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. (Goodreads synopsis)
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I’d like to start off by saying that I am totally not a sci-fi type. I typically like either contemporary or paranormal or dystopic literature; however, I LOVED Across the Universe! Beth Revis has done a masterful job of creating a beautiful world with relatable, well developed characters. I felt very at home yet at the same time very unsettled by the world of this novel. Telling a story in first person narrative from both main characters POV is risky, yet Revis does it beautifully. Amy and Elder’s perspectives add clarity to the story and have such unique voices that it does not slow down the story at all.
Amy is a fiery young woman who is both sensitive and loving and tenacious and brave all at the same time. She makes the best of most situations which is difficult considering her circumstances. Elder, I adore him. He tries so hard and wants so badly to be a good leader. He has so much responsibility placed on him and yet, he is still just a kid in many ways. Another big A+ for Revis is her development of secondary characters. I am one who will absolutely put a book down if the only characters I like in a book are the main ones. I have to feel like the secondary characters are real as well. Revis accomplishes this so beautifully! I love the characters from the Ward and especially Stella.
The plot development also kept me reading…when honestly there were other things I should have been doing. hehe. I figured out one of the big twists pretty early on; however, this didn’t deter me from reading further, and I’m glad because I would have missed the awesome ending!
Philosophy and ethics of leadership is a huge part of this book as well. I loved that Revis forces you to take a look at government and right/wrong on a deeper level. Things like Nature vs. Nurture, absolute truth, ends justifying means, and many more deep questions are visited and fleshed out in a very relevant way that doesn’t sound like propaganda. In a world where these things don’t often mean much anymore, it was refreshing to see them dealt with in a productive and honestly fun way! So looking forward to A Million Suns!
Author: Beth Revis
Title: Across the Universe
Series: Across the Universe (Book #1)
Published: January 11th 2011 by Razorbill
Format: Hardcover, 398 pages; Kindle; Nook
Website: www.acrosstheuniversebook.com
Source: Borrowed from library
My rating: 
Happy Reading!
i want 2 read so bad/waiting on my paperback gifted pre order
Oh man! I shouldn’t have read this, because I have so many other things that I MUST read, but now I just want to start this. I have a copy, and it’s just sitting there. On my desk. Looking at me and begging me to read it.…
Thank you so much, as always, for contributing to the blog Heather! I always love talking books with you! Fantastic review
Muahahahahah! I just ruined your organized TBR didn’t I!? Muahahahahah!!!! Excellent! Btw, I started Riftwalker…:D
Glad you liked it! I feel like such a noob for not reading this yet. And A Million Suns is coming out soon. Oh gosh! I need to get this.:D Great review, but the way.
I’m not typically a sci fi lover either, but I have this book on my bookshelf just waiting to find time to read it. At this rate, I should probably wait until the rest of the series is out so I can read them back to back.
I enjoyed Stephenie Myer’s The Host. That was sci fi for people who aren’t sci fi fans. Have you read it?
I haven’t read The Host. To be honest, I was a little Stephenie Meyer’d out for a while. 😉 I will probably read it someday but I couldn’t get into it when I tried before…that’s what I love about books though…there’s something for everyone! =)
I really need to read this one. I have the ARC to A Million Suns, so I definitely need to hurry. Great review!
Umm…wanna send that ARC this way 😉
Ooh tahnks Dani I’m so not into sci-fi either which is why I was sort of on the fence about this one but it you liked it as much anyways I def. want to check it out. It seems everyone is loving it!
Giselle
Xpresso Reads
Darnit. This was on my ‘eh’ list even though everything keeps recommending it to me. Maybe Amazon really does know all, because now it sounds good. @.@ Yey for long Christmas break!
I’m really looking forward to read this book. Great review. Thanks
this seems a great book. I’ve put it on my wish list it’s a long time since i read anything SF and i think i miss it a bit
thanks you for the discovery
Ohh I definitely love Across the Universe! I’m reeling for A Million Suns after I finished reading it. and it’s almost release date eeek definitely getting it!
Definitely not a fantasy/sci-fi reader but something about this books makes me WANT to read it lol
not to mention the cover is amazing 😀
great review!
Me too! I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of A Million Suns. I loved Across the Universe, even though certain aspects of it broke my heart. Did you also think Amy sshould be nicer to Elder? The poor boy! He’s been so lonely for so long
I absolutely agree that the switching point of views from the two major characters in the book added clarity to the story. I love how Revis’s Across The Universe carry out Dramatic Irony, especially by the near end of the story. The plot itself is amazing. It’s very insightful, especially about Human Nature, and how it can go astray when truth remains hidden and greed over power rules above all. I haven’t read a A Million Suns but I’m sure it must be interesting!