includes seven horrifying carnival rides, all of which tap into his deepest childhood fears. Full Tilt “will have readers glued to the pages,” concluded Paula Rohrlick in Kliatt, who also noted the book’s “clever dialogue and … carnival ride action.”
In his 2010 novel, Bruiser, Shusterman explores the implications of one character’s ability to absorb the physical and psychological pains of those he loves. Teenager Brewster Rawlins appears to be a big, antisocial bad boy, but when Bronte Sternberger begins to date him, she learns that he loves poetry. As she and her twin brother, Tennyson, become better acquainted with Brewster, they notice their everyday scrapes healing with unexpected speed, while Brewster suffers many new injuries. According to a Kirkus Reviews contributor, the novel is “wrenching but ultimately redemptive.” Concluded the reviewer: “Shusterman spins a fantastic tale that sheds light on everyday life.” Lynn Rutan in Booklist considered Bruiser “thought-provoking.” She found a pivotal crisis “a bit convenient” but maintained that “the compelling issues and engaging premise make this a rewarding read.” Writing for the Voice of Youth Advocates, Victoria Vogel said that “Shusterman’s writing is wonderful and a joy to read.” She commented that the book’s shifting viewpoints make it “a bit frustrating at times,” but like Rutan she summed it up as “compelling and thought-provoking.”
The 2015 book Challenger Deep features a fifteen-year-old boy named Caden Bosch. Caden suffers from schizophrenia, and he often believes he is on ship that is sailing to Challenger Deep, the deepest part of the Marianas trench. Caden speaks often with the crew and the captain, and his delusions are occasionally broken by moments of clarity. Eventually, Caden begins to realize that the ship’s crew occasionally resembles his friends and family. After Caden is sent to a psychiatric hospital, his doctors and fellow patients also morph into crewmembers. Notably, the story is filled with illustrations by the author’s schizophrenic son, Brendan Shusterman. Brendan’s drawings were made during a psychotic episode, underscoring the interplay between reality and fantasy.
Sharing his inspiration for the story in a Horn Book Online interview with Elissa Gershowitz, Shusterman remarked: “When my son was in high school, he began to show signs of mental illness. In the depths of it, when he couldn’t tell the difference between what was real and what was in his mind, in a moment of despair, he said to me, ‘Sometimes it feels like I’m at the bottom of the ocean screaming at the top of my lungs and no one can hear me.’ That’s when I knew what Challenger Deep had to be about. I held on to the idea for six years before I began writing it.” As Deirdre F. Baker noted in Horn Book, “Caden’s narrative is all the more engulfing because of the abundant wit and creativity evident in the eccentric specifics of his perceptions.” A Publishers Weekly critic was also impressed, asserting that Challenger Deep “turns symptoms into lived reality in ways readers won’t easily forget.” According to Jennifer Bruer Kitchel in BookPage, “ Challenger Deep is difficult to read at times … but it is also extremely compelling and hard to resist. Shusterman is a master storyteller and it shows.”
Humor and reality also mix in the novels The Schwa Was Here and Antsy Does Time, both of which focus on quick-witted Brooklyn middle-schooler Antsy Bonano. In The Schwa Was Here, Antsy and his friends befriend a shy boy named Calvin Schwa and become fascinated by Calvin’s ability to be totally overlooked in most social situations. A scheme is hatched to take advantage of their new friend’s talent, but when it goes too far the boys must endure a punishment that ultimately yields Antsy a new friend. When friend Gunnar is diagnosed with a fatal disease, Antsy signs over four weeks of his own life to the boy in Antsy Does Time. A date with Gunnar’s attractive sister is a surprising result, but Antsy’s unselfish act also has more annoying consequences. In Booklist John Peters described Shusterman’s young hero as a teen “whose glib tongue and big heart are as apt to get him into trouble as out of it,” while Horn Book critic Sarah Ellis called Antsy “a fresh and winning amalgam of smart aleck and schlemiel.” Shusterman’s young characters “are infused with the kind of controlled, precocious improbability that magically vivifies the finest children’s classics,” concluded Jeffrey Hastings in a School Library Journal review of The Schwa Was Here.
Antsy’s adventures continue in Ship out of Luck, and the series protagonist is about to turn eighteen. To celebrate, Old Man Crawley invites Antsy and his family to take a cruise on the Plethora of the Deep. The five-star cruise ship is headed to the Caribbean. Antsy’s sister, Lexie, even brings her service dog, Moxie, along. The group sets sail over Fourth of July weekend, and Antsy’s falls for a girl named Tilde while onboard. Unfortunately, Tilde has a few criminal plans in mind, and she wants Antsy to join in her endeavors. Will Antsy avoid trouble before it’s too late?
Lauding the story in Voice of Youth Advocates, Christina Miller remarked: “Though sometimes a bit far-fetched, Ship out of Luck is suspenseful and humorous and … chock full of idioms, metaphors and analogies.” Bradburn, writing in Booklist commended Ship out of Luck, calling it “a funny Shusterman romp that plays right into the latest cruise ship disaster stories.” Offering further applause in Kirkus Reviews, a columnist advised that the story “is full of sharp quips and amusing observations, is beautifully constructed and contains a meticulously foreshadowed yet completely surprising plot twist.”
In Scorpion Shards, Shusterman takes special powers one step beyond, enlisting the science-fiction/fantasy genre and the realms of the supernatural for his three-part “Star Shards” series. A Publishers Weekly contributor noted that in the series debut “Shusterman takes on an outlandish comic-book concept and, through the sheer audacity and breadth of his imagination, makes it stunningly believable.” In Scorpion Shards six teens are outcasts because of the usual afflictions of adolescence, such as acne, obesity, and the fear of being different. However, the exaggerated sense of their problems is also accompanied by something special: supernatural powers. Tory’s acne causes her to taint everything she touches; Travis likes to break things and ultimately destroys several homes in a landslide. Soon these six divide into two groups: those who want to get rid of such powers and those who wish to cultivate them. “This is a classic story about the battle between [good] and evil made especially gripping as the teenagers struggle with opposing forces literally within themselves,” wrote Kliatt contributor Donna L. Scanlon. In Booklist, Bill Ott noted that “with all the symbols, metaphors, archetypes—so much meaning—clanging around in this book, it’s hard for the characters to draw a breath.” However, Ott went on to note of Scorpion Shards that “the horror story is suspenseful and compelling.”
The second novel in the “Star Shards” trilogy, Thief of Souls, follows five of the teens who have discovered the origins of their superhuman powers. Although they have attempted to live normal lives, Dianna, Tory, Lourdes, Winston, and Michael are now drawn to San Simeon, California, by their sixth companion, Dillon, and enlisted to become what a reviewer for Publishers Weekly described as “misguided miracle workers.” “Echoes of classical and Christian mythology reverberate throughout this tale of fallible messiahs and fallen creatures,” noted the reviewer, “giving it an uncommonly solid subtext.” Jackie Cassada, reviewing Thief of Souls in Library Journal, commented that Shusterman’s “economy of style and bare-bones characterization propel his tale to its climax with few distractions.”
The futuristic “Star Shards” series concludes with The Shattered Sky, which focuses on the battle between the six teens and an evil soul eater, Okoya. Now Earth is invaded by three Vectors, travelers from another dimension that survive extinction by feasting on souls. Okoya is kin to these new invaders, and he is worried that he will be killed by his alien comrades should the invasion succeed. Okoya attempts to strike a bargain with Dillon, one of the most powerful shards and one of the few who has not been compromised. Noting that The Shattered Sky is “not for the squeamish” due to its graphic descriptions, a Publishers Weekly critic nonetheless wrote that the book’s “strong themes of morality, vengeance and the emotional cost of great power should intrigue thoughtful readers.”
A second novel trilogy, Shusterman’s “Dark Fusion” series, weaves traditional folk stories and mythology into its plots. In series opener Dread Locks, readers meet wealthy, overindulged fourteen-year-old Parker Baer. When beautiful, golden-haired Brit Tara Herpecheveux and her family move in next door, Parker is fascinated, and although Tara has some odd habits, she quickly becomes one of the most sought-after friends at school. Her new friends, however, all contract a strange illness that eventually turns them to stone. Noting that Shusterman’s novel presents an “updated melding” of the Goldilocks story and the tale of the legendary Medusa, Rohrlick in Kliatt deemed Dread Locks “a fast-moving, spine-chilling story” mixing both horror and fantasy. In School Library Journal Molly S. Kinney wrote that “most books of this genre rarely deliver a message so powerfully,” and in Booklist Debbie Carton dubbed Dread Locks a “fast-paced, short read [that] will be a big hit with fans of Daren Shan.”
The “Dark Fusion” series continues with Red Rider’s Hood and Duckling Ugly, both of which draw on the dark side of traditional fairy stories. In Red Rider’s Hood the story of Little Red Riding Hood blends with the werewolf legend in the author’s tale of a street-smart urban teen who infiltrates a gang called the Wolves in order to avenge his grandmother’s mugging but finds that a strange force is drawing him toward accepting the gang’s nocturnal lifestyle. In Duckling Ugly, Shusterman weaves a fictional mix that includes strands of “The Ugly Duckling,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Sleeping Beauty” in his story about Cara de Fido, a teen whose ugly appearance and odd behaviors make her an outcast among her peers. Cara still has normal teen feelings, however, and that includes a crush on a handsome boy. When she is rejected, the teen runs away, determined to find her destiny even though it may cause suffering to others. In School Library Journal Sharon Rawlins called Duckling Ugly “a dark, edgy, and suspenseful tale,” and Rohrlick wrote in Kliatt that Red Rider’s Hood “features lots of action and creepy details,” making it attractive to reluctant readers.
Shusterman began another series, called the “Skinjacker” trilogy, with his 2006 novel Everlost, which finds two teens trapped together in a strange limbo world after dying in a car accident. Shusterman’s “action-packed plot moves quickly,” noted Susan Dove Lempke in her Horn Book review, “and the characters grow and change as they learn to cope with their new existence.”
The “Skinjacker” trilogy continues with Everwild, in which Shusterman further develops the conflicts between Alice Hightower, an Everlost resident who wants to keep as many children as possible there with her, and Nick, who is also known as the Chocolate Ogre and who seeks to release denizens into the light. The author also delves into the ways of Skinjackers—Everlost residents who are there because of coma rather than death and can take over the bodies of other living people. “Shusterman has created a new way to be undead,” wrote Eric Norton in the School Library Journal, summarizing Everwild as “a perfect read for the spooky time of the year.” Lempke described the novel in Horn Book as an “unusual but hard-to-follow story,” adding that it is “thought-provoking and scary.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor thought it “a fascinating read penned by an expert hand.”
Everfound escalates Mary’s efforts to annihilate the living world and introduces a character capable of causing eternal death. Cheryl Clark in the Voice of Youth Advocates felt that “Shusterman has worked his usual literary magic in this fantastic finale.” Acknowledging that it is “vivid,” Andy Sawyer in School Librarian expressed the concern that Everfound is “rather less than the sum of its imaginative parts” while also taking note of its “gripping subplots” and “poignant moments.” Highlighting the novel’s “skillfully written dialogue” and “impressively built world,” Sam Bloom in the School Library Journal perceived some “shortcomings” in the work, which he nevertheless maintained “shouldn’t be too much of a bother” to series fans. “Rich in detail, with exceptional characterization … this is an engrossing and thoroughly satisfying ending to a unique saga,” in the opinion of a Kirkus Reviews contributor.
Unwind, a near-future fable inspired by the abortion debate that finds unwanted children over age thirteen relegated to use as a collection of harvest-ready body parts through a process known as retroactive pregnancy termination. When Connor, Lev, and Risa are scheduled for “unwinding,” the teens escape in the hope that they can find a place to safely live out their natural lives. In Unwind, the author “manages to create and balance three separate and compelling journeys of self-discovery,” according to Claire E. Gross in her Horn Book review of the novel, and in School Library Journal Amy J. Chow praised the book’s “gripping, omniscient” narration. Commenting on the provocative premise underlining Unwind, Ned Vizzini wrote in his New York Times Book Review that “ultimately, … the power of the novel lies in what it doesn’t do: come down explicitly on one side or the other” of the socially sanctioned taking of human life.
Unwind serves as the first installment of an eponymous series, and the second installment UnWholly, begins as Connor, Lev, and Risa continue to maintain and protect the underground unwinds safe houses. Some of the heroes’ charges actually want to turn themselves in, but Connor, Lev, and Risa can’t afford to let them go; they might betray their safe house locations. In the meantime, the government is chasing after resistors like Connor, Lev, and Risa, and pirates are snatching up runaway unwinds to sell them on the black market. When a schizophrenic composite human named Cam (comprised of parts from ninety-nine unwound teens) enters the picture, everything changes.
UnWholly largely feared well with critics, and April Spisak in Horn Book found that “Shusterman elegantly balances the strikingly different perspectives of the three main protagonists effectively.” Jennifer M. Miskec, writing in Voice of Youth Advocates, was equally laudatory, and she declared that the Connor’s, Rev’s, and Lisa’s “various perspectives intensify the complex systems the protagonists are working against.” Miskec went on to conclude: “Smart, intense, and thought provoking, this series will stick with readers.” As a Kirkus Reviews critic put it, UnWholly is set in a “disturbing, dystopic and dangerous future world,” making for “a breathless, unsettling read.”
The “Unwind” series continues with UnSouled and UnDivided. The latter installment opens as Lev tries to get the Arapache council to let unwinding refugees live on Chancefolk land. Connor and Risa are running from an ex-Juvey cop named Nelson. He will stop at nothing to capture Connor and make sure he is unwound. Cam also appears in the story, and he embarks on a quest to get revenge against the company that caused his unwinding.
Applauding UnDivided in her Voice of Youth Advocates assessment, Jennifer M. Miskec advised that “the popularity of this series is warranted: it is smart, it is dark, it is riveting, and the characters are drawn with respect.” Peters, writing again in Booklist, proffered praise as well, announcing that “Shusterman expertly brings together a series of crises, betrayals, escapes, self-sacrifices, and desperate ploys.” Indeed, Claire E. Gross in Horn Book felt that Shusterman achieves “an impressive juggling act” that is “ambitious, insightful, and devastating.”
