Book Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

 

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  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.

My Thoughts:  
This was one of those books that I had heard so much about when it first came out.  I bought it right away and there it has sat, unopened, on my bookshelf.  Then an ARC tour came out for A Million Suns and I signed up for it thinking I had read this one.  Once I saw it was still unwrapped, I hurried to read it.  I think this is great motivation to getting my own books read!  

Amy and her parents are frozen before being put aboard The Godspeed, a spaceship destined for Centauri-Earth.  They are suppose to be frozen for 300 years, the length of time it takes to get  to Centauri-Earth.  Too bad for Amy when she is unfrozen 50 years early!  Now she must learn to live aboard a spaceship filled with "empty" people, genetically altered livestock, crops and food and only two friends, Elder and Harley.  Together these three must find out the secrets Eldest is hiding and why certain "frozens" are being targeted.  

This book started out a little slow for me.  The first couple chapters were about Elder, Eldest and the ship and while they helped with background information, it just went a tad slow.  After Amy wakes up, things start to speed up and by the end I could hardly put it down!

I really liked Amy.  She didn't feel sorry for herself even though she was in a bad situation.  She stayed strong even through some terrifying ordeals and was extremely smart.  I loved how she stood up to Doc and Eldest and refused to be controlled by Eldest.  Her relationship with Harley was sweet and I enjoyed how her relationship with Elder grew.  

I thought Elder was a great character too.  He has grown up knowing only what Eldest and Doc have wanted him to know yet he is suppose to take over the ship someday.  He follows Eldest's instructions until Amy is unfrozen and then he becomes a person of his own.  He really starts to see what is happening and stands up to Eldest.  I think Elder really cares for the people on the ship.  

Harley was by far my favorite character!  Labeled as "crazy" by Eldest and Doc, he is a resident of the hospital where Amy is staying.  Harley is an artist and he is so smart!  He has experienced a tragic loss earlier and his heart is still broken but he is a great friend for Amy.  

I loved the ending of this book!  It was full of action and it left me wanting to know more!  Despite the slow start, I am very glad I read this book!