Author: Beth Revis
Series: Across the Universe #1
Publisher: Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication Date: January 11, 2011
Pages: 398
Format/Source: Hardback/Purchased
Age Group/Genre: Young Adult/Science Fiction
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)
A Little Re-Reading…
Across the Universe was one of my favorite reads of 2011. I loved it so much that I even gave it as a gift at my book club Christmas party – we were all supposed to bring one of our favorite books of the year for a Dirty Santa gift exchange. Even though I only read it a couple of months ago, I wanted to re-read it now for a few reasons. It’s list time! (By the way, I really love lists. Pro/Con lists, To-Do lists, you name it. So you’ll probably be seeing a lot of them on my blog.) Anyway, here are the reasons for my re-read of Across the Universe:
- I’d be able to write this lovely/goofy review for my blog. I don’t really want to go back and review books that I’ve previously read, because I like to review them just after reading so I have everything fresh in my mind. But since I re-read it, I can do the review.
- To refresh my memory before reading A Million Suns. I got A Million Suns in the mail a couple of weeks ago and I’ve really been wanting to read it, but I wanted to refresh my memory of all the crazy things that happened on the Godspeed. Now I can go ahead and read it! Yea!
- I’m participating in the Read Me Baby, One More Time Challenge hosted by Kate at Midnight Book Girl, and any re-reads count! Score!
- It was just such a great book, that I knew I’d want to re-read it anyway!
My Thoughts…
First of all, I love the blueprint of the Godspeed on the inside of the reversible cover! I love when books have maps like this – I’m always looking back at them so that I can figure out exactly where the events are taking place.
Also, this really doesn’t have anything to do with the actual book, but I had Across the Universe by The Beatles in my head all the time while reading this book. Which makes sense, given the book’s title and the epigraph. But I seem to do this a lot. Like, for instance, when I read Divergent last year, I always had Madonna’s Like a Virgin in my head. Except I made up new lyrics for it that went like this: “Di-i-vergent (ooh!), brave for the very first time! Di-i-ver-er-er-er-gent, let’s be Dauntless, you and I.” Yes, I do realize what a dork I am.
Moving on… It was really hard for me to get through the first chapter the first time I read it, and this time was pretty much the same. All the details about Amy being cryogenically frozen were really hard to read, but what a way to start a novel! Such a powerful, raw beginning to this story!
Beth Revis really wove an intricate plot, with such complex stories and characters. Elder’s whole story is just so interesting, and I love how he’s still really not sure what is right and wrong, because there really is no black and white when it comes to the issues in this novel. One plot line was easy to figure out, but I think Revis did this intentionally, setting us up for all the other twists and turns and bombshells that were waiting right around the corner.
This story is action-packed but also full of a lot of inner turmoil for the two narrators, Amy and Elder. One of my favorite lines was during one of these situations with Amy:
“…if I wasn’t holding on to myself, I think my body would fall apart like a puzzle lifted at the corners.”
I love that! I can just imagine someone lifting the corners of a finished puzzle with their thumbs and forefingers and just watching the pieces fall apart.
Overall, I really loved this book and can’t wait to get started on A Million Suns! My rating for Across the Universe by Beth Revis:
Five huge stars! I would recommend it to anyone who likes Young Adult books, especially those who also like Science Fiction!
Find it: Goodreads │ Amazon │ Penguin Group
If you like this book, you should try: Glow
Disclosure: I purchased this book myself. I was not compensated in any way for this review.
Nicole
February 1, 2012 at 7:32 amGreat review! Lots of people seem to like this book and it's on my TBR list too :)
andreamantis
February 2, 2012 at 10:18 pmThanks! Yeah, it's a good one, especially if you like Science Fiction. It might be softer than a lot of SF, but I still loved it!
Andrea @ Cozy Up
February 1, 2012 at 6:31 pmI really enjoyed this one (more than I did A Million Suns), I like your reasons as to why you re-read it. Great review! Can't wait to hear what you think about A Million Suns!
andreamantis
February 2, 2012 at 10:20 pmThanks! Yeah, I remember your review of A Million Suns. I know a lot of second books are really disappointing, especially when the first book was so great! I'm reading it now, so we'll see how it goes!
Giselle
February 2, 2012 at 2:21 amOoh I just got this one last week so I'm planning to read it soon after all this rave over book 2 Im really looking forward to it! Wonderful review! :)
andreamantis
February 2, 2012 at 10:21 pmThanks! Yeah, it's really good, especially if you like Science Fiction-y stuff. ;)
Jessie Marie
February 2, 2012 at 2:36 amAck! I almost picked this one up tonight but decided to limit my spending to $20. If it's good enough from you to feel the need to reread it before the next, I should probably read it at least once! Haha, wonderful review. Yes, I love lists, too. You and I seem to be very similar in lots of ways!
andreamantis
February 2, 2012 at 10:23 pmThanks!
Damn those budgets! Well, you should definitely try to pick it up sometime!
Parentheses, lists, yeah, we do seem to be similar! I'm enjoying your blog a lot and glad to see you're back!
Bittner
February 2, 2012 at 2:42 amI'm really undecided about whether to read this one or not. I've seen so many reviews on different blogs and it seems like for every review that loved it there was an equal amount of people that hated it. Plus I just have soooo many other books to read this year. But this book will probably stay on my radar for a long time until I finally break down and read it.
P.S. Oh my GOD you are such a dork!!! If you have any other book related melodies you'd like to share, don't hesitate!
andreamantis
February 2, 2012 at 10:26 pmHmm, I haven't seen too many negative reviews but I know it's not for everyone. It's similar to Glow in certain ways, so I can see why you'd be hesitant. But the story is pretty different.
That's all the melodies I have for now, but if I come up with any in the future I'll be sure to share them!
Jac
February 2, 2012 at 9:20 pmOMG! I am so glad I am not the only one who gets songs like that stuck in my head! (Although I'll never read Divergent the same again *lol*)
Thanks for the great review of one of my favorite books EVER!! I can't wait to hear how much you love A Million Suns!
-Jac @ For Love and Books
andreamantis
February 2, 2012 at 10:29 pmThanks!
Hahaha! We are not alone! I get words stuck in my head, too, sometimes. Strange words – it happened a lot when I was in school. Like I'd get "mitochondria" or something in my head and it would be on repeat in the back of my mind. Kinda strange…
Sorry about that! I didn't realize that when I shared my Divergent song, it would make others hear the song as they were reading, too! What have I done?!?!? ;)
I'm reading A Million Suns right now, so the review should hopefully be up in the next few days. Depends on how much time I actually have to read. But it's good so far!
fakesteph
February 2, 2012 at 11:41 pmThis one has been on my TBR pile for forever!!! Now, I may have to make it a priority. And I totally made up Harry Potter Christmas carols, so the singing is normal… maybe. :)
andreamantis
February 3, 2012 at 8:13 pmUm… *holds up hand* I want to hear these Harry Potter Christmas carols!!!! Can you please make a record??? ;)