Shusterman’s novel Scythe is also set in a future dystopian world where human society has been transformed significantly. At first glance, the Earth of the novel would seem to be a utopia. The global information network known today as the cloud has achieved sentience and has evolved into the Thunderhead—certainly a more powerful and menacing cloud. However, under the Thunderhead’s benevolent but totalitarian rule, poverty, crime, disease, and other human ills have been eliminated. This has created a situation in which population growth continues, but must be kept in check. It is here that the Scythes of the novel’s title come in: they are a worldwide organization of neutral assassins who keep the population numbers under control by randomly “gleaning” citizens—killing them.
Protagonists Citra Tarranova and Rowan Damisch, sixteen years old, are chosen to become Scythes. They will train for a year and, at the end of that period, only one of them will become a Scythe. Being chosen even to compete is supposed to be an honor. After all, Scythes are feared but treated like royalty, and they are supposed to represent the pinnacle of human achievement. Despite this, the two teens aren’t enthusiastic becoming Scythes. They become apprentices to other Scythes, but soon discover a frightening truth: at the end of their training period, the winner will be forced to glean the other. With their lives at stake, Citra and Rowan must find a way to survive the competition and its inevitable results.
Shusterman “starts off this series in dramatic fashion as he creates an engrossing world that pulls readers in and refuses to let them go,” commented Tyler Hixson in a School Library Journal review. “In Shusterman’s hands, Scythe is both YA dystopia and literary fiction, masterfully blending the best aspects of both genres while neatly sidestepping the trappings of both,” observed a reviewer on the website Book Smugglers. A Kirkus Reviews writer called the novel a “thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning.” A Publishers Weekly contributor concluded, “This powerful tale is guaranteed to make readers think deeply.”
(open new)The Scythes return in Thunderhead. In this volume, Citra and Rowan have graduated from apprentices to full Scythes. As Scythe Lucifer, Rowan takes out corrupt Scythes, while Citra resists a violent new sect of Scythes as Scythe Anastasia. Hixson, reviewer in School Library Journal, described the book as “a rare sequel that is even better than the first book.” “Shusterman widens the already impressive scope of his near-future utopia,” wrote Maggie Reagan in Booklist. A Kirkus Reviews critic asserted: “Relish this intelligent and entertaining blend of dark humor and high death tolls.” Bonnie Kunzel, contributor to Voice of Youth Advocates, noted that the book offered a “brilliant look at a dystopian future.”
In The Toll, an evil Scythe named Goddard is in power and has plans to build an empire. Meanwhile, the Thunderhead will only speak to Greyson Tolliver, who becomes known as The Toll. Rowan and Citra are recovered from the wreck of the Endura and become pawns in a larger political system in their world. A Kirkus Reviews critic described the book as “long but strong, a furiously paced finale that reaches for the stars.” A contributor to Publishers Weekly called it “a gently optimistic examination of the fine human line between Utopia and dystopia.” “The conclusion is surprising and bittersweet,” noted Jonathan Hunt in Horn Book.
Shusterman remains in the Scythe universe in Gleanings, a short story collection. In an interview with Elise Dumpleton, contributor to the Nerd Daily website, Shusterman noted that readers could expect to find: “origin stories of some of their favorite characters. Some dark stories, some funny ones. Stories told from unexpected perspectives, dreams, surrealism, butchered Shakespeare, and a homicidal dog.” He told Michele Kirichanskaya, writer on the Geeks Out website: “Gleanings is a collection of stories and novellas within the world of Scythe. Fans have been clamoring for more, and I didn’t want to disappoint them. When I had written ‘UnBound,’ which is a collection of stories from the world of Unwind, I found a series of side-tales to be a satisfying way to wrap up that world. I felt this would be a good way to complete the Scythe world, too.” Amanda Harding, reviewer in School Library Journal, described Gleanings as “thrilling.” A Publishers Weekly critic suggested that it offered “an efficacious mixture of humor, violence, and gentle absurdity.” A contributor to Kirkus Reviews wrote that it was “one for the legions of fans of this world.”
Shusterman has collaborated with his son, Jarrod on novels, including the 2018 volume, Dry. In this book, climate change leads to strict limits on water consumption in Southern California. A teen named Alyssa and her ten-year-old brother, Garrett, are separated from their parents. They journey to reunite their family and to find desalinated water, meeting a colorful group of people along the way. This book Reinhardt Suarez, contributor to Booklist, described the book as a “terrifyingly realistic story of our tenuous relationship with the environment.” “Mouths have never run so dry at the idea of thirst,” remarked a Kirkus Reviews writer. Hilary Crew, reviewer in Voice of Youth Advocates, commented: “This topical theme will resonate with teens concerned with conservation and environmental issues.” “The palpable desperation that pervades the plot as it thunders toward the ending feels true,” suggested a Publishers Weekly critic.
Father and son work together again in Roxy, a book that finds teens struggling with drug addiction. The drugs, Oxycodone and Adderall, are personified as Roxy and Addi. Roxy helps Isaac recover from an injury that threatens his soccer scholarship, while Addi helps Ivy focus while she is studying. Soon, the two teens become dependent and must ultimately find a way to break their relationships with Roxy and Addi. “This novel begs to be devoured in one sitting,” asserted Harding in School Library Journal. A writer in Publishers Weekly suggested that the book “sheds a critical light on the ongoing drug epidemic.” Suarez, the Booklist critic, called the book “gritty and unflinching,” while a contributor to Kirkus Reviews described it as “powerful and chilling.”
Shusterman’s 2021 standalone novel, Game Changer, finds a football star named Ash sustaining a concussion during a game. He finds the world different and is thrust into another dimension when he takes a rough hit on the field. Each time he is tackled, Ash visits another alternate reality. He must learn to control his abilities or risk changing the course of history. “Despite these heavy topics, the story still moves at a lively pace,” suggested Suarez in Booklist. Emmy Neal, reviewer in School Library Journal, called the book “an earnest novel.” A Kirkus Reviews critic described it as “a timely, speculative thought experiment in perspective, privilege, and identity.”
In Break to You, Shusterman tells the story of Adriana and Jon, two teens who meet at a juvenile detention facility called Compass. Adriana and Jon secretly pass a journal back and forth, sharing their deepest thoughts, and they plan to break the rules in order to be together in person. A Kirkus Reviews contributor described the book as “an evocative glimpse into an unjust and unforgiving system with a gooey love story at its core.”
I Am the Walrus is the first book in Shusterman and Elfman’s “N.O.A.H. Files” series. In it, Noah Prime discovers that many of the people around him are actually aliens posing as humans. He and his friends work together to overcome the aliens and save the planet. A critic in Publishers Weekly noted that it had “a smash-bang ending that leaves plenty unresolved for future volumes.” A Kirkus Reviews writer called it “a fun, if messy, thriller that’s not afraid to go straight over the top.”
Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust contains five short stories about young Jews enduring unspeakable persecution. A Kirkus Reviews critic stated that the book contained “moving examples of the power of culture and folklore to offer help, hope, and inspiration to act.” A contributor to Publishers Weekly noted that the stories featured “effective tensionbuilding.” “This is an enlightening read on a perennially important topic,” asserted Peter Blenski in Booklist. Meaghan Nichols, writer in School Library Journal, suggested: “Shusterman creates stories that engage and educate young readers.”(close new)
In addition to novels, Shusterman also explores the supernatural with the short stories in his “MindQuakes” series—including MindQuakes: Stories to Shatter Your Brain, MindStorms: Stories to Blow Your Mind, MindTwisters: Stories to Play with Your Head, and MindBenders: Stories to Warp Your Brain —as well as books such as Darkness Creeping: Twenty Twisted Tales. The “MindQuakes” books are guaranteed to “snare even reluctant readers,” according to a contributor to Publishers Weekly. Reviewing the second installment in the series, MindStorms, Scanlon noted in Kliatt that “these stories range from humorous to poignant and capture the reader’s imagination,” while in their “quirky, off-the-wall” style they resemble the Twilight Zone television series. A contributor to Voice of Youth Advocates, writing about MindTwisters, warned readers to “prepare to have your mind twisted and your reality warped by this exciting collection of weird tales,” while School Library Journal critic Mara Alpert dubbed Darkness Creeping “extremely readable and elegantly creepy.”
Shusterman has also written for television and film, as well as directed educational short films. In all of his ventures, he takes the creative process and its responsibilities to heart. “I often think about the power of the written word,” he explained on his home page. “Being a writer is like being entrusted with … or, more accurately stealing the power of flames, and then sling-shotting it into the air to see who catches fire. I think writers have a responsibility not to launch those fireballs indiscriminately, although occasionally we do. Still, what a power to find yourself responsible for, because words can change the world. I’ve always felt that stories aimed at adolescents and teens are the most important stories that can be written, because it is adolescence that defines who we are going to be.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, February 1, 1996, Bill Ott, review of Scorpion Shards, p. 926; April 1, 1997, Carolyn Phelan, review of The Dark Side of Nowhere, p. 1322; May 15, 2003, Ed Sullivan, review of Full Tilt, p. 1656; December 1, 2004, Frances Bradburn, review of The Schwa Was Here, p. 648; June 1, 2005, Debbie Carton, review of Dread Locks, p. 1792; September 15, 2006, Holly Koelling, review of Everlost, p. 57; May 15, 2007, Jennifer Mattson, review of Darkness Creeping: Twenty Twisted Tales, p. 60; September 1, 2008, John Peters, review of Antsy Does Time, p. 96; May 1, 2010, Lynn Rutan, review of Bruiser, p. 76; May 1, 2011, Cindy Dobrez, review of Everfound, p. 88; July 1, 2012, John Peters, review of UnWholly, p. 64; June 1, 2013, Frances Bradburn, review of Ship out of Luck, p. 94; January 1, 2014, Magan Szwarek, review of Tesla’s Attic, p. 114; September 15, 2014, John Peters, review of UnDivided, p. 56; February 1, 2015, Jennifer Barnes, review of Challenger Deep, p. 47; December 1, 2017, Maggie Reagan, review of Thunderhead, p. 57; August 1, 2018, Reinhardt Suarez, review of Dry, p. 82; November 1, 2019, Maggie Reagan, review of The Toll, p. 50; December 15, 2020, Reinhardt Suarez, review of Game Changer, p. 95; September 15, 2021, Reinhardt Suarez, review of Roxy, p. 48; December 1, 2021, Beth Rosania, review of Roxy, p. 63; February 15, 2023, John Peters, review of I Am the Walrus, p. 66; October 15, 2023, Peter Blenski, review of Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust, p. 36.
BookPage, May, 2015, Jennifer Bruer Kitchel, review of Challenger Deep, p. 27.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, June, 1989, Roger Sutton, review of Dissidents, p. 264; September, 1999, Janice M. Del Negro, review of Downsiders, p. 31; July-August, 2010, Kate Quealy-Gainer, review of Bruiser, p. 500.
Children’s Bookwatch, October, 2011, review of Everfound; May, 2015, review of Edison’s Alley.
Horn Book, May-June, 1991, Ellen Fader, review of Speeding Bullet, p. 340; June 1, 2005, Debbie Carton, review of Dread Locks, p. 1792; December, 2006, Susan Dove Lempke, review of Everlost, p. 725; March-April, 2008, Claire E. Gross, review of Unwind, p. 219; September-October, 2008, Sarah Ellis, review of Antsy Does Time, p. 597; January-February, 2010, Susan Dove Lempke, review of Everwild, p. 93; September.-October, 2012, April Spisak, review of UnWholly, p. 105; July-August, 2013, Sarah Ellis, review of Ship out of Luck, p. 147; March-April, 2014, April Spisak, review of UnSouled, p. 128; March-April, 2014, Sam Bloom, review of Tesla’s Attic, p. 129; November-December, 2014, Claire E. Gross, review of UnDivided, p. 109; March-April, 2015, Deirdre F. Baker, review of Challenger Deep, p. 109; May-June, 2015, Sam Bloom, review of Edison’s Alley, p. 118; November-December, 2016, Anita L. Burkam, review of Scythe, p. 87; January-February, 2020, Jonathan Hunt, review of The Toll, p. 98.
Horn Book Guide, spring, 2010, Susan Dove Lempke, review of Everwild, p. 108; spring, 2011, Hannah Rodgers Barnaby, review of Bruiser, p. 112; fall, 2011, Susan Dove Lempke, review of Everfound, p. 397.
Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, October, 2001, Sally Emery, review of Downsiders, p. 173.
Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 1997, review of The Dark Side of Nowhere, p. 468; June 1, 1999, review of Downsiders, p. 889; April 15, 2002, review of The Shattered Sky, p. 533; October 1, 2004, review of The Schwa Was Here, p. 969; January 15, 2006, review of Duckling Ugly, p. 90; October 1, 2009, review of Everwild; June 15, 2010, review of Bruiser; April 15, 2011, review of Everfound; July 15, 2012, review of UnWholly; May 1, 2013, review of Ship out of Luck; October 1, 2013, review of UnSouled;; December 15, 2013, review of Tesla’s Attic; September 15, 2014, review of UnDivided; February 1, 2015, review of Challenger Deep; November 15, 2015, review of UnBound; August 15, 2016, review of Scythe; December 15, 2018, review of Thunderhead; August 1, 2018, review of Dry; October 15, 2019, review of The Toll; December 15, 2020, review of Game Changer; September 15, 2021, review of Roxy; August 15, 2022, review of Gleanings; February 15, 2023, review of I am the Walrus;August 15, 2023, review of Courage to Dream;May 1, 2024, review of Break to You.
Kliatt, May, 1993, Rita M. Fontinha, review of What Daddy Did, p. 10; January, 1997, Donna L. Scanlon, reviews of Scorpion Shards, pp. 10-11, and MindStorms: Stories to Blow Your Mind, p. 16; May, 2003, Paula Rohrlick, review of Full Tilt, p. 14; May, 2005, Paula Rohrlick, review of Dread Locks, p. 18; November, 2005, Paula Rohrlick, review of Red Rider’s Hood, p. 10; September, 2006, Paula Rohrlick, review of Everlost, p. 18.
Library Journal, March 15, 1999, Jackie Cassada, review of Thief of Souls, p. 113; July 15, 2002, Jackie Cassada, review of The Shattered Sky, p. 99.
Library Media Connection, October, 2010, Ruth Cox Clark, review of Bruiser, p. 81.
Los Angeles Times Book Review, July 23, 1989, Kristiana Gregory, review of Dissidents, p. 11.
New York Times Book Review, March 16, 2008, Ned Vizzini, “Young and in the Way,” p. 15.
