REVIEW: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

 

Author: Beth Revis

Pages: 416

Genre: Young Adult - Sci-Fi

Publisher: Razorbill

AMAZON: Across the Universe

Synopsis.

“Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone–one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship–tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.”

REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars

Across the Universe had me up until all hours; I have not read many sci-fi novels but I was intrigued when I read the synopsis and I must admit, it didn’t disappoint; I was anxiously turning the pages and eager to find out what would happen next. It also combined the elements of YA and  Dystopian which I have come to enjoy and love.

Amy’s parents have signed up to be part of the first manned interstellar exploratory mission, they will be cryogenically frozen cargo on the Godspeed for 300 years and will begin the colonization process on the new planet upon arrival; 17 year-old Amy has agreed to go along with them leaving everything she has known and loved behind.

The initial freezing process and what Amy endured whilst frozen would have been horrific but when she was woken 50 years too early you can imagine the panic she must have felt. You could feel the pain and loss at being woken at a different time to her parents, her mind must have been in constant overdrive being in a strange place, feeling like an outcast and freak, treated horribly and having no-one familiar with her at all. It definitely isn’t something she signed up for but the strength she showed was admirable.

The first person Amy met was 16 year-old Elder, the second in charge of the Godspeed; he reports to Eldest – a tyrannical and evil leader, but in most aspects Elder doesn’t agree with what he has been taught. There are a number of secrets he has to learn and many changes yet to make.

There were a number of twists and turns in the mystery surrounding the Godspeed, the frozen humans were being killed and the murderer still at large; I was able to work out who it was early on in the novel but was curious to find out the reasoning.

Society on the ship was certainly intriguing, the controlled lifestyle and the false stories told to control peace and to prevent the truth being revealed was an interesting aspect, human beings were treated as objects and those that couldn’t be controlled were medicated and treated in the hospital mental ward – I am eager to see how things will change under new leadership.

One of my favorite things about this novel was that it was told from both Amy and Elder’s POV’s which worked well to see the emotions and events occurring through both of their thoughts. I think it gave us more of a connection to both of the main protagonists.

I absolutely adored Harley and was saddened by his story; I loved the fascination he had with the stars and his painting, I wish things could have been different for him.

I enjoyed the world-building in Across the Universe, it was truly fascinating and Ms Revis’s writing is wonderful; it draws you in with the vivid details she provides, you get a visual of the characters and of the ship and can just picture them in your mind. I found even the smallest tidbits fascinating.

The only thing I found to be lacking was the romance, to me it seemed one sided from Elder and I thought it was more because Amy was different and he was curious so I am keen to see if it progresses in the sequel.

I am truly hoping for a wonderful, happy ending with this series but I am not sure if there will ever be a landing or a reunion between Amy and her parents but I have my fingers crossed.

The next book in this series is A Million Suns which has a 10^th January 2012 release date.

Obtained: Amazon for Kindle