Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Book One of the Across the Universe trilogy

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: January 11, 2011

Rating: 5 stars
Source: Gift 

I actually read Across the Universe in early 2011, just a couple of months after it came out. It instantly became one of my favorite books at the time, and by the end of 2011, my favorite book of the year. It is still one of my favorite books of all time. I love science fiction so much, and Beth Revis is a master at weaving science fiction and a genius plot together.

Summary (from Amazon):

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SURVIVE ABOARD A SPACESHIP FUELED BY LIES?

Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the spaceship Godspeed. She has left her boyfriend, friends--and planet--behind to join her parents as a member of Project Ark Ship. Amy and her parents believe they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earth, three hundred years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, cryo chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged, and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber.

Someone tried to murder her.

Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's 2,312 passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader. And Elder, Eldest's rebellious teenage heir, is both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it takes to lead.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she put her faith in a boy who has never seen life outside the ship's cold metal walls? All Amy knows is that she and Elder must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.

What I Liked: 

Better yet - what did I NOT like?! This book was so, so good on so many different levels. For one, it is plot-driven, which I find rarely well done in Young Adult literature these days. Too much emphasis is now put on the main character (usually a female) and her love interests.

This book has a light sprinkle of romance, and NO LOVE TRIANGLE (want me to put that on blast? Because it is one of the things I absolutely LOVE about this book). I hate love triangles in books, and for this book not to have a long triangle was amazing.

I also loved the alternating points of view throughout the story. We get to read Amy's point of view, and then Elder's point of view. I like Elder's point of view more, but only because he has such an interesting way of thinking.

As I already said, I love the science fiction of this book. The genetic engineering, cryogenics, physics, astronomy... this book is so up my alley. It was the first good Young Adult book that dealt with space that I actually found very interesting and not boring. And did I mention that there is no love triangle? And light romance? No overkill or insta-love? And the world-building? And the TWISTS?! I have already read the second book, so I am not going to say anything else

What I Did Not Like: 

Really, there's not much. I feel like I am a harsh critic with books, but this I found little fault with this book. Perhaps some people may find it slow-paced, but I thought that the slow pace was necessary in order to get a feel of Ms. Revis's fabulous world-building.

Would I Recommend It: 

YES! Buy it right now. Or, do like me, and borrow it from the library first, fall in love with it, and ask for it for your birthday. It is so worth it.

Rating:

5 stars. One of my favorite books of all time.

Author Blog | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Was this review helpful? Please let me know in the comments section!