Publishers Weekly, May 12, 1989, review of Dissidents, p. 296; December 14, 1990, review of Speeding Bullet, p. 67; November 16, 1992, review of The Eyes of Kid Midas, p. 65; December 4, 1995, review of Scorpion Shards, p. 63; May 27, 1996, review of MindQuakes: Stories to Shatter Your Brain, p. 79; February 8, 1999, review of Thief of Souls, p. 199; April 8, 2002, review of The Shattered Sky, p. 210; November 26, 2007, review of Unwind, p. 54; June 28, 2010, review of Bruiser, p. 131; December 2, 2013, review of Tesla’s Attic, p. 84; February 16, 2015, review of Challenger Deep, p. 182; December 2, 2015, review of Challenger Deep, p. 89; December 2, 2016, review of Scythe, p. 113; November 27, 2018, review of Dry, p. 65; November 27, 2019, review of The Toll, p. 76; October 11, 2021, review of Roxy, p. 70; October 10, 2022, review of Gleanings, p. 82; February 13, 2023, review of I Am the Walrus, p. 69; September 4, 2023, review of Courage to Dream, p. 80.
School Librarian, winter, 2011, Andy Sawyer, review of Everfound, p. 249; spring, 2013, Stephen King, review of UnWholly, p. 57.
School Library Journal, May, 1988, David Gale, review of The Shadow Club, p. 113; February, 1991, Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, review of Speeding Bullet, p. 94; June, 1991, Gerry Larson, review of What Daddy Did, p. 128; December, 1992, Lyle Blake, review of The Eyes of Kid Midas, p. 133; July, 1997, Bruce Anne Shook, review of The Dark Side of Nowhere, p. 9; July, 1999, Bruce Anne Shook, review of Downsiders, p. 100; October, 2004, Jeffrey Hastings, review of The Schwa Was Here, p. 176; June, 2005, Molly S. Kinney, review of Dread Locks, p. 169; December, 2005, Kimberly L. Paone, review of Red Rider’s Hood, p. 155; July, 2006, Sharon Rawlins, review of Duckling Ugly, p. 112; July, 2007, Mara Alpert, review of Darkness Creeping, p. 111; January, 2008, Amy J. Chow, review of Unwind, p. 126; December, 2009, Eric Norton, review of Everwild, p. 132; August, 2010, Amy S. Pattee, review of Bruiser, p. 112; June, 2011, Sam Bloom, review of Everfound, p. 136; September, 2012, Anthony C. Doyle, review of UnWholly, p. 156; July, 2013, Liz Overberg, review of Ship out of Luck, p. 86; December, 2013, Kristyn Dorfman, review of UnSouled, p. 136; March, 2014, Vicki Reutter, review of Tesla’s Attic, p. 148; October, 2014, Kristyn Dorfman, review of UnDivided, p. 123; February, 2015, Heather Miller Cover, review of Challenger Deep, p. 108; March, 2015, review of Edison’s Alley, p. 167; November 19, 2015, Rocco Staino, “Neal Shusterman Takes NBA Prize for Challenger Deep;” January, 2016, Kelly Jo Lasher, review of UnBound, p. 102; October, 2016, Tyler Hixson, review of Scythe, p. 115; January, 2018, Tyler Hixson, review of Thunderhead, p. 90; February, 2021, Emmy Neal, review of Game Changer, p. 77; December, 2021, Amanda Harding, review of Roxy, p. 96; November, 2022, review of Gleanings, p. 65; November, 2023, Meaghan Nichols, review of Courage to Dream, p. 62.
Times of Israel, November 26, 2015, Beth Kissileff, “Jewish Father’s Book on Mental Illness Wins Award,” profile of Neal Shusterman.
Voice of Youth Advocates, June, 1988, Lesa M. Holstine, review of The Shadow Club, p. 90; June, 1991, Dorothy M. Broderick, review of What Daddy Did, p. 103; February, 1993, Judith A. Sheriff, review of The Eyes of Kid Midas, p. 358; April, 1998, review of MindTwisters: Stories to Play with Your Head, p. 14; February, 2010, Cheryl Clark, review of Everwild, p. 512; August, 2010, Victoria Vogel, review of Bruiser, p. 272; June, 2011, Erica Alexander and Cheryl Clark, review of Everfound, p. 192; August, 2012, Jennifer M. Miskec, review of UnWholly, p. 286; August, 2013, Christina Miller, review of Ship out of Luck, p. 68; February, 2015, Jennifer M. Miskec, review of UnDivided, p. 83; April. 2015, Lisa A. Hazlett, review of Challenger Deep, p. 70; April, 2015, Jonatha Basye, review of Edison’s Alley, p. 83; February, 2018, Bonnie Kunzel, review of Thunderhead, p. 70; December, 2018, Hilary Crew, review of Dry, p. 72.
Wilson Library Bulletin, March, 1993, Frances Bradburn, review of The Eyes of Kid Midas, p. 85.
ONLINE
Adirondack Daily Enterprise Online, https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/ (September 23, 2023), Eli Stack, author interview.
American Library Asscociation website, https://www.ala.org/ (January 22, 2024), article about author.
Book Smugglers, http://www.thebooksmugglers.com/ (February 20, 2017), review of Scythe.
Geeks Out, https://www.geeksout.org/ (October 23, 2022), Michele Kirichanskaya, author interview.
Horn Book Online, http://www.hbook.com/ (March 9, 2015), Elissa Gershowitz, author interview.
Neal Shusterman website, http://www.storyman.com (May 22, 2024).
Nerd Daily, https://thenerddaily.com/ (November 7, 2022), Elisa Dumpleton, author interview.
Neal Shusterman
USA flag (b.1962)
aka Easton Royce
Award-winning author Neal Shusterman grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he began writing at an early age. After spending his junior and senior years of high school at the American School of Mexico City, Neal went on to UC Irvine, where he made his mark on the UCI swim team, and wrote a successful humor column. Within a year of graduating, he had his first book deal, and was hired to write a movie script.
Neal Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty award-winning books for children, teens, and adults, including The Unwind Dystology, The Skinjacker trilogy, Downsiders, and Challenger Deep, which won the National Book Award. Scythe, the first book in his newest series Arc of a Scythe, is a Michael L. Printz Honor Book. He also writes screenplays for motion pictures and television shows. The father of four children, Neal lives in California.
Genres: Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction, Children's Fiction, Fantasy
New and upcoming books
May 2024
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Shock the Monkey
(N.O.A.H. Files, book 2)July 2024
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Break to You
February 2025
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All Better Now
(All Better Now, book 1)
Series
Shadow Club
1. The Shadow Club (1988)
2. The Shadow Club Rising (2002)
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Star Shards
1. Scorpion Shards (1994)
2. Thief of Souls (1999)
3. Shattered Sky (2002)
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MindQuakes
1. Mindquakes (1996)
2. Mindstorms (1996)
3. Mindtwisters (1997)
4. Mindbenders (2000)
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Antsy Bonano Novels
1. The Schwa Was Here (2004)
2. Antsy Does Time (2008)
3. Ship out of Luck (2013)
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Dark Fusion
1. Dread Locks (2005)
2. Red Rider's Hood (2005)
3. Duckling Ugly (2006)
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Skinjacker Trilogy
1. Everlost (2006)
2. Everwild (2009)
3. Everfound (2011)
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Unwind Dystology
1. Unwind (2007)
1.5. UnStrung (2012) (with Michelle Knowlden)
2. UnWholly (2012)
3. UnSouled (2013)
4. UnDivided (2014)
5. UnBound (2015)
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Accelerati Trilogy (with Eric Elfman)
1. Tesla's Attic (2014)
2. Edison's Alley (2015)
3. Hawking's Hallway (2016)
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Arc of a Scythe
1. Scythe (2016)
2. Thunderhead (2018)
3. The Toll (2019)
Gleanings (2022)
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N.O.A.H. Files (with Eric Elfman)
1. I Am the Walrus (2023)
2. Shock the Monkey (2024)
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All Better Now
1. All Better Now (2025)
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Novels
Dissidents (1989)
Chasing Forgiveness (1991)
aka What Daddy Did
Speeding Bullet (1991)
The Eyes of Kid Midas (1992)
The Dark Side of Nowhere (1997)
Downsiders (1999)
Full Tilt (2003)
Bruiser (2005)
Challenger Deep (2015)
Violent Ends (2015) (with others)
Dry (2018) (with Jarrod Shusterman)
Game Changer (2021)
Roxy (2021) (with Jarrod Shusterman)
Break to You (2024) (with Michelle Knowlden and Debra Young)
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Collections
Darkness Creeping (1993)
Darkness Creeping II (1995)
Other Worlds (2013) (with others)
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Novellas and Short Stories
The Dirt on Our Shoes (2013)
Resurrection Bay (2013)
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Series contributed to
X-Files (young adult novels)
3. Bad Sign (1995) (as by Easton Royce)
10. Dark Matter (1999) (as by Easton Royce)
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X-Files (junior novels)
8. Voltage (1996) (with Les Martin (as by Easton Royce) )
9. E.B.E. (1996) (with Les Martin (as by Easton Royce) )
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Space: Above and Beyond (Harper Trophy)
1. The Aliens Approach (1996) (as by Easton Royce)
3. Mutiny (1996) (as by Easton Royce)
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Non fiction hide
Kid Heroes (1991)
About Neal Shusterman
Neal Shusterman is the New York Times best-selling author of over thirty novels for children, teens, and adults. He won the 2015 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature for Challenger Deep-and his novel, Scythe, was a 2017 Michael L. Printz Honor book-and is in development with Universal Studios as a feature film. His novel, Unwind, has become part of the literary canon in many school districts across the country-and has won more than thirty domestic and international awards. He co-wrote his most recent novel, Dry, with his son Jarrod, and in addition to being on numerous award lists, Dry is currently in development with Paramount Pictures. His upcoming novel, Game Changer, is in development with Netflix as a TV series, and he is co-writing the pilot episode.
Shusterman has also received awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, and has garnered a myriad of state and local awards across the country. His talents range from film directing, to writing music and stage plays, and has even tried his hand at creating games.
Shusterman has earned a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. As a speaker, he is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give him a unique approach to writing, and his novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor. Neal lives in Jacksonville, Florida, but spends much of his time travelling the world speaking, and signing books for readers.
A Word from the Author
When I was a kid, I wanted to be everything. A writer, an actor, a doctor, a rock star, an artist, an architect, and a film director. I had a teacher who said “You can’t do that ? you’ll be a jack of all trades and a master of none!” But I had it worked out: I’d be a jack of seven trades, and master of three.
Then, in ninth grade I had an English teacher who really made a difference in my life. She saw my love of writing, and challenged me to write a story a month for extra credit. Since I desperately needed extra credit in her class, I took her up on the challenge, and by the end of ninth grade, I really began to feel like a writer. That’s when writing emerged above all my other interests as my driving passion.
When I was sixteen, our family moved from Brooklyn, New York, to Mexico City, and I spent my last two years of High School there. Having an international experience changed my life, giving me a fresh perspective on the world, and a sense of confidence I might not have had otherwise.
QUOTED: "Origin stories of some of their favorite characters. Some dark stories, some funny ones. Stories told from unexpected perspectives, dreams, surrealism, butchered Shakespeare, and a homicidal dog."
Q&A: Neal Shusterman, Author of ‘Gleanings’
Elise Dumpleton·Writers Corner·November 7, 2022·3 min read
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We chat with author Neal Shusterman about his latest release Gleanings, which sees the New York Times bestselling Arc of the Scythe series continue with thrilling stories that span the timeline.
Hi, Neal! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Well, I’ve somehow managed to make an entire career out of making stuff up, which I still find amazing. I’ve published 50 books, and hopefully have another fifty left in me. They vary in genre, but they’re all stories that challenge readers to think, from a surreal take on mental illness in CHALLENGER DEEP, which won the National Book Award, to the consequences of immortality, in the ARC OF A SCYTHE series.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
When I was in 9th grade, I really began to feel “writerly.” I had an English teacher who challenged me to write stories every month for extra credit, and by the end of that school year, I kind of got to be known as “the kid who writes,” and it stuck.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
First book I remember reading would be FOX IN SOX – which I still think I have entirely memorized. The book that made me want to become an author – that would be a four-way tie between CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, JAWS, LORD OF THE RINGS, and LORD OF THE FLIES. The one book I can’t stop thinking about… FEED, by M.T. Anderson.
Your latest novel, Gleanings, is out tomorrow! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Well, being that it’s a story collection within the world of SCYTHE, how about “Fourteen mind-bending takes on immortality.”
What can fans of the Arc of a Scythe series expect from this latest installment?
Origin stories of some of their favorite characters. Some dark stories, some funny ones. Stories told from unexpected perspectives, dreams, surrealism, butchered Shakespeare, and a homicidal dog.
Can you tell us a bit about the challenges you faced while writing these stories and how you were able to overcome them?
I think the biggest challenge was knowing when to stop. Writing a story collection is different from writing a novel, or series, because each story is it’ own independent unit. There were SO many stories I wanted to tell in the SCYTHE world, I had trouble stopping. I still have half a dozen stories that I started but never finished.
Gleanings features collaborators David Yoon, Jarrod Shusterman, Sofía Lapuente, Michael H. Payne, Michelle Knowlden, and Joelle Shusterman. What was the process like?
I love getting the chance to collaborate – it was like inviting them all into my sandbox, and getting to play. Everyone added something fun and unique to the project. Jarrod and Sofía brought an international flare, because Sofía’s from Spain, and their story takes place in Barcelona between Scythes Gaudí and Dalí. Mike Payne specializes in anthropomorphized animal stories, so I knew I wanted to work with him in telling a story about pets in the world of Scythe. I love David Yoon’s work, and had collaborated with him on a movie pitch—he was so great to work with that I wanted to work on a story with him for Gleanings, and love the result! I’ve worked with Michelle before, but this Inception-esque story really pushed both of us into new, fun territory creatively. And I’m thrilled that my daughter Joelle wrote a piece that is perfect to open the book with!
Were there any favorite moments or characters you really enjoyed exploring further?
See also
How to Survive a Horror Movie
I loved getting the chance to explore Scythe Goddard as a creepy, vindictive teen. I also loved getting to see Scythe Curie in her first days as a scythe. Stylistically, I really enjoyed writing a story that’s a bit of an homage to Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death,” told by the Thunderhead as narrator.
What’s the best and worst writing advice you have received?
Best advice was given to me by a professor in college, who told me to step out of my comfort zone as a writer, and to try writing different genres, and stories that made me uncomfortable. Worst advice I ever got was the opposite: “Stick to what you know.” If you stick to what you know, then you’ll never learn anything new.
