Book Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

***2011 Debut Author***

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publication Date: January 11, 2011
Pages: 398
Series: 1st in a series
Acquisition: bought

Summary:

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

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. (from Goodreads)

My thoughts:
Everything good you have heard about this book is true! The hype is real people! This book was amazing! Too many exclamation points? I say, not enough!!!

Seriously, I devoured this book. My only complaint is that it wasn't long enough. I could easily have read 500 more pages of Elder and Amy. The basic story line is one I've read before - Earth can no longer sustain us humans, so we take to the stars. Seeking out a new home. The journey is long and hard but once we arrive all will be well again. Revis took this premise and turned it into a fantastical journey. The twists in the story, the secrets that everyone seems to be hiding and the complexity of the ship and it's people left me one happy reader.

I fell in love with Amy and Elder. Their alternating first person narrative really helped me get to know each one in depth. I understood Amy's outrage and I could sympathize with Elder's struggles.

While not all together unpredictable, I was still on the edge of my seat for most of the book. Also, after the 'action' dies down, there is one more little surprise that I did not see coming. Added even more depth to the story - had me rethinking everything. Loved it!

Final verdict:
I'm a science fiction junkie at heart and I absolutely love dystopian stories so Across the Universe was the perfect combo for me.  If you can, pick up a copy of the hardcover. The dust jacket is reversible and the inside image is a schematic of the ship.  As a very visual person, this added bonus was oh so very nice! The little movie in my head that played as I read the book had it's proper setting :)

I highly, highly recommend this book to science fiction fans in general, whether you prefer YA or adult novels. I'm also supper excited for the next books in the series. Can't wait to see where the Godspeed will go!

Overall Rating:

5 / 5 Stars

Books in the Across the Universe Series:
Across the Universe
A Million Suns (2012)
Untitled (2013)

Linkage Love:
Razorbill
Author's Website
Goodreads