Friday, December 2, 2011

Across the Universe Review

Across the Universe
Summary
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.

What I Liked 
Space Future
This is my first space book that I have read and I really did enjoy it. I didn't like nor agree with how the ship was being ran, but the controversy that Elder discovers makes for great entertainment. I am so glad that I don't live within the metal confines, I would probably be like Amy and getting pretty angry with things.
POV
The book switched back and forth between Amy and Elder for each chapter. This can be super frustrating especially when a major detail is revealed and a mini cliffhanger is left till the next chapter while we go and read what it going on with the other character. It is also great because you get the story from both of their perspectives and you are able to learn all the information and you get two completely different stories since they are two completely different characters.
Characters
Amy: I give her props for the courage she shows throughout the entire book. To be alone and without the family you thought you would have and to be in a very foreign environment takes a lot of guts. She does handle things fairly well, at times she does show some weakness, it isn't an annoying weakness but she shows her vulnerability and humanity.
Elder: A rebellion character, not willing to follow the designated path the way he was taught. He things for himself and he fights for what he believes in. I'm looking forward to seeing what else he will do in the next book, he does present many interesting views. 

What I Didn't Like
With the rotating 1st person POV at times I would get a little lost and have to really concentrate who's chapter it was. Just keep straight who is actually talking gets a little difficult at times.

Recommendation 
A must read, if you haven't read it yet.

Information 
Genre: YA Sci-fi/Fantasy 
Across the Universe Trilogy 
Across the Universe
A Million Suns January 10, 2012
Book 3

Have you read this book? Have you read any other space books?


<3Books

5 comments:

Passionate Bookworm said...

YAY! we have very similar thoughts on this book. I loved it, thought it was a bit " adult" or harsh at times, it just made it more intense and not like beth was shirking away from disturbing ideas. Have you read Glow? by Amy Kathleen Ryan. another set in space dystopian that I really enjoyed, a little more religion in it than I am used to but still a very good read!
happy reading and blogging!

http://thepassionatebookworm.blogspot.com

Bookluvr Mindy said...

Sad to say...I haven't read it yet! I can't wait to get to it!

Magical Urban Fantasy Reads
bookluvrmindy

Kristan said...

I had similar feelings with this book. Definitely enjoyable, but at times a little confusing because of the rotating POV. Sometimes switching between characters really works for a story and other times I just wish we stayed with Amy or Elder. Looking forward to the sequel still!

Kristan @ Lost Amongst the Shelves

Kat said...

I haven't read it yet. :(
I agree that alternating viewpoints can get a little annoying; I hate it when they stick cliffhangers in and I'm forced to be with a different character instead!
Still, this book looks amazing, and I really want to read it! Great review!

Kristina said...

@Passionate Nope I haven't read Glow, but i will have to add it to my list to check it out.

@Mindy You need to start reading it!

@Kristan I got back and forth with rotating POVs, I like them in the sense that you get more information but at the same time things can get very confusing.

@Kat I hope you do read it soon or at least read it when they are all out. Great series to read eventually.