Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1) by Beth Revis
3 out of 5 Stars!
Publication Date: January 11th 2011 by Razorbill

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.

I can’t express how claustrophobic I felt throughout this whole book, LOL! Thank you, Beth Revis!! I seriously felt like I couldn’t breathe at times and actually had to step outside of my apartment to gulp down some fresh air. How many books can you say have had that kind of effect on you? Me? This is probably the only one so far.

I also can’t deny that I have never imagined being frozen so that I could be woken up in the future. But this book has now changed my mind forever. I do not want to be, essentially, buried alive in ice! Just to have my mind be alert for centuries! How horrible…

Across the Universe was a great mix of scifi, dystopian, and mystery. While the pace may not be fast, I thought it was well done for this story. Also, it had alternating chapters, which I love! A lot of the technology was really cool to read about, especially the gravtubes and floppies. I don’t think I’d like a commlink installed in my ear though.

I loved that this book brings up a lot of questions about morality and ethics. It definitely makes you consider the rights and wrongs and the what-would-I-do-in-these-situations. One thing graphically described was the Season, as in, the mating season. I must say, it disturbed me a little. Also, the almost rape unsettled me. I kind of get that it was to show us just how far gone everyone was, but it was crazy! And the guys got nothing but black eyes for it! I really hope Luthe gets what’s coming to him in the next book. Something needs to be done about it.

While I did enjoy this story, I can’t say I really connected with the main characters. In fact, I probably felt a stronger connection to Harley, who is an important secondary character. He really affected me. With all that said, I was actually unable to put it down. I needed to know what would happen next! I look forward to reading the rest of the series. I want to know if they’ll ever make it to their destination after all!

• Tags: Across the Universe, Beth Revis, Razorbill•