Two teens must learn the "art of killing" in this Printz Honor-winning book, the first in the chilling, New York Times bestselling Arc of a Scythe series from National Book Award-winning author Neal Shusterman.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered them all...even death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life, and they are commanded to do so in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe--a role that neither wants. These teens must master the "art" of taking life, knowing that failure could mean losing their own. The more they train, the more Citra and Rowan learn that a perfect world comes with a heavy price.