Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Author: Beth Revis

Publisher: Razorbill

Page  Count: 398 pages, Paperback

Date Published: January 11th 2011

Goodreads Description:

 Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed. She expects to awaken on a new planet, 300 years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, Amy's cryo chamber is unplugged, and she is nearly killed.

Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader, and Elder, his rebellious and brilliant teenage heir.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she? All she knows is that she must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.

 

My Thoughts: Enjoyed it a lot, but something just wasn't right...

Across the Universe is one of the first sci-fi books I've read in a long time. But the thing is, it's also kind of dystopia-ish as well. I don't know really how to describe the genre of this book, other than saying that it's a murder mystery on a space ship and it's kind of really strange.

Don't get me wrong, I really did like this book. The plot was interesting enough, the two main characters, Amy and Elder were loveable and there was enough going on that I never truly got bored, even though it moved slowly. But I also found the writing to be vague and lacking that sense of being able to visualize what was going on. There were some scenes where I had no clue what was happening, but I just kept reading to get on to the next part. There was also the fact that I immediately knew who it was that was unplugging the frozen people. I don't know, maybe it was obvious and everyone is able to figure it out or maybe I have a really good chance in becoming a spy or private investigator in the future. It felt as if the author was trying to convince us that the murderer was one person, when really, there was no solid proof that it was that person. (Sorry for being so vague, but I don't want to give it away to the people who haven't read it!) 

The chapters alternate between Amy and Elder's point of view well. In some sections I wasn't clear on who was where and what was happening and why this person was doing this, but other than that the chapters transitioned nicely. One thing that I found to be really great about the alternating chapters was that they were short. Ten to twelve pages in Elder's POV at the most, and then you're put into Amy's head without having to go back to and reread the last page of her previous chapter. Does that make sense? I hope so! The last thing I'll mention is the relationship between these two. I never truly got it. It felt like they only liked each other because they were the only teens on the ship. Which makes sense, but it still felt a little forced. Hopefully Amy and Elder's relationship will evolve into something greater in the next books!

I can't say much else about this book, other than it was good. I really didn't find anything amazing about it, but then again, it takes a special book for me to say "OMG YOU NEED TO GET THIS RIGHT NOW,  READ IT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" But, for my first sci-fi type book I've read since, I don't know, 5th grade, it was acceptable. I am excited to read A Million Suns, since I've heard that it's so much better than this one!

What did you think of Across the Universe? Yay or Nay? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to hear your opinions!

Happy reading, everyone!

-Kristy