I was so excited to read this, unfortunately for me that was where the excitement ended. I loved the world of the Scythedom and the trilogy was epic, but for me these Origin stories just didn't hit the nail.

I found them too long not to be chapterized. Some stories just fell flat and didn't do the characters justice. Don't get me wrong, there were one or two that I did enjoy, but it wasn't enough for me to be shouting about this one I'm afraid.

I downloaded this book to read but it has not shown in my netgalley app and is now not available so I am unfortunately unable to read and review this advanced copy. I'm really looking forward to reading this when it is published. I love this series and am sure this book will be a brilliant addition.

I found the blurb intriguing and decided to read this book even it I didn't read the series. It was fascinating and I want to read the series as it's great.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I, like many, fell hard for the worldbuilding of the Arc of A Scythe series back when I first encountered them. When I heard Gleanings was being published I got very excited for more worldbuilding details and so such so I could enjoy the world a little bit more. I would say that for the most part Gleanings delivered on what I wanted. I saw more of the world and I particularly liked the way that things started to lean even more...dark? I think something about being more away from the Scythedom made the whole thing a bit more dystopian.
I think if you're a person who really enjoyed the characters in the main series you'll like this even more as this book fleshes out some of the backstories of familiar characters and gives some insight into some of the reasons for some things in the series. For that reason I would suggest that if you have *no* recollection of what happened in the main series I would suggest a little refresher if not a full reread. It's not essential but it would put you in good stead.
Overall I think this is a great addition to the series and will definitely bring joy to those already fans of the series and is a nice thing to be able to recommend to people who might just be picking the books up. You get more worldbuilding, more history and just an all round good scythe experience.
I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

4 Stars - Ebook provided by NetGalley

I loved the world of the Arc of a Scythe series so I was happy when I found out about Gleanings.

The stories were little insights into events that were alluded to in the original trilogy as well as fun little stories that were just set in the world. My two personal favorites were The Mortal Canvas and Meet Cute and Die. The writing was really easy to read and humorous. I was a little disappointed that you didn’t see anything about life for Citra and Rowan after the events of the original trilogy. If you loved the world of the scythe books I highly recommend reading these stories but if all you are looking for is more Citra and Rownan content I would give this a miss.

~ ARC Review ~

🍁Publishing 10/11/22🍁
Name: Gleamings
Author: Neal Shusterman et al
Rating: 4 stars - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Pages: 432 paperback

"The New York Times bestselling Arc of a Scythe series continues with thrilling stories that span the timeline. Storylines continue. Origin stories are revealed. And new Scythes emerge..."

Book 1 - Scythe
Book 2 - Thunderhead
Book 3 - The Toll

I know this is a highly anticipated read for all who loved the original trilogy; myself included but very obviously you do have to have read the original books in order to enjoy and understand this fabulous anthology. The book gives you 12 separate stories from before, during and after the original trilogy.

Personally my favourite parts had to be the origin stories of some of our well known and beloved characters finding out background information and details on how the feelings of said characters started, changed and adapted throughout the trilogy.

The stories in this novel jump around a bit, the time line is not linear but I did find myself slightly disappointed in the stories set after the last book (The Toll) although written well and enjoyable I felt they lacked the same feel as the original trilogy and the stories that steamed from that time.

We do meet new characters within this book and are given a new or different perspective on the cultures and attitudes of the Scythe world as well as on events that took place throughout the original books. Although I do recommend rereading the previous books before diving head first into this one just to refresh the finer details and intricacies of the trilogy and it's world building.

Overall a very enjoyable read for already fans of this wonderful world and their beloved characters!

A huge thank you to Neal Shusterman (as well as all the other join authors), Walter Books UK and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately I DNF'd at about 25%. I just couldn't get into this book. I found myself skipping bits and skimming the rest.

I think this would've been better with less stories and having the remaining ones a little bit longer

I thoroughly enjoyed the idea of this, though some stories I liked better than others. You must read the series before trying this one, otherwise you will not fully understand the concept.

I definitely recommend this to fans of the series.

Neal Shusterman never disappoints. It feels so good to be back in this world and this was probably one of the best short story collections I have read in a long time!

The First Swing - 3 stars
Formidable - 5 stars
Never Work With Animals - 3 stars
A Death of Many Colours - 4 stars
Unsavoury Row - 5 stars
A Martian a Minute - 5 stars
The Mortal Canvas - 5 stars
Cirri - 4.5 stars
Anastasia's Shadow - 3 stars
The Persistence of Memory - 4 stars
Meet Cute and Die - 4 stars
Perchance to Glean - 2 stars
A Dark Curtain Rises - 4 stars

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Gleanings' by Neal Shusterman.

'Gleanings' is a bunch of short stories in the world of the Scythe trilogy. I enjoyed these stories and it fascinated me to hear more about the world through a bunch of different authors.
I love it's whole concept where Scythe fans can read this whenever they miss Shusterman's work but it isn't necessary to own.

Just like any other anthology, there were some short stories I liked more than others. I think the novel's release was perfect as it allowed many fans to revisit their favourite dystopian trilogy. I also enjoyed getting further insight into other sectors in the Scythedom such as the unsavories and even the families of the Gleaned.

The guest and co-authors on some of these stories such as Michael H. Payne, David Yoon, Jarrod Shusterman, Sofía Lapuente, Michelle Knowlden, and Joelle Shusterman form new perspectives and writing styles which keep things interesting.

The timeline of the short stories covers the entire trilogy and it just makes the entire world Neil Shusterman wrote richer and visually satisfying.

I think this is definitely a treat for fans that loved these books and a perfect way to revisit old and new characters.

Thanks so much for the eARC!

I absolutely love this Universe, so a collection of short stories featuring some familiar and some new characters is exactly what I needed. Each one is written with the usual style and flair, and I've been inspired to reread the main series again as a result!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Like the majority of short story collections. Some I really like. Some less so. This has definitely made me want to read the entire series. Then this book. To try and get all the things I surely missed this time around.

Thank you NetGalley and the published for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review

Wow! This was such an unexpected little treat - and a must read for any fans of the original Arc of a Scythe trilogy.

A collection of short stories and tales from familiar and unfamiliar characters, set in the world of the Scythedom and giving interesting insight into the existing stories. The stories aren't told in chronological order, and instead skip around - some before, some during the events of the original books. This meant it was easy to pick up the book and dive into a story, then wait to read the next. It was one of the most relaxed reads I've had in a while!

I think I'll definitely be revisiting the series at some point, and may well tandem read it alongside some of these short stories to add to the experience.

An easy 5 stars!

Gleanings by Neal Shusterman is a collection of short stories. It is part of the Arc of a Scythe series. It contains 12 short stories and one poem. The stories are linked to the series with as some side characters have a short story. It delves deeper into this world. I think if you loved the series, you would really enjoy this short story collection. The writing is on the same standard as the Arc of a Scythe series and some of the short stories are co-authored. However, I read the Scythe series in 2020; 2 years ago, so I didn’t really enjoy this as I’m not in this headspace anymore. My favourite story was the final one, A Dark Curtain Rises. I also enjoyed The First Swing. I don’t really think this is necessary and I don’t think you need to read it. It didn’t add anything to the series, and I would only recommend this if you loved the series. I’m going to give this a star rating of three stars because it wasn’t bad, but I personally didn’t care for it.