What’s next for you?
A mid-grade series I’m cowriting with Eric Elfman – the first book is called I AM THE WALRUS, due out in April, then in September, a Holocaust-themed graphic novel I’ve been working on for ten years, illustrated by Andrés Vera Martinez, entitled COURAGE TO DREAM. Then at the end of 2023, the first book of a brand new Sci-fi series – the title of the first book is ALL BETTER NOW. But you’ll have to wait to find out what it’s about!
Lastly, what have been some of your favorite 2022 reads? Any 2023 releases our readers should look out for?
I’m a little behind on my 2022 reads, but I can definitely say that two of my favorites are Sabaa Tahir’s ALL MY RAGE and Ruta Sepetys’ I MUST BETRAY YOU. For 2023 – I’m admittedly partial—but RETRO by Jarrod Shusterman and Sofía Lapuente!
‘Scythe’ author Neal Shusterman tells his story to students in Saranac Lake
LOCAL NEWS
SEP 23, 2023
ELI STACK
Staff Writer
New York Times best-selling young adult author Neal Shusterman talks with his hands as he tells a story Friday in the Harrietstown Town Hall in Saranac Lake during an event hosted by the Adirondack Center for Writing. Hundreds of middle and high school students packed the auditorium for the meet-the-author opportunity. (Enterprise photo — Eli Stack)
SARANAC LAKE — What happens when the world goes right? New York Times best-selling author Neal Shusterman explored this question and discussed his work with hundreds of middle and high school students Friday at an event in the Harrietstown Town Hall hosted by the Adirondack Center for Writing.
Specializing in young adult fiction, Shusterman has written more than 30 novels for children, teens and adults, including books such as “Unwind” in the four-part Unwind Dystology, “Challenger Deep” and two books in the Arc of a Scythe Series, “Scythe” (book one) and “Thunderhead” (book two).
Shusterman entered center stage in the town hall’s auditorium, holding a giant scythe. It was actually a stick he found next to a sign that said, “Do Not Touch.” With the stick, the he did easily what hundreds of teachers revere him for. He silenced an auditorium full of teenagers.
He started his talk by explaining his first story, and the consequences of it. In third grade, he had written a story full of blood and guts for (and about) his teacher for Halloween. He got a D minus. This, along with other behaviors, got him sent to the library often. As he spent more time around books, he begrudgingly became a reader and went from the bottom to the top of his English class.
Years later, Shusterman saw the 1975 blockbuster movie “Jaws” as it came out on the big screen. He decided then that he would emulate director Steven Spielberg and become someone who could tell a story that captivated audiences. He went home and wrote a story, which his school turned into a competition. As the only ninth grader who entered the competition, Shusterman was anticipatorily excited. So his disappointment was immense when the results came back. He didn’t get first place. Or second place. Not even third, fourth, fifth or any of the 30 honorable mentions. This was his first, but not last, experience with rejection.
Shusterman hit a turning point in his storytelling career when he went to summer camp in the Catskills. As a first-year counselor, he gained a reputation as the only one who could silence the rowdy campers. His secret? Stories. He realized that words had power, and his stories held weight. Here, he also discovered a teenage audience that enjoyed his stories as much, or possibly more, than the young ones.
“What happens when the world goes right?” Shusterman asked.
He was involved in the up-and-coming dystopia scene, discussed alongside books such as “The Hunger Games” and “The Maze Runner.” Yet, after a decade in that scene, it started to get dry.
So what happens when society is perfect? How do we achieve that? What has to be sacrificed? Those are some questions that his books face, and part of why they’re so popular. Shusterman uses fantasy to exaggerate the reality he sees.
“Even when you’re writing stories that are fantastical and futuristic, there’s always a core that is true,” Shusterman said.
Shusterman came to this realization during an interview, where he was asked what was going on in his life while writing “Scythe.” He quickly remembered that his mom died, holding his hand, right before he started the book. Though it may seem obvious, he hadn’t connected the dots before being asked.
Another example of this is his personal favorite book, “Challenger Deep.” He wrote this frantically after hearing his son describe his experience with schizophrenia. Schusterman likes to mix science fiction with real-world problems — and weave in a realistic element of diversity in his books.
Shusterman ended his meet-the-author event by answering questions, which were asked by all ages and different kinds of people, which shows the reach of his books.
His word to those who oppose, want to ban or protest his books?
“Read them,” he said.
QUOTED: "Gleanings is a collection of stories and novellas within the world of Scythe. Fans have been clamoring for more, and I didn’t want to disappoint them. When I had written UnBound, which is a collection of stories from the world of Unwind, I found a series of side-tales to be a satisfying way to wrap up that world. I felt this would be a good way to complete the Scythe world, too."
Interview with Author Neal Shusterman
By: Michele Kirichanskaya
Oct 23, 2022
Neal Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty award-winning books for children, teens, and adults, including Dry, Roxy, the Unwind dystology, the Skinjacker trilogy, Downsiders, and Challenger Deep, which won the National Book Award. Scythe, the first book in his series, Arc of a Scythe, is a Michael L. Printz Honor Book. Neal has earned the respect and recognition of the library community; three of his books have been ALA Best Books for Young Adults and all of his books have been consistently well-reviewed. He’s a popular speaker on the IRA/NCTE circuit, and at schools all over the country. He also writes screenplays for motion pictures and television shows. Neal is the father of four, all of whom are talented writers and artists themselves. Visit Neal at Facebook.com/NealShusterman.
I had the opportunity to interview Neal, which you can read below.
First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?
I’m an author of thought-provoking stories that, while published as young-adult, are intended for adults readers as well. Stories for the teen that is still in all of us! I was born in New York, lived in Mexico City during High School, and spent most of my adult life in Southern California—but now live in Jacksonville, Florida. But don’t call me “Florida Man”!
What can you tell us about your latest book, Gleanings? What was the inspiration for this story?
Gleanings is a collection of stories and novellas within the world of Scythe. Fans have been clamoring for more, and I didn’t want to disappoint them. When I had written UnBound, which is a collection of stories from the world of Unwind, I found a series of side-tales to be a satisfying way to wrap up that world. I felt this would be a good way to complete the Scythe world, too.
Are there any queer elements in the book we can expect?
Yes – there’s a story about Citra’s younger brother, Ben, who after her (temporary) death, and before she’s found, is chosen to replace her by Scythe Constantine. Ben’s queer, and part of the tale is a love story between him, and another boy he falls in love with. Little does he know that the entire thing is being orchestrated by the sycthedom for a nefarious purpose … There’s also another story that is a bit subversively queer. The two main characters, Alex and Dayne are never identified by gender, and there are no identifying pronouns, so they are entirely gender-neutral. They can be whatever gender the reader wants them to be!
What drew you to storytelling, and what drew you to young adult and speculative fiction specifically?
I’ve always found speculative fiction to be a powerful arena for telling stories of human truth in a larger-than-life setting. It challenges your imagination, your preconceived notions, and hopefully lingers long after you’ve read the last page. As for what got me into writing young adult, that happened when I was a teenager myself. I used to spend my summers working as a counselor at a summer camp and got to be known as the camp storyteller. Then, during the school year, while I was at college, I would write those stories into books. The first two didn’t sell, but the third, The Shadow Club, did, and that’s what got me started in YA.
How would you describe your writing process? What are some of your favorite/most challenging parts for you?
My process is a series of fits and starts. Smooth sailing, punctuated by dry spells, and a lot of figurative head-banging to shake those thoughts loose! I write longhand because I love the connection between mind, hand, and page. Plus, it adds a critical extra step, allowing me to do a complete rewrite when I enter it into the computer. My favorite parts are the emotional moments and the twists that the characters and the readers (and sometimes even I) don’t see coming. The most challenging part is what I call the “connective tissue.” All those bits of the story between all the juicy parts. The sections where not much is happening, but are critical in terms of holding the story together.
As a writer, who or what would you say are some of your greatest creative influences and/or sources of inspiration?
My greatest influences would be the authors I loved growing up, from Roald Dahl, to Tolkien, to Douglas Adams, to Kurt Vonnegut. My greatest inspiration comes from the world and the troubles that we all face. I tend to be drawn to hard questions about life and society that don’t have easy answers. I want to find new and interesting ways of posing those hard questions.
One of your books you are most known for, Challenger Deep, addresses the topic of mental health. In previous conversations, you’ve related the idea of a rearview mirror to address perspective, the idea of knowing “something [was] wrong,” when it comes to diagnosis. Would you mind elaborating on this?
Ah! That refers to a very specific real-life instance. Many times, when you’re trying to relate something that many people have never experienced, it’s helpful to find something more accessible. While I was working on Challenger Deep, something interesting happened. I was driving, and getting increasingly anxious. I felt I was losing my ability to drive, my ability to focus, and I had no idea what was wrong. I pulled over to the side of the road, trying to grapple with this sudden sense of anxiety, and noticed something on the floor on the passenger side of the car. The rearview mirror. It had fallen off before I had gotten into the car, and I hadn’t noticed. All I knew was that something was very wrong, and I couldn’t figure out what it was. I realized that was a good way to relate that terrifying sense of “wrongness” with one’s own mind that someone struggling with mental illness experiences.
Aside from your work as a writer, what would you want readers to know about you?
That I love to swim. I try to swim about a mile three or four times a week. That I love to travel – and in fact, I’m sitting in a pub in Edinburgh, Scotland as I’m writing this, looking out on a rainy Monday afternoon. Being in new and interesting places sparks my creativity, and I get most of my writing done when traveling – which made writing very hard during lockdown when I couldn’t travel. I have four children – my youngest just graduated from college. All are consummate world travelers as well!
What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?
“Would you please write and direct the feature film of your book? Because we, as a studio, can’t get our act together and haven’t been able to make it happen. Please, Neal. We trust your instincts. We wouldn’t dream of giving you endless sets of ridiculous notes. So please, please, could you make the movie? Money is no object.” That’s the question I’d really like to be asked.
What advice would you give to other aspiring writers?
Write (as opposed to just talking about wanting to write). Rewrite (because nothing’s ever done the first time you write it, and you should never expect it to be). Read (and don’t just read a single genre – read outside of your comfort zone). And persevere (because you probably won’t get your first book, or even your second book published – and that’s not a bad thing. Developing your skill as a writer takes time, and those first projects are crucial stepping stones. Sometimes the worst thing that could happen is for your first book to be published, because it sets you up for thinking that you’ve arrived. You haven’t. You never arrive. You’re always growing, and that needs to be part of your ethos as a writer.)
Finally, what books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?
I had the honor of being a judge for the 2020 National Book Awards in the Literature for Young People category. I’m really proud of the books we chose – particularly the long list – because every single book on that list deserved to be on the shortlist, but we had to narrow it down anyway! Two of the books are by trans authors, and several of the other ones have queer elements as well. Some of those books have done really well, but others have not gotten the attention they deserve from the marketplace, so I try to bring them attention whenever I can! Those books are:
Kacen Callender, King and the Dragonflies
Traci Chee, We Are Not Free
Evette Dionne, Lifting as We Climb: Black Women’s Battle for the Ballot Box
Eric Gansworth, Apple (Skin to the Core)
Candice Iloh, Every Body Looking
Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed, When Stars Are Scattered
Marcella Pixley, Trowbridge Road
John Rocco, How We Got to the Moon
Gavriel Savit, The Way Back
Aiden Thomas, Cemetery Boys
PS – the other judges and I loved talking books so much that we’ve been in a book club together ever since!
Header Photo Credit Gabby Gerster
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | JANUARY 22, 2024
Neal Shusterman wins 2024 Edwards Award for 'The Arc of the Scythe: Scythe, Thunderhead and The Toll,' 'Bruiser,' 'Challenger Deep,' 'Everlost,' 'Full Tilt,' 'The Schwa Was Here' and 'Unwind'
BALTIMORE — Neal Shusterman is the recipient of the 2024 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring his significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens for “The Arc of the Scythe: Scythe, Thunderhead and The Toll,” “Bruiser,” “Challenger Deep,” “Everlost,” “Full Tilt,” “The Schwa Was Here” and “Unwind.” The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced the award today during the ALA’s LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience, held Jan. 19–22 in Baltimore.
Shusterman's works are of the moment and timeless, engaging readers of all abilities and interests across generations. Shusterman has fostered teens' intellectual curiosity by presenting stories that prove that, even in a world that does not always take them seriously or trust them, they have the capacity to create a better, brighter and more hopeful future.
Shusterman’s novels show how connections save people, whether in the guise of a fear-based amusement park, as in “Full Tilt,” or in a dystopian society’s relationship with immortality in “Unwind” and “The Arc of the Scythe.”
He uses characters who are misjudged and overlooked in “Bruiser” and “The Schwa Was Here” and teens stuck in limbo in “Everlost” to highlight the need for connections. Finally, with “Challenger Deep,” he shows the struggle with mental health can be as deep as the ocean floor.
His stories remind readers they aren’t alone, their views are important and the world is a better place with them.
“Across genres for three decades, Neal Shusterman has met teens where they are by creating stories that center them as leaders, decision makers and agents of positive change,” said Edwards Committee Chair Valerie Davis.
Neal Shusterman will be honored at the YALSA Edwards Award Luncheon at the YA Services Symposium and be presented with a citation and cash prize of $2,000. The award is sponsored by School Library Journal.
The award is named in honor of the late Margaret A. Edwards, a pioneer in providing library services to young adults. Through her work at Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Edwards demonstrated that only through literature would young adults move beyond themselves into a larger world.
Members of the 2024 Edwards Committee are: Chair Valerie Davis, Newport, Kentucky; Kendra Fitzpatrick, Santa Clarita, California; Karen Keys, Brooklyn, New York; Emily Mills, Cromwell, Connecticut; and Jessica B. Woods, Glen Burnie, Maryland.
The mission of the YALSA is to support library staff in alleviating the challenges teens face and in putting all teens—especially those with the greatest needs—on the path to successful and fulfilling lives. For more information about YALSA or to access national guidelines and other resources, go to www.ala.org/yalsa or contact the YALSA office at e-mail: yalsa@ala.org.
For information on the Margaret A. Edwards Award and other ALA Youth Media Awards, please visit www.ala.org/yma.
About the American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice for academic, public, school, government, and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library's role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit www.ala.org.
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Neal Shusterman
Shusterman at the 2013 Texas Book Festival
Shusterman at the 2013 Texas Book Festival
Born November 12, 1962 (age 61)
New York City, U.S.
