Tuesday, May 7

Across the Universe: Book Review

Across the Universe

Beth Revis

Razorbill
November 29th 2011
Young Adult | Dystopian

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.

"An unforgettable opening scene." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Gripping first novel." - Publishers Weekly

"A compulsively readable crowd-pleaser." - Booklist
The whole thing is a shifting sand of lies. There is no normal only a mess and mockery of what should be. All that is sacred and special has been lost.

If I have learned anything about this scenario, travel through space to a new planet, it is that it will never work. It has to be the most doomed idea ever conceived. There is no way a group of people spanning several generations trapped in a metal can won't eventually kill each other before achieving their goal. So if I were ever approached with such a grand (by grand I mean cockamamie) idea I will decline and take my chances on my home planet. Thank you very much.

The characters weren't as strong as I would have liked. Things were obvious to the reader long before the characters caught on. In all their technological advancements they have really degenerated. So very many thins wrong with this world. I don't understand why they are all so bothered by being cooped up in the ship. It isn't like we don't travel the same rut every day. Especially now that so many sit in front of computers the whole day long. Sure their will always be those who operate outside the box but the majority continue in the path they were trained in.

I didn't much like Elder's name or lack there of. It is a title not a name. He should rebel and pick a name. I wouldn't be the least surprised if they had to wake the frozens to fix their problem. To me it seems either that or die. Is anyone else pissed that Luthe hasn't had a reckoning? Creep. Elder is messed up. Instead of being charming he is only one step away from creepy. I am sure it is how he had been indoctrinated but I hope it doesn't last. Oh and he is a selfish jerk.

I am most curious about the contingency area. What could possibly be back there? Loads of clone-able fresh DNA, a smaller escape ship, a back up engine, a monster self-destruct button?

Basically aside from a few possible interesting mysteries there isn't much draw for me to continue the story. The people on this ship creep me out too much. Can't say I even want to hang out with them fictionally so I will be bowing out of the sequels.

Content:
Sexual: Heavy (Rape)