Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Review: Across the Universe
Published: January 11, 2011 by Razorbill
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
2011 Debut Author Challenge
Description:
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.
My Thoughts:
Across the Universe is told in alternating POVs between Amy and Elder. The book opens with Amy being frozen, and it's graphic. I know someone who had a hard time reading it, so there's your warning. But trust me, you want to push through it. This is YA people, it's real and it's gritty, and it's totally made of win.
I really don't know where to begin with this book. Everything about Beth Revis' debut is absolutely magnificent, from the reversible jacket (Oh, no! Which one will be on the paperback?!) to the incredibly realistic characters. Amy has so much on her plate in this book that I really just want to give her a hug and tell her it will be okay, but she's trapped on a ship where she stands out in every possible way and is hundreds of years away from everyone she knows. Let's be honest, a hug doesn't exactly cover that.
And Elder. Oh, Elder. Across the Universe brings to life a new type of people that belongs to no race and every race at the same time; if that isn't cause for some mixed up feelings, being denied the truth of who your parents are certainly is, especially when you throw Amy into the mix. Elder may be from a future time and a ship that readers know little about, but he's still easy to relate to and even easier to like.
Have I mentioned Godspeed yet? Because it's so awesome I display the blueprint cover proudly. Or the plot twists of epic proportions? If you thought Incarceron blew your mind, you need to read this book. Right now. Revis taunts you with the truth, leading you astray with one thing only to slap you in the face with four more later on. Her ability to craft a heart-wrenching mystery truly is spectacular.
Revis' Across the Universe is going to do some absolutely amazing things for YA science fiction, and I can't wait to see it. I drooled over this book for months, and it didn't disappoint. At all. You can bet I'll read anything she writes, regardless of genre and age group, and that I'll be hosting a giveaway shortly. Because, trust me, you want this book.
Visit the author online.
Buy the Book: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
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5 comments:
Cool. I need to write my review on this. I've been thinking about it for the last week, and I think it's 3/5 stars for me.
I'll probably post it sometime this week.
I'll definitely be interested in hearing what you have to say about it. :)
I won an ARC from one of Beth Revis's contests, and I really loved it. My only complaint was that I had a hard time remembering to shift back and forth between the speakers, but otherwise, a great read that made me feel I was on the Starship Enterprise... of horror.
I just bought this book yesterday and can't wait to read it.
This book sounds so awesome I can hardly wait to read it! It's sitting on my shelf waiting for me! The first thing I noticed was the amazing two-sided cover. Thanks for the great review. now I'm even more excited!
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