Occupation Novelist
Language English
Nationality American
Alma mater University of California, Irvine
Period 1988–present
Genre Young adult fiction, dystopian fiction, science fiction
Notable works
Challenger Deep (2015)
Scythe (2016)
Thunderhead (2018)
Notable awards National Book Award for Young People's Literature
Children 4
Website
storyman.com
Neal Shusterman (born November 12, 1962) is an American writer of young-adult fiction. He won the 2015 National Book Award for Young People's Literature for his book Challenger Deep and his novel, Scythe, was a 2017 Michael L. Printz Honor book.[1]
Early life
Shusterman was born on November 12, 1962, and raised in Brooklyn, New York City. He is the son of Charlotte and Milton Shusterman. Neal’s paternal grandfather was Harry Shusterman (the son of Irving Itzak Shusterman and Leah Holtzman). Harry was born in Ukraine. Neal’s paternal grandmother was named Anna Zeitchick. Anna was born in Russia. Neal’s maternal grandfather’s surname was Altman. His family is Jewish, and has claimed that he is at least 40-50% North African Sephardic according to a DNA test.[2][3]
From a young age, Shusterman was an avid reader. At the age of 16, Shusterman and his family moved to Mexico City.[4] He finished high school there at the American School Foundation and is quoted as saying that "Having an international experience changed my life, giving me a fresh perspective on the world, and a sense of confidence I might not have otherwise."[citation needed] He attended the University of California, Irvine, where he double-majored in psychology and theater,[5] and was also on the varsity swim team.[6][7]
Career
After college, Shusterman worked as an assistant at the Irvin Arthur Associates, a talent agency in Los Angeles, where Lloyd Segan became his agent. Within a year, Shusterman had his first book deal and a screenwriting job. He lives in Florida.[8]
Shusterman has received numerous honors for his books, including the National Book Award in 2015 for his novel Challenger Deep, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and the 2008 California Young Reader Medal for The Schwa Was Here. He served as a judge for the PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship in 2012.[9] His novels Downsiders and Full Tilt have each won over 20 awards. Unwind has won more than 30 awards and is in development with Universal TV as a television series. His novel Scythe is in development with Universal as a feature film.
He has been nominated four times (twice in 2019; 2020; 2023) in different categories of the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis and won the youth jury award in 2019. In March 2023 the German translation of the book Roxy, written with his son Jarrod Shusterman, was nominated by the youth jury.[10]
Shusterman has also written for TV, including the Original Disney Channel movie Pixel Perfect, as well as episodes of Goosebumps and Animorphs.[8] He has written for R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series and is also adapting his novel Challenger Deep for 20th Century Fox.
Fellow author Orson Scott Card invited Shusterman to write novels parallel to Ender's Game about other characters from the series, but schedules didn't permit it, and Card wrote Ender's Shadow and the subsequent series himself.[11]
Awards
2005 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award.[12]
2008 California Young Reader Medal for The Schwa Was Here.[13]
2015 National Book Award for Young People's Literature and the Golden Kite Award for Fiction for Challenger Deep.[14][15][16]
2017 Micheal L. Printz Award Honour Book for "Scythe".
2019 Young Hoosier Book Award (Middle Grade) for Scythe.[17]
2019 Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis for Challenger deep (German: Kompass ohne Norden), chosen by the youth jury
Bibliography
Fiction series
The N.O.A.H. Files trilogy (with Eric Elfman)
I Am the Walrus[18]
Shock the Monkey[19]
The Accelerati trilogy (with Eric Elfman)
Tesla's Attic (2014) ISBN 978-1423148036[20][21][22]
Edison's Alley (2015) ISBN 978-1423148067[23][24]
Hawking's Hallway (2016) ISBN 978-1423155218[25]
Antsy Bonano
The Schwa Was Here (2004) ISBN 978-0756967192[26][27]
Antsy Does Time (2008) ISBN 978-0525478256[28][29]
Ship Out of Luck (2013) ISBN 978-0525422266[30][31]
Arc of a Scythe
Scythe (2016)
Thunderhead (2018)[32]
The Toll (2019)[33]
Gleanings: Stories from the Arc of a Scythe (2022)
Dark Fusion
Dread Locks (2005)[34][35]
Red Rider's Hood (2005)[36][37]
Duckling Ugly (2006)[38][39]
Shadow Club
The Shadow Club (1988)
The Shadow Club Rising (2002)[40][41]
Skinjacker trilogy
Everlost (2006)[42][43]
Everwild (2009)[44][45]
Everfound (2011)[46][47]
Star Shards
Scorpion Shards (1995)[48]
Thief of Souls (1999)[49]
Shattered Sky (2002)[50][51]
The Unwind dystology
Unwind (2007) ISBN 978-1416912040[52][53]
UnStrung (2012) (short story) ISBN 978-1442423664[54][55]
UnWholly (2012)
UnSouled (2013) ISBN 978-1442423695[56][57]
UnDivided (2014) ISBN 978-1481409759[58][59]
UnBound (2015) (short story collection, contains UnStrung)[60]
The X-Files
The X-Files Young Adult Series
3) Bad Sign (1997) [writing as Easton Royce][61] novelization of The X-Files episode Syzygy
10) Dark Matter (1999) [writing as Easton Royce] novelization of The X-Files episode Soft Light
The X-Files Young Readers Series
8) Voltage (1996) [writing as Easton Royce] novelization of The X-Files episode D.P.O.
9) E.B.E. (1996) co-authored with Les Martin [writing as Easton Royce] novelization of The X-Files episode E.B.E.
Space: Above and Beyond
1) The Aliens Approach (1996) [writing as Easton Royce] novelization of the pilot episode of the Space: Above and Beyond TV series
3) Mutiny (1996) [writing as Easton Royce] novelization of the Space: Above and Beyond episode, Mutiny
Other novels
Dissidents (1989)
Speeding Bullet (1991)[62]
What Daddy Did (1991) (later renamed Chasing Forgiveness)[63]
The Eyes of Kid Midas (1992)[64]
The Dark Side of Nowhere (1997) ISBN 978-0316789073[65][66]
Downsiders (1999)[67][68]
Full Tilt (2004) ISBN 978-0689803741[69][70]
Bruiser (2010) ISBN 978-0061134081[71][72]
Challenger Deep (2015) illustrated by Brendon Shusterman ISBN 978-0061134111[73]
Dry (2018) co-authored with Jarrod Shusterman ISBN 9781481481960
Game Changer (February 2021) ISBN 9780061998676
Roxy (November 2021) co-authored with Jarrod Shusterman ISBN 9781406392128
Picture books
Piggyback Ninja (1994) Illustrated by Joe Boddy
Short stories
Resurrection Bay (2013) ISBN 978-0062295163 [published only as an ebook][74]
Short story collections
Darkness Creeping: Tales to Trouble Your Sleep (1993)
Darkness Creeping II: More Tales to Trouble Your Sleep (1995)
Mindquakes: Stories to Shatter Your Brain (1996)
Mindstorms: Stories to Blow Your Mind (1996)
Mindtwisters: Stories To Shred Your Head (1997)
Mindbenders: Stories to Warp Your Brain (2000)
Darkness Creeping: Twenty Twisted Tales (2007)
Violent Ends (2015) co-authored with 17 other authors including, Brendon Shusterman, Shaun David Hutchinson, and Beth Revis
Games
How to Host a Murder: Roman Ruins (1997)
How to Host a Murder: The Grapes of Frath (1997)
How to Host a Teen Mystery: Hot Times at Hollywood High (1997)
How to Host a Murder: The Good, the Bad, and the Guilty (1998)
How to Host a Murder: Tragical Mystery Tour (1999)
How to Host a Teen Mystery: Barbecue with the Vampire (1999)
How to Host a Murder: Saturday Night Cleaver (2000)
How to Host a Murder: Maiming of the Shrew (2001)
How to Host a Teen Mystery: Roswell That Ends Well (2002)
How to Host a Murder: An Affair to Dismember (2003)
Nonfiction
Guy Talk (1987)
It's Ok to Say No to Cigarettes and Alcohol (1988)
Neon Angel: The Cherie Currie Story (1989) with Cherie Currie
Kid Heroes: True Stories of Rescuers, Survivors, and Achievers (1991)
Poems
"Shadows of Doubt" (1993)
Screenwriting credits
Television
Goosebumps (1996-1998)
Animorphs (1998)
The Haunting Hour: The Series (2011)
Film
Double Dragon (1994)
Pixel Perfect (2004)
QUOTED: "a rare sequel that is even better than the first book."
SHUSTERMAN, Neal. Thunderhead. 512p. (Arc of a Scythe: Bk. 2). S. & S. Jan. 2018. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781442472457. POP
Gr 9 Up--A year has passed since the events of Scythe and Scythe Anastasia, once known as Citra Terranova, lives with her mentor, Scythe Marie Curie, and performs her gleanings in relative peace despite causing a rift in the Scythedom by giving her subjects a month to choose how they want to be gleaned, aka killed. Anastasia argues that it is more humane this way which earns her the favor of the "old world" scythes, those who feel they perform their job with dignity and humility rather than with joy and pride, like the "new world" scythes. Still, she cannot escape the tidbits of news surrounding her fellow apprentice Rowan Damisch, who now goes by the name Scythe Lucifer. He is hunting down corrupt scythes as a vigilante who deals death to those whom he feels besmirch the title. Ruling over this world is the Thunderhead, an omniscient artificial intelligence. However, it has no jurisdiction over the Scythedom and therefore has done nothing to stop Rowan. When an old enemy resurfaces, throwing the Scythedom into chaos, and Rowan unable to stem the flow of corruption on his own, the world begins to wonder if the Thunderhead will break its own laws and intervene. Shusterman wields his magic once again in this continuation. The exploration of how the Thunderhead operates and thinks, told through "diary entries," gives the story an extra dimension: how would an all-knowing, all-powerful AI think, and how would it process a flawed humanity? The climax and twist ending will leave fans of the series begging for the next installment. VERDICT A rare sequel that is even better than the first book.--Tyler Hixson, Brooklyn Public Library
KEY: * Excellent in relation to other titles on the same subject or In the same genre | Tr Hardcover trade binding | lib. ed. Publisher's library binding | Board Board book | pap. Paperback | e eBook original | BL Bilingual | POP Popular Picks
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
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Hixson, Tyler. "SHUSTERMAN, Neal. Thunderhead." School Library Journal, vol. 64, no. 1, Jan. 2018, p. 90. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A521876245/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=269f3abc. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "Shusterman widens the already impressive scope of his near-future utopia."
* Thunderhead.
By Neal Shusterman.
Jan. 2018. 512p. Simon & Schuster, $ 18.99 (9781442472457). Gr. 9-12.
Shusterman follows up his Printz Honor Book Scythe (2016) with that most difficult of feats: a sequel that surpasses its predecessor. Where the first book focused on the titular scythes tasked with gleaning lives to control populations in a future where death has been vanquished, the second installment delves into the inner workings of the Thunderhead, the sentient cloud that smoothly operates all of society. The plot is straightforward: Rowan, a rogue ex-scythe apprentice, stalks the streets of MidMerica taking the lives of the scythes who have lost sight of their mission and kill for pleasure or personal gain. Citra, once his counterpart, is now the ordained Scythe Anastasia, and as she works to better the system from the inside, her own life may be in danger. But it is the Thunderhead--part government and part god, almost all-knowing, and increasingly aware of its own limitations--that commands the most attention, and it is pulling strings across the globe. Through the Thunderhead, Shusterman widens the already impressive scope of his near-future utopia while also keeping a deft finger on the pulse of our own turbulent times. Exceptionally clear-eyed and brutal in its execution, this raises even bigger moral questions than its predecessor--and, like its predecessor, offers no easy answers.--Maggie Reagan
HIGH-DEMAND BACKST0RY: There's no doubting Shusterman's talents--he's nabbed both a National Book Award and a Printz Honor--and this sequel to an enthusiastically received series starter is eagerly awaited.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
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Reagan, Maggie. "Thunderhead." Booklist, vol. 114, no. 7, 1 Dec. 2017, p. 57. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A519036316/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=74b36a76. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "Relish this intelligent and entertaining blend of dark humor and high death tolls."
Shusterman, Neal THUNDERHEAD Simon & Schuster (Children's Fiction) $18.99 1, 9 ISBN: 978-1-4424-7245-7
Death proves impermanent in this sequel to Scythe (2016).
In a world run by the (almost) all-powerful and (almost) omniscient artificial intelligence Thunderhead, only the Honorable Scythes deal permanent death to near-immortal humans. Yet a growing contingent of scythes, feared and flattered by society and operating outside the Thunderhead's control, are proving rather dishonorable. No longer apprentices, 18-year-olds Citra Terranova and Rowan Damisch realize "the scythedom is...high school with murder" as they watch their fellow scythes jockey for power and prestige. Citra now gleans as Scythe Anastasia, questioning the status quo but also opposing the homicidally enthusiastic "new-order" scythes and their dangerous demagogue. Self-appointed as Scythe Lucifer, Rowan hunts other scythes whom he deems corrupt. Meanwhile, the existentially troubled Thunderhead questions its role as both creation and caretaker of humanity, sworn not to take life but fearing that its utopia will otherwise collapse into dystopia. Nationality and race are minimally mentioned--ethnic biases and genocide are considered very gauche--yet a population that defies death, aging, sickness, poverty, and war risks becoming bleakly homogenous, alleviated only by "unsavories" and scythes. This sequel digs deeper into Shusterman's complex world and complicated characters, offering political maneuvering, fatal conspiracies, and impending catastrophe via a slowly unfurling plot and startling bursts of action.
Fear the reaper(s)...but relish this intelligent and entertaining blend of dark humor and high death tolls. (Science fiction. 14-adult)
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"Shusterman, Neal: THUNDERHEAD." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Dec. 2017. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A518491415/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=0c5ab054. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "brilliant look at a dystopian future."
Shusterman, Neal. Thunderhead: Arc of a Scythe, Book 2. Simon & Schuster, January 2018. 512p. $18.99. 978-1-4424-7245-7.
