You know, I think it’s gotten to that point now where Neal Shusterman is one of my favourite authors. He just has this way of writing that has me completely engrossed. Thunderhead has got to be one of the best science fiction/dystopian novels that I have ever read.

Rowan has gone rogue, and has taken it upon himself to put the Scythedom through a trial by fire. Literally. In the year since Winter Conclave, he has gone off-grid, and has been striking out against corrupt scythes—not only in MidMerica, but across the entire continent. He is a dark folk hero now—“Scythe Lucifer”—a vigilante taking down corrupt scythes in flames.

Citra, now a junior scythe under Scythe Curie, sees the corruption and wants to help change it from the inside out, but is thwarted at every turn, and threatened by the “new order” scythes. Realizing she cannot do this alone—or even with the help of Scythe Curie and Faraday, she does the unthinkable, and risks being “deadish” so she can communicate with the Thunderhead—the only being on earth wise enough to solve the dire problems of a perfect world. But will it help solve those problems, or simply watch as perfection goes into decline?

I loved Scythe. I gave it 4.75 stars or something like that, BUT THUNDERHEAD IS A MASTERPIECE. Everything about this book was symbolic and hints at our own world. I say that Thunderhead is a dystopian… It’s more of a utopia but with elements of a dystopia. You think that you’re reading about this perfect world where disease, and death are conquered, where you’re looked after by the Thunderhead, but no. There’s problems. Of course there is. There wouldn’t be a novel otherwise.

Like Scythe, Thunderhead is split between the points of views of Citra and Rowen, but we have another perspective this time! We have Greyson. I didn’t really like his POV at first. I thought it was a bit random of Shusterman to add another main character into the series, and then give him his own chapters. BUT STAY WITH IT. IT MAKES SENSE. And now Greyson has become one of my favourite characters. He has such a special relationship with the Thunderhead and it’s just so precious and makes me want to cry. I can’t say anything else about that because spoilers.

I’ll be really honest I’m finding it so hard to review this book because I just loved it so much, and I can’t put all of my happiness into words… I’ll try though…

In Scythe, Citra and Rowen’s storylines were interwoven, but it’s completely different in Thunderhead. Their plot lines are totally separate. They don’t really interact with each other and THERE IS ZERO ROMANCE IN THIS BOOK WHICH IS BLOODY BRILLIANT. Rowan was being a sort of Scythe vigilante and the whole of the Scythedom is after him, and all I wanted to do is wrap him in a big hug and protect him against all of the crap that was thrown at him throughout this book. Also, during Rowan’s POV, we have an Unwind moment AND IT FREAKED ME THE F OUT. Unwind by Neal Shusterman… just read it, and you’ll get what I mean. But THAT moment left me stunned. I couldn’t handle it. There I was, sat on my Auntie’s sofa in Holland, reading Thunderhead, and suddenly I just froze and had to take 5 minutes because of how weird it was.

“While freedom gives rise to growth and enlightenment, permission allows evil to flourish in a light of day that would otherwise destroy it.”

― Neal Shusterman, Thunderhead

With Citra’s POV, it concentrated more on the political side of the Scythedom, and how things were just crumbling around her. There are so many twists and turns surrounding the political side of this book and my head was spinning – IN A GOOD WAY, I think? It was too emotional.

Also… I’m counting the Thunderhead as a character. Because I love it. I absolutely love it. It’s caring about every single human on the planet (apart from the Scythe’s), and at the same time, it’s calculating death. It’s basically a super-duper upgrade of The Cloud.

I can’t write this review about mentioning the ending of this book. I don’t know how to put my feelings about the ending down. It HAD ME SHOOK. Everything about it tore my heart out, stomped on it, then recycled it to do the same thing again. I just couldn’t I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to throw the book against the wall.

You know what I do need? The third book. Right now. I need to find out what happens. I have to know what happens to the characters, I need to find out what happens with the Thunderhead, and Greyson, and JUST EVERYONE.

Guys, THIS is how sequels are done.