SCYTHE, by Neal Shusterman

The story: In a perfect world where no one dies, it's necessary to keep some kind of balance to the population--so there are scythes: ordained reapers who "glean" a certain number of people each year according to their own interpretation of the law. Both Rowan and Citra are chosen to be apprentice scythes and are in danger of falling in love with each other--right up until the time it's decreed that whichever of them wins the ordination will have to kill the other. Didn't see that coming.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence R; Sexual content PG; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G: adult themes R (murder and mayhem, graphic violence); overall rating R.

Liz's comments: I really wanted to thumbs-up this story, because I was a fan of Shusterman's "Unwind" and "Skinjackers" stories, and because I think the book has something to say about death and our society's reactions to it. But this series opener was so violent that I just couldn't like it (although I did approve of the twist at the end, setting the stage for the sequel). But. Still. Pffft. Murder after murder after murder (even though not graphically described) just beats you down after a while. Certainly better for readers 9th grade and up.