4Q * 5P * S
In this riveting sequel to Printz Honor Book Scythe: Arc of a Scythe, Book 1 (Simon & Schuster 2017/VOYA February 2017) the titular Thunderhead, a sentient cloud that rules all of humanity, except the Scythes, is front and center, providing the chapter introductions and becoming more and more concerned at certain trends developing in the Scythedom. There are also new roles for the teen protagonists of Scythe. The ex-Scythe candidate, Rowan, has gone rogue, gleaning too-bloodthirsty Scythes in the guise of his new persona, the black-robed Lucifer. Citra, as Scythe Curie's new junior Scythe, Anastasia, gleans with compassion, going against tradition by alerting her selected victims that they have a month to get their affairs in order. High Blade Xenocrates, the venal leader of the MidMerica Scythes, has been selected to replace a self-gleaned member of the seven Grandslayers on the World Scythe Council. This leaves his position a point of contention between the conservative old guard, represented by Scythe Curie, and the far more bloodthirsty members of the new guard, led by an all-too-familiar enemy. The Thunderhead takes action in the form of Greyson Tolliver, a new agent candidate to the MidMerica Nimbus Academy. His undercover assignment becomes a nightmare when his supervisor is gleaned before Greyson can report vital information to the authorities, leaving him unprotected, on the run, and labeled an Unsavory--which means he is unable to communicate his findings to the Thunderhead.
All of these strands come together in a cliffhanger ending that will leave teens eagerly waiting for the final installment of this brilliant look at a dystopian future in which death is replaced by murder as a population control technique.--Bonnie Kunzel.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
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Kunzel, Bonnie. "Shusterman, Neal. Thunderhead: Arc of a Scythe, Book 2." Voice of Youth Advocates, vol. 40, no. 6, Feb. 2018, p. 70. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A529357181/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c8dba1a1. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "terrifyingly realistic story of our tenuous relationship with the environment."
Dry.
By Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman.
Oct. 2018. 400p. Simon & Schuster, $18.99 (9781481481960); e-book (9781481481984). Gr. 9-12.
Alyssa and her brother, Garrett, are normal kids in a suburb in Southern California--that is, until surrounding states shut the floodgates to the Colorado River due to prolonged drought. At first, people dismiss the news, but circumstances turn dire quickly when bottled water disappears off store shelves while the spigots remain dry. What ensues is a horrifyingly fast descent into barbarity as neighbor turns on neighbor, government intervention falls short, and society's civil facade disintegrates. Alyssa and Garrett must travel to find new sources of water, all the while defending themselves against people crazed by thirst. While this book leans on siege-like tropes established in zombie movies, the Shustermans revivify the genre by adding an environmental twist. Using multiple points of view, the authors fully flesh out Alyssa, Garrett, and their travel companions to showcase the various ways people mentally approach calamities. The authors do not hold back--there is death, disease, manipulation, and chaos. None of it is presented simply, and none of it is sugarcoated. Lovers of horror action fiction will feel right at home with this terrifyingly realistic story of our tenuous relationship with the environment and of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of desperate situations.--Reinhardt Suarez
HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: With the elder Shusterman on a roll with Challenger Deep (2015) and Scythe (2016), this collaboration will be supported by a tour, festival promotion, and more.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association
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Suarez, Reinhardt. "Dry." Booklist, vol. 114, no. 22, 1 Aug. 2018, p. 82. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A550613348/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=fa531d4e. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "Mouths have never run so dry at the idea of thirst."
Shusterman, Neal DRY Simon & Schuster (Young Adult Fiction) $18.99 10, 2 ISBN: 978-1-4814-8196-0
When a calamitous drought overtakes southern California, a group of teens must struggle to keep their lives and their humanity in this father-son collaboration.
When the Tap-Out hits and the state's entire water supply runs dry, 16-year-old Alyssa Morrow and her little brother, Garrett, ration their Gatorade and try to be optimistic. That is, until their parents disappear, leaving them completely alone. Their neighbor Kelton McCracken was born into a survivalist family, but what use is that when it's his family he has to survive? Kelton is determined to help Alyssa and Garrett, but with desperation comes danger, and he must lead them and two volatile new acquaintances on a perilous trek to safety and water. Occasionally interrupted by "snapshots" of perspectives outside the main plot, the narrative's intensity steadily rises as self-interest turns deadly and friends turn on each other. No one does doom like Neal Shusterman (Thunderhead, 2018, etc.)--the breathtakingly jagged brink of apocalypse is only overshadowed by the sense that his dystopias lie just below the surface of readers' fragile reality, a few thoughtless actions away. He and his debut novelist son have crafted a world of dark thirst and fiery desperation, which, despite the tendrils of hope that thread through the conclusion, feels alarmingly near to our future. There is an absence of racial markers, leaving characters' identities open.<
Mouths have never run so dry at the idea of thirst. (Thriller. 13-17)
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"Shusterman, Neal: DRY." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2018. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A548138046/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=7088e78b. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "This topical theme will resonate with teens concerned with conservation and environmental issues."
Shusterman, Neal, and Jarrod Shusterman. Dry. Simon & Schuster, October 2018. 400p. $18.99. 978-1-4814-8196-0.
5Q * 5P * J * S (a)
After Arizona and Nevada stop southern California's access to the Colorado River, "Tap-Out" is enforced, faucets run dry, and martial law is imposed as people become increasingly desperate for water. The fast breakdown of civil society, outbreaks of violence, and the deleterious effects of dehydration are described in a dark, quick-moving, jam-packed plot through the first-person narratives of a group of young people: sixteenyear-old Alyssa Morrow and her younger brother, Garrett, whose parents disappear in a riot while waiting in line on Laguna Beach for desalination machines; Kelton, whose home is the target of angry neighbors when his father refuses to share stored water; Jacqui, who rescues Alyssa from a crazed beach boy; and Henry, whom the others meet when Jacqui drives them to the Morrows' uncle Basil. Sick from drinking contaminated water, Basil had exchanged his truck for Henry's fancy bottled water. Henry and the others set out on a harrowing journey to Kelton's parents' hideout as they drive along a network of aqueducts to avoid evacuation camps where thousands of people searching for water are detained by the military.
The values of each character are revealed in life or death decisions. Alyssa, for example, takes an elderly woman's water to save Garrett from dying of dehydration; and Kelton, without hesitation, shoots two men. Multiple perspectives are also provided in "Snapshots" in which adults recall their experiences dealing with the crisis. This topical theme will resonate with teens concerned with conservation and environmental issues.--Hilary Crew.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
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Crew, Hilary. "Shusterman, Neal, and Jarrod Shusterman. Dry." Voice of Youth Advocates, vol. 41, no. 5, Dec. 2018, p. 72. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A571836500/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=cacd0fd0. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "The palpable desperation that pervades the plot as it thunders toward the ending feels true."
Dry
Neal and Jarrod Shusterman. Simon & Schuster, $18.99 (400p) ISBN 978-1-4814-8196-0
In Neal Shusterman (Thunderhead) and son Jarrod's near-future or alternate-present America, a prolonged drought ("the Tap-Out") results in the sudden curtailment of Southern California's water supply. When their parents vanish while seeking desalinated water, 16-year-old Alyssa and 10-year-old Garrett embark on a harrowing journey, searching for their parents and fending for themselves as society deteriorates. Along the way, the siblings pick up three teens: their survivalist neighbor Kelton, unpredictable lone wolf Jacqui, and calculating opportunist Henry. This thriller alternates between the teens' distinct and plausible viewpoints, occasionally supplementing with brief "snapshots" of others (a fleeing family, a news anchor) dealing with the escalating catastrophe. The dynamic core-character relationships are satisfying, and the intersection of their narrative with the snapshots adds depth to briefly glimpsed characters and illuminates the full scale of the disaster. The lack of warning before the long-looming crisis breaks may require some initial suspension of disbelief, but the palpable desperation that pervades the plot as it thunders toward the ending feels true, giving it a chilling air of inevitability. It is also thoroughly effective as a study of how extreme circumstances can bring out people's capacity for both panic and predation, ingenuity and altruism. Ages 12--up.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
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"Dry." Publishers Weekly, vol. 265, no. 49, 27 Nov. 2018, pp. 65+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A564607331/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=af0b5544. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "long but strong, a furiously paced finale that reaches for the stars."
Shusterman, Neal THE TOLL Simon & Schuster (Young Adult Fiction) $19.99 11, 5 ISBN: 978-1-4814-9706-0
The sins of the founding scythes now reap terrible rewards in this trilogy conclusion.
The Thunderhead--a benevolent, nigh-omniscient, nanite-controlling artificial intelligence--still runs the world but speaks only to Greyson Tolliver. Now deified as the Toll, prophet of the Tonists, Greyson attempts to advise a populace abruptly cut off from the Thunderhead's gentle guidance. For the scythes--allegedly compassionate and objective executioners whose irreversible gleanings control the post-mortal population--the Thunderhead's been silent for centuries, but recent scythedom unrest now tests the Thunderhead's noninterference. Untouchable and unhinged, Scythe Goddard, self-appointed Overblade, encourages unrestricted and prejudiced gleanings. Formerly formidable opponents Scythe Anastasia (Citra Terranova) and scythe-killer Scythe Lucifer (Rowan Damisch) are now fugitives, saved from the sea but pursued by Goddard's allies. Even in a post-national, post-racial world, Capt. Jerico's meteorologically influenced gender fluidity surprises some, but as Goddard's bigotry indicates, discrimination plagues even the post-mortals. Shusterman (Dry, 2018, etc.) wryly unravels organized religion and delivers a scathing takedown of political demagogues. Yet the whirlwind of narrators, sly humor, and action scenes never obscures the series' central question: If most death is impermanent, and age can be reset, what's the meaning of life?
Long but strong, a furiously paced finale that reaches for the stars. (Science fiction. 14-adult)
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"Shusterman, Neal: THE TOLL." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2019. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A602487679/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=1b0c9be7. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "a gently optimistic examination of the fine human line between Utopia and dystopia."
The Toll (Arc of a Scythe #3)
Neal Shusterman. Simon & Schuster, $19.99 (640p) ISBN 978-1-4814-9706-0
When Citra and Rowan are discovered preserved in the wreckage of Endura, three years after the events of Thunderhead, they awaken to find that megalomaniacal Scythe Goddard is now Overblade of all North Merica and is consolidating power worldwide. Citra must convince the world of Goddard's villainy, while Rowan, universally despised as the destroyer of Endura, must simply survive. Meanwhile, Greyson Tolliver, the only human to whom the nearly omnipotent AI known as the Thunderhead will talk, has become the Toll, spiritual leader to the oppressed Tonist religion, as the Thunderhead secretly works to build something gamechanging on the remote Marshall Atolls. Some previously central characters, particularly Rowan, take on smaller roles, while others, including Greyson and a hypercompetent, genderfluid sea captain named Jerico Soberanis, are given space to charm. The stellar conclusion to Shusterman's Arc of a Scythe trilogy is a gripping adventure that never stops building momentum as it refocuses the books on a grander scale. With a surprising amount of humor for the large body count, it elevates and deepens the series with a gently optimistic examination of the fine human line between Utopia and dystopia. Ages 12-up.
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"The Toll (Arc of a Scythe #3)." Publishers Weekly, vol. 266, no. 48, 27 Nov. 2019, p. 76. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A607823395/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e7cffa5b. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "The conclusion is surprising and bittersweet."
The Toll [Arc of a Scythe]
by Neal Shusterman
Middle School, High School Simon 628 pp. 11/19 978-1-4814-9706-0 $19.99 e-book ed. 978-1-4814-9708-4 $10.99
In this final volume in Shusterman's dystopian fantasy trilogy (Scythe, rev. 11/16; Thunderhead, rev. 3/18), Scythe Faraday is preparing to sail into the Thunderhead's blind spot to a small archipelago; now that the scythedom has run off the rails, he is looking for the fail-safe he believes the founding scythes have left behind. Greyson Tolliver, the only person not marked "unsavory" and therefore the only one who can communicate with the Thunderhead (the virtually omnipotent, artificially intelligent, cloud-based guardian of humankind), transforms himself into a mythical figure known as the Toll. Meanwhile, the Thunderhead manages to have Citra and Rowan retrieved from the depths of the Endura wreck and revived from their dead-ish state. They are quickly separated, becoming additional pieces that Shusterman moves around the chessboard as he works through the tangled machinations of the plot, shifting subtly from an emphasis on individual characters to a broader focus on humankind; ethics, politics, race, religion, gender, and sustainability are all contemporary issues woven into the story's fabric. The conclusion is surprising and bittersweet, but there is a note of optimism that lingers beyond the last page. JONATHAN HUNT
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Hunt, Jonathan. "The Toll [Arc of a Scythe]." The Horn Book Magazine, vol. 96, no. 1, Jan.-Feb. 2020, p. 98. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A616788651/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=1bb24b14. Accessed 9 May 2024.
The Toll. By Neal Shusterman. Nov. 2019.640p. Simon & Schuster, $19.99 (9781481497060). Gr. 9-12.
After the great disaster that closed out Thunderhead (2018), the second volume in Shusterman's acclaimed Arc of a Scythe series, the postmortal world is in chaos. A legion of scythes are truly, permanently dead; the corrupt Scythe Goddard has claimed the title of High Blade and is amassing unprecedented power; and the sentient Thunderhead, the cloud that keeps society running, has gone silent, speaking only through one chosen ally who becomes a near-religious figure in the eyes of some. Previous volumes focused primarily on Citra and Rowan as they became Scythes and questioned the laws of their society; as this series ender opens, they are absent, and the narrative sprawls through time and place, connecting readers to characters old and new. Shusterman slyly nods to the political and social issues in our world as he explores the triumphs and failings of his. Though this finale occasionally buckles under the weight of its potential, there's still nothing else like it out there. --Maggie Reagan
HIGH DEMAND BACKSTORY: Scythe (2016) was a Printz Honor Book, and this best-selling series has asked big questions and garnered a bigger following. Readers will want to be here to see how it all ends.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 American Library Association
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Reagan, Maggie. "The Toll." Booklist, vol. 116, no. 5, 1 Nov. 2019, p. 50. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A608072869/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f0fe6cc9. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "an earnest novel."
SHUSTERMAN, Neal. Game Changer. 400p. HarperCollins/Quill Tree. Feb. 2021. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780061998676.
Gr 8 Up--A hard tackle on the football field normally gives a linebacker a concussion-but every hit Ash Bowman takes throws him into new worlds, called Elsewheres. In the first Elsewhere, the stop signs are blue instead of red. The next hit sends him to an Elsewhere where his father is a professional football player. The next: Segregation is still legal. Ash learns this multidimensional jumping gives him the power to change the world--but only so many times. Once his time runs out, the world will be stuck however he's left it. One might have hoped a novel so firmly grounded in current events would more deftly tackle topics like racism, homophobia, and misogyny--as it is, this novel is a Chosen One white savior narrative. It is only after Ash, who is white and heterosexual, moves through alternate realities to experience firsthand discrimination that he learns these things are bad. Ash is deeply changed by what he learns across worlds, his narrative voice swerving between compelling and mansplaining as he pulls readers along. Shusterman's writing style instantly turns pages but ultimately isn't enough to make up for the problematic foundation the book was built on. "Arc of the Scythe" fans will likely be disappointed in this metaphysical novel, but the sports-meets-speculative aspects will draw in new readers. VERDICT An earnest novel that misses its mark, this is an additional purchase for collections where Shusterman's books already have an audience.--Emmy Neal, Lake Forest Lib., IL
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Neal, Emmy. "SHUSTERMAN, Neal. Game Changer." School Library Journal, vol. 67, no. 2, Feb. 2021, pp. 77+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A651086994/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=610b7d47. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "a timely, speculative thought experiment in perspective, privilege, and identity."
Shusterman, Neal GAME CHANGER Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins (Teen None) $17.99 2, 9 ISBN: 978-0-06-199867-6
A timely, speculative thought experiment in perspective, privilege, and identity.
Ash Bowman is a White, heterosexual boy who doesn’t think too deeply about the plights of others. That is, until a jarring football injury shifts him into a parallel universe. At first, the changes to Ash’s world are small: Stop signs are blue, not red, for example. Then, with every tackle, Ash transports himself into a new reality, and the changes become much more pronounced. Characters change gender, social class status, sexuality, or even live in a world where racial segregation still exists. These changes in perspective prompt Ash to cultivate a greater sense of empathy and urgency regarding the suffering of others. But as reality becomes increasingly unstable, he must set the world back to rights. Ash is a clever, sincere narrator, and his journey of self-discovery is well-paced with solid twists at nearly every chapter’s end. But the project ultimately attempts to tackle too much, covering abuse, racism, homophobia, misogyny, class privilege, and more; this leads to little time and nuance dedicated to each. Unlike in real life, characters typically possess a single marginalized identity, and the interplay between struggles for progress in different areas is not explored, oversimplifying matters. The joys of queer love are shown, but experiences of being female or Black are largely presented in terms of oppression. Additionally, characters from marginalized populations are generally used for Ash’s own character development.
A well-intentioned project whose earnest messages of empathy and equality fall short in execution. (Science fiction. 14-18)
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"Shusterman, Neal: GAME CHANGER." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Dec. 2020. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A644767089/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=7a16deef. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "Despite these heavy topics, the story still moves at a lively pace."
Game Changer.
By Neal Shusterman.
Feb. 2021.400p. HarperlQuill Tree, $17.99 (9780061998676). Gr. 9-12.
At first, Ash attributes the buzzing in his head to a concussion sustained during a football game. Slowly, he notices more things askew, such as blue stop signs that everyone considers normal. After another rough tackle on the field, Ash discovers that he is hopping from dimension to dimension each time he gets hit. At first, he marvels at how different his life is in these alternate realities. But when he travels to a reality where the civil rights movement never happened, the significance of his power comes into focus. He must learn to harness it to both right wrongs in other worlds and return to his own before he messes things up. The conceit behind Shusterman's latest is truly unique. While it exhibits the author's usual storytelling aplomb, it also manages to delve into more serious and timely subject matter, such as racism, sexism, and homophobia. Despite these heavy topics, the story still moves at a lively pace and, thanks to a zany sci-fi twist, manages to pack in a few laughs as well.--Reinhardt Suarez
HD HIGH-DEMAND BACKST0RY: He's won the National Book Award, and he's at home on the New York Times best seller list. The publisher's robust marketing campaign should catch the attention of any reader not already itching to get their hands on this.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2020 American Library Association
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Suarez, Reinhardt. "Game Changer." Booklist, vol. 117, no. 8, 15 Dec. 2020, p. 95. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A649725718/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=72b57a34. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "an evocative glimpse into an unjust and unforgiving system with a gooey love story at its core."
Shusterman, Neal BREAK TO YOU Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins (Teen None) $19.99 7, 2 ISBN: 9780062875761
Two incarcerated teens find hope and connection within the pages of a shared journal.
The silver lining of Adriana's court-ordered seven-month stint in Compass Juvenile Detention Center is the treasured journal where she writes her private thoughts in verse. After misplacing it, she's furious to find the journal shelved in the library, its pages defaced by someone else's writing. But this person isn't just writing commentary--he's writing to her. Jon has spent nearly four years developing a "fierce reputation" at Compass. The two create a clever method of exchanging the journal, shedding their tough exteriors and revealing their innermost selves to one another. Security inside the gender-divided facility renders in-person contact between Adriana and Jon impossible, but with help from their friends, they hatch a risky plan to lay everything on the line. The intensity of their infatuation escalates quickly, setting the pace for the story's action-packed second half, which includes a secret code, a hidden plan, and betrayal. Adriana has Moroccan, Greek, and Spanish ancestry, and Jon is Black; teens who are diverse in ethnicity, race, and ability live at Compass. Told in Jon's and Adriana's alternating perspectives, the story paints a vivid picture of a harsh reality but misses the opportunity to address class, race, and the impact of racism in the juvenile detention system in meaningful ways.
An evocative glimpse into an unjust and unforgiving system with a gooey love story at its core. (authors' note) (Fiction. 13-17)
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"Shusterman, Neal: BREAK TO YOU." Kirkus Reviews, 1 May 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A791876980/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d6ae75c1. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "This novel begs to be devoured in one sitting."
SHUSTERMAN, Neal & Jarrad Shusterman. Roxy. 384p. S. & S. Nov. 2021. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781534451254.
Gr 9 Up--Oxycontin and Adderall, personified as Roxy and Addison, take center stage in this chilling novel about the opioid epidemic. The scene is set not unlike a dramatic stage production, opening on a teenage drug overdose told cleverly from the perspective of the Naloxone being injected into the victim's veins. The ID reads Ramey, I. Rewind two months, and two Ramey, Fs are introduced: athletic, college-bound Isaac, and his sister, willful and unpredictable Ivy. Both lead very different lives but are as close as any siblings, until their relationship is threatened by two powerful entities. A sports injury introduces Isaac to the devious Roxy, while Ivy, whose attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder inhibits her focus, reluctantly brings Addison into her life. As the Rameys start to spiral from their dependence on the substances, Roxy and Addison secretly compete to be the first to bring their plus-one to "the Party." The race is on. Seamlessly alternating between Roxy's and Addison's first-person points of view and Isaac's and Ivy's third-person points of view, this novel is a fresh take on an important and prevalent topic, albeit a disquieting one. The two young leads are strongly and realistically developed, and readers will hang on to and sympathize with their individual struggles. Meanwhile, the sly and cunning voices of Roxy and Addison are intriguing and at times believable. Just as Roxy pleads with Isaac, this novel begs to be devoured in one sitting, from the shocking beginning to the pulse-pounding end. The characters are cued white. VERDICT Highly recommended. Neal and Jarrod Shusterman have outdone themselves from their last thriller, Dry.--Amanda Harding, Elmwood Elementary School, Wauconda, 1L
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Harding, Amanda. "SHUSTERMAN, Neal & Jarrad Shusterman. Roxy." School Library Journal, vol. 67, no. 12, Dec. 2021, pp. 96+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A686052325/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=bb65139b. Accessed 9 May 2024.
Roxy. By Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman. Read by a full cast. 2021. Ilhr. Simon & Schuster Audio, DD, $34.99 (9781797133409). Gr. 11-12.
Imagine the gods wagering on the outcomes of mortals. An age-old trope, but in Roxy it's employed with a tragic, contemporary twist: the gods are person8 ideations of drugs of all sorts. In this iteration, the bet is whether "I. Ramey" will make it to "The Party"--final, drugH induced ecstasy--or death. But there are two I. Rameys. Ivy, who just wants to be able to focus on her studies to satisfy her parents, is lured by Addison (Adderall), and her brother Isaac, who suffers from a soccer injury, is enticed by Roxy (Oxycodone). The tale unfolds with the siblings moving deeper and deeper into their addictions, illustrating the levels to which they will go to maintain their "relationships," urged on by their respective "partners." The audio heightens the intensity of the Shustermans' suspense-filled love story on the dark side of pharmaceuticals. Narrators Michael Crouch, Megan Tusing, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, and Candace Thaxton vocally weave the traits of the drugs into characters that exude their effects. Pacing and voiced urgency create a tension that carries listeners to the conclusion, as the story succumbs to unfortunate reality. A highly effective audio that delivers a punch with its accurately performed characters and situations, it will certainly affect the still-innocent as well as those whose lives have been scarred by addiction in any way. --Beth Rosania
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Rosania, Beth. "Roxy." Booklist, vol. 118, no. 7, 1 Dec. 2021, p. 63. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A698823811/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=11e54ff6. Accessed 9 May 2024.
Neal and Jarrod Shusterman. Simon & Schuster, $18.99 (384p) ISBN 978-1-5344-5125-4
Through a high-concept thriller that looks into the opioid crisis, the previous father-son collaborators (Dry) follow two siblings at the center of a deadly wager between two drugs characterized as gods. Confident and alluring Adderall (Addi) and pompous but utilitarian Roxicodone (Roxy) each make a bet that they can get thei r victim to overdose before the other: blue-haired artist Ivy Ramey, 18, who is nearly failing senior year due to her untreated ADHD, and her charismatic, high-achieving younger brother, Isaac Ramey, a 17-year-old soccer player who dreams of being a propulsion engineer until an off-field injury changes everything. Though the reader knows that one sibling will end up in a body bag tagged "I. Ramey," the question of who will succumb pulls readers along. Throughout, perspectives shift between Addi, Roxy, and the siblings, giving insight into the motivations of two teens trying to do the best they can with what they have. The Shustermans' depiction of each sibling's spiral into dependence and misuse of prescribed medications sheds a critical light on the ongoip.g drug epidemic, subverting stereotypes about substance abuse while exploring each drug's potential to help and to hinder. Ages 14-up. (Nov.)
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"Roxy." Publishers Weekly, vol. 268, no. 41, 11 Oct. 2021, p. 70. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A679527113/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8ac81d7e. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "sheds a critical light on the ongoing drug epidemic."
Neal and Jarrod Shusterman. Simon & Schuster, $18.99 (384p) ISBN 978-1-5344-5125-4
Through a high-concept thriller that looks into the opioid crisis, the previous father-son collaborators (Dry) follow two siblings at the center of a deadly wager between two drugs characterized as gods. Confident and alluring Adderall (Addi) and pompous but utilitarian Roxicodone (Roxy) each make a bet that they can get thei r victim to overdose before the other: blue-haired artist Ivy Ramey, 18, who is nearly failing senior year due to her untreated ADHD, and her charismatic, high-achieving younger brother, Isaac Ramey, a 17-year-old soccer player who dreams of being a propulsion engineer until an off-field injury changes everything. Though the reader knows that one sibling will end up in a body bag tagged "I. Ramey," the question of who will succumb pulls readers along. Throughout, perspectives shift between Addi, Roxy, and the siblings, giving insight into the motivations of two teens trying to do the best they can with what they have. The Shustermans' depiction of each sibling's spiral into dependence and misuse of prescribed medications sheds a critical light on the ongoip.g drug epidemic, subverting stereotypes about substance abuse while exploring each drug's potential to help and to hinder. Ages 14-up. (Nov.)
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"Roxy." Publishers Weekly, vol. 268, no. 41, 11 Oct. 2021, p. 70. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A679527113/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8ac81d7e. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "gritty and unflinching."
Roxy. By Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman. Nov. 2021.384p. Simon & Schuster, $18.99 (9781534451254). Gr. 11-12.
Ivy and Isaac Ramey are a brother and sister following divergent paths. Isaac's athletic achievements and knack for machines give him a hopeful college outlook, while Ivy's party-girl lifestyle has her on the fast track to nowhere. Their fates, however, are not entirely in their hands. Presiding over the siblings' lives are the drugs, presented as anthropomorphized deities, that fuel the modern-day addiction epidemics. Two of them, Roxy (Oxycodone) and Addison (Adderall), have a grand wager over which can bring a Ramey sibling to a final end. This allegorical take on the opioid epidemic provides an utterly unique point of view on the lives of those struggling with drug dependencies. Surprisingly, this approach does not water down the stark realities besetting Ivy and Isaac as they sink into addiction. Rather, it captures the drugs' allure, from granting small benefits and initial highs, before taking the reader through the horrible spiral that addiction can entail. Gritty and unflinching, this book portrays the opioid crisis in a way older YA readers can feel and understand.--Reinhardt Suarez
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Suarez, Reinhardt. "Roxy." Booklist, vol. 118, no. 2, 15 Sept. 2021, pp. 48+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A678822131/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a93bb1a5. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "powerful and chilling."
Shusterman, Neal ROXY Simon & Schuster (Teen None) $18.99 11, 9 ISBN: 978-1-534-45125-4
Personified as gods, drugs Roxicodone and Adderall are at the center of this novel inspired by the opioid epidemic.
Human siblings Isaac and Ivy Ramey orbit different worlds. Isaac wants to study engineering. Ivy, who has ADD, feels like she's tried everything and still has trouble focusing. When an ankle injury jeopardizes Isaac's chance at a soccer scholarship, he turns to Roxy to alleviate the pain, while Ivy looks to Addi to find the focus to get her life on track. Their resulting struggles with addiction drive the once-close siblings apart as they find ways to feed their dependence--Isaac's on Roxy's comfort, Ivy's on the clarity of purpose Addi brings to her life. The siblings head down a path to destruction when seductive Roxy and pragmatic Addi make a bet to see who can get their "plus-one" to the Party (an unearthly rave serving as a metaphor for altered states) and all the way to the VIP lounge--"the end of the line." The novel feels like a stage drama from the tense first chapter to the tragic end. Interludes, in which other drugs tell their stories, punctuate the main narrative. The narration switches easily from Roxy's and Addi's first-person perspectives to Isaac's and Ivy's third-person limited viewpoints. Words hidden in chapter titles hint at themes or plot points. Isaac and Ivy are assumed White.
Powerful and chilling. (Fiction. 14-18)
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"Shusterman, Neal: ROXY." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Sept. 2021, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A675150127/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9fa1794b. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "thrilling."
SHUSTERMAN, Neal, ed. Gleanings: Stories from the Arc of a Scythe. 432p. S. & S. Nov. 2022. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9781534499973.
Gr 7 Up--This work returns to the post-mortal world of the bestselling "Arc of a Scythe" series, telling more captivating tales of the Scythedom. In a society that has conquered hunger, disease, and death, Scythes are the sole arbiters of death, tasked with the responsibility of ending life through gleaning, each with a preferred, sometimes unique, method. This newest installment, presented as an anthology, reveals histories of familiar characters, while also introducing new figures that play a part in the rise and fall of the world that has triumphed over death. Shusterman, in collaboration with David Yoon, Jarrod Shusterman, Sofia Lapuente, Michael H. Payne, Michelle Knowlden, and Joelle Shusterman, paints an enlightening picture of this dystopian world, exposing secrets spanning centuries, and shedding light on further terrors that lay within the Scythedom. The world of the series is brilliantly crafted, with precise and intricate details. In this collection, every chapter works as a standalone story, each with something new and interesting to offer. Standouts include "A Martian Minute" and "A Dark Curtain Rises," both of which expand on stories of familiar characters with cleverly executed twists. Also memorable is the elaborate "The Persistence of Memory" and the satisfying "A Death of Many Colors." Multiracial characters make up this civilization, and multiple characters are introduced as members of the LGBTQIA+ community. VERDICT Fans of the "Arc of a Seville" series will be pleased with this thrilling continuation.--Amanda Harding
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"SHUSTERMAN, Neal, ed. Gleanings: Stories from the Arc of a Scythe." School Library Journal, vol. 68, no. 11, Nov. 2022, pp. 65+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A724886675/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=bec6abcd. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "an efficacious mixture of humor, violence, and gentle absurdity."
Gleanings: Stories from the Arc of a Scythe (Arc of a Scythe)
Neal Shusterman et al. Simon & Schuster, $19.99 (432p) ISBN 978-1-5344-9997-3
Spanning from the end of the mortal era alluded to in Scythe to the period following The Toll, Shusterman's amalgam of in-world extrapolations--many written in collaboration with creators including Joelle Shusterman and David Yoon--explore previously under-illuminated corners of the Arc of a Scythe universe. While a handful of excellent stories add notable depth to two of the trilogy's most pivotal characters, and others flesh out personages mentioned only in passing, the best engage playfully with the established works' rules and tone. These include a paranoid-feeling thriller ("Never Work with Animals," coauthored with Michael H. Payne), a deadly game of cat and mouse occurring in a literal dreamscape ("Perchance to Glean," coauthored with Michelle Knowlden), a romantic comedy starring an accident-prone pair ("Meet Cute and Die"), and a surreal feud that turns Barcelona into a murderous Rube Goldberg machine ("The Persistence of Memory," coauthored with Jarrod Shusterman and Sofia Lapuente). Though the volume's not a starting place for series newcomers, existing fans will relish the varied tales, which handle themes of art, meaning, and morality in a post-death world with an efficacious mixture of humor, violence, and gentle absurdity. Ages 12-up. Agent: Andrea Brown. Andrea Brown Literary. (Nov.)
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"Gleanings: Stories from the Arc of a Scythe (Arc of a Scythe)." Publishers Weekly, vol. 269, no. 42, 10 Oct. 2022, p. 82. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A723019838/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a51b9b99. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "one for the legions of fans of this world."
Shusterman, Neal GLEANINGS Simon & Schuster (Teen None) $19.99 11, 8 ISBN: 978-1-5344-9997-3
Welcome back to the post-mortal utopia of the Arc of a Scythe series.
In the original trilogy, Shusterman posited that even a true utopia is imperfect thanks to human nature. Here, he returns to the Thunderhead's world with a collection of shorter works that explore moments before, during, and after the end of the Scythedom. While some stories need only basic contextual knowledge of the world, most are directly related to Citra's and Rowan's experiences: prequel tales of teenage Scythe Marie Curie (gleaning the last corrupt politicians) and Carson Lusk (later Scythe Goddard and unpleasant from the start); stories focused on Citra's brother, Ben, and on the sister of the first gleaning Rowan attends in Scythe (2016); and even one from the perspective of the Cirrus, the multifaceted AI offspring of the Thunderhead. The always accomplished, straightforward writing is at its best when it moves away from the larger Scythe-Thunderhead politics and instead focuses on humanity, art, and love in a world without natural or accidental death. Standouts include "The Mortal Canvas," focused on the first (and maybe last) post-mortal artist, and the slyly humorous "Meet Cute and Die," about the niece of a domineering and needy Scythe in Britannia.
One for the legions of fans of this world. (Science fiction. 14-adult)
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"Shusterman, Neal: GLEANINGS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A713722695/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6efca122. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "a smash-bang ending that leaves plenty unresolved for future volumes."
I Am the Walrus (The N.O.A.H. Files #1)
Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman. Little, Brown, $17.99 (400p) ISBN 978-0-7595-5524-2
The creators of the Accelerati Trilogy reteam for this dynamic, Oregon-set series kickoff, whose wide-ranging adventure arc encompasses aliens, animalian hijinks, designer coffins, and Stonehenge. Fourteen-year-old Noah Prime has always had an uncanny knack for sports, but after his beloved motocross course is razed for development--closing just like the ice-skating rink he loved before it--he's surprised to find that he has an affinity for not only motocross and hockey, but basketball, soccer, and wrestling, too. A strange collision with gymnast schoolmate Sahara raises questions about his background, as does a surprising physical reaction to an incident of bullying. With the help of Sahara, his autistic best friend Ogden, and his younger sister Andi, Noah seeks to find out more about himself and his apparent enemies. The group's exploits, detailed in quick-moving chapters that alternate with additional perspectives from protagonists and antagonists alike, develop a world of depth and moral complexity. Though instances of the cast separating occasionally bog down the plot, often-ludicrous scenarios and pop culture punch lines deliver surprises and laughs throughout, ramping up to a smash-bang ending that leaves plenty unresolved for future volumes. Characters are not physically described. Ages 10-14. Agent (for Shusterman): Andrea Brown, Andrea Brown Literary. (Apr.)
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"I Am the Walrus (The N.O.A.H. Files #1)." Publishers Weekly, vol. 270, no. 7, 13 Feb. 2023, p. 69. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A739110608/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ea30caba. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "a fun, if messy, thriller that's not afraid to go straight over the top."
Shusterman, Neal I AM THE WALRUS Little, Brown (Children's None) $17.99 4, 11 ISBN: 978-0-7595-5524-2
A middle schooler must outrun a cadre of strange individuals while puzzling out the truth of what he is in this science-fiction offering.
Fourteen-year-old Noah Prime longs to live somewhere bigger than his small town of Arbuckle, Oregon, though he is happily involved in motocross--at least until he learns that the course is being torn down to make way for a condo development. This bad news coincides with some particularly strange happenings in Noah's life, such as a literal (and very confusing) collision he has with Sahara, a girl that he comes to find very interesting. This is followed by his experiencing a brief and total paralysis while arguing with some bullies, which his friend Ogden, who is on the autism spectrum, insists is due to a psychological phenomenon called conversion disorder. The truth turns out to be much more complex, and it sends Noah, younger sister Andi, Ogden, and Sahara on a madcap quest involving aliens, time travel, an erupting volcano, and much more. The adventure is laced throughout with goofy, sarcastic humor, balancing the fantastical and somewhat confusing turns of events. While there is resolution at the story's end, it also clearly sets the stage for a follow-up. The main characters read White by default.
A fun, if messy, thriller that's not afraid to go straight over the top. (Science fiction. 10-14)
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"Shusterman, Neal: I AM THE WALRUS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Feb. 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A736805843/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=7ce6d78d. Accessed 9 May 2024.
I Am the Walrus. By Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman. Apr. 2023. 400p. Little, Brown, $17.99 (9780759555242). Gr. 5-8.
The coauthors of the Accelerati Trilogy kick off an equally head-spinning sf series starring seemingly ordinary middle-schooler Noah Prime. Noah finds himself caught between rival groups of space aliens wearing creepy, ill-fitting human skins after discovering his useful but hard-to-control ability to take on the characteristics of any animal. As he works to stay alive and uncaptured, he finds allies in smart-mouthed little sister Andi, autistic best friend Ogden, and take-no-prisoners classmate Sahara--all of whom prove to have unusual abilities of their own. Unfortunately, it turns out that the fate of all life on Earth is at stake, and Noah might just have to give up his own life to save everyone else. In this first volume alone, the authors tuck in really big stakes, time travel, fiery explosions, sudden deaths, a monster-alien jailbreak, black ops (human and otherwise), flights to locales from from Iowa to Tibet, high tech, and low humor. And that's not to mention the throwaway popculture references ("Klaatu barada nikto, " one escapee declaims) and an involuntary penguin mating dance. Events tie off (fairly) neatly, but readers who fasten their tusks on this opener won't want to let go until the next one swims by.--John Peters
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Peters, John. "I Am the Walrus." Booklist, vol. 119, no. 12, 15 Feb. 2023, p. 66. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A738954461/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a926ca81. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "Moving examples of the power of culture and folklore to offer help, hope, and inspiration to act."
Shusterman, Neal COURAGE TO DREAM Graphix/Scholastic (Teen None) $14.99 10, 31 ISBN: 9780545313483
Answering a call to witness, Shusterman offers five original tales of Jews resisting and escaping Nazis with help from miracles, wonders, and legends.
Inspired by actual examples of aid and rescue recounted in brief between each story, the author celebrates courage in the face of brutality and terror--beginning with a group of orphaned children in Hamburg narrowly escaping a Nazi roundup through a window in their apartment that becomes a portal to a peaceful world. There are also striking tales of a golem at Auschwitz, resistance fighters freeing a train of captives with help from Baba Yaga and the people of Chelm, and a teenager who wields the staff of Moses to raise a bridge of sunken boats, helping Danish Jews escape across the Ãresund strait to Sweden. In a pointed final story, an American child passes back and forth between this time and an alternate present in which the Holocaust never happened, but antisemitic violence is ominously on the rise. Noting the influence of Marvel Comics on his work, Martínez offers clean-lined period scenes of ordinary-looking heroes enduring fear and hardship, and "fighting for justice on every page." Resonating with an earlier acknowledgment that Roma and other minorities also suffered Nazi persecution, Martínez finds common personal ground in his own Tejano family's experiences with white supremacists.
Moving examples of the power of culture and folklore to offer help, hope, and inspiration to act. (photo credits, author's notes, illustrator's note, bibliography, note on Hebrew letters) (Graphic fiction. 12-18)
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"Shusterman, Neal: COURAGE TO DREAM." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A760508254/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=273c8cd9. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "effective tensionbuilding."
Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust
Neal Shusterman, illus. by Andres Vera Martinez. Graphix, $24.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-545-31347-6; $14.99 paper ISBN 978-0-5453-1348-3
Shusterman (/ Am the Walrus) and Martinez (Little White Duck) deploy a mixture of fantasy and history to reimagine elements of the Holocaust in this uneven graphic novel. Throughout five interconnected stories, some of which are inspired by actual events, the creators showcase a spectrum of landscapes and situations. Narratives include an interpretation of the golem's origins set in Auschwitz, and a story set in a contemporary American home where a conch shell seems to be a portal to an alternate history in which Hitler won. One entry, "Spirits of Resistance," is set in the Belarusian woods and stars folktale witch Baba Yaga, who summons her minions--including the great bird Ziz as well as Izbushka, a hut on towering chicken legs--to help a band of Jewish resisters. This standout chapter bursts with fierce energy, and foregrounds the characters' agency in overcoming an apparent hopeless situation. Other entries feature visual drama and effective tensionbuilding, portrayed in a comics style reminiscent of the 1950s and teeming with fantastical elements, as when a trio of siblings manage to evade capture by Nazis when the world outside their hiding place morphs into an interstellar landscape. Ages 12--up. Author's agent: Andrea Brown, Andrea Brown Literary. (Oct.)
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"Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust." Publishers Weekly, vol. 270, no. 36, 4 Sept. 2023, p. 80. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A765992745/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9b26ca24. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "This is an enlightening read on a perennially important topic."
Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust. By Neal Shusterman. Art by Andres Vera Martinez. Oct. 2023. 256p. Scholastic/Graphix, $24.99 (9780545313476). Gr. 7-12.741.5.
Shusterman has been known for breaking conventions of genres throughout his career, and his latest, a series of short stories on the Holocaust rendered in comics panels, is no exception. Drawing upon characters from traditional Jewish stories, like Moses or the Golem, Shusterman uses their powers to disrupt the Nazi machine and save people from the Holocaust; these superpowers mirror the real-life heroics of Jews who saved others during the war. Each story ends with an author's note and photos to explain the parallels to history, making it a great resource for lessons on WWII. The last story, in which a young girl meets her family and cousins who would have been born had there been no Holocaust, feels particularly haunting and pressing. The naturalist artwork does a decent job telling the story and relaying the emotions, but it feels rather safe in comparison to the dynamic genre-blending in Shusterman's writing. Overall, this is an enlightening read on a perennially important topic.--Peter Blenski
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Blenski, Peter. "Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust." Booklist, vol. 120, no. 4, 15 Oct. 2023, p. 36. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A770323887/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e12f7644. Accessed 9 May 2024.
QUOTED: "Shusterman creates stories that engage and educate young readers."
SHUSTERMAN, Neal. Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust. illus. by Andres Vera Martinez. 256p. Scholastic/Graphix. Oct. 2023. Tr $24.99. ISBN 9780545313476.
Gr 7 Up--This work of graphic fiction uses an anthology of fantastic tales to explore the horrors of the Holocaust. Shusterman creates stories that engage and educate young readers about Nazi persecution of the Jewish people. He writes in the dedication, "This book is about impossible and wondrous things that never happened, set against a backdrop of impossible, unthinkable things that did." The first story begins with a tale of young children hidden for safety behind a bookshelf, who escape through a portal to a peaceful world. Next is a very Marvel-inspired story of a Golem of Auschwitz, and then a tale of Baba Yaga and mythical creatures forming a resistance force in a deep, dark wood. The fourth is a Moses-inspired story of rescue and daring, followed by a final story about a young American girl and a terrible alternative future. The illustrations are reminiscent of early Marvel comic books. There are plenty of details that will draw the eye, like Baba Yaga's flying cauldron, but plenty of action to move the plot forward. VERDICT A nice addition to any teen graphic fiction collection. --Meaghan Nichols
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Nichols, Meaghan. "SHUSTERMAN, Neal. Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust." School Library Journal, vol. 69, no. 11, Nov. 2023, p. 62. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A773080438/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=aa4a4b94. Accessed 9 May 2024.