BOOK REVIEW: Across the Universe by Beth Revis ★★☆☆☆

The story takes place on the spaceship named Godspeed as it travels to a new planet, to be labelled as Centauri-Earth, which humans hope to colonize. The estimated time of travel is 300 years, but one of the many who are frozen alive and loaded as cargo is violently awakened. Sixteen-year-old Amy Martin is utterly lost on Godspeed’s way of life. But she is not alone as the murderer continues to unplug other frozen scientists and military personals, and only one man, Elder, next in line to be Eldest of Godspeed can save her.

Across the Universe was nominated for three book awards: the Abraham Lincoln Award Nominee (2014), the Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2011) and the Carnegie Medal Nominee (2012). This book is part a trilogy, followed up by A Million Suns (2012) and Shades of Earth (2013).

I first heard of Across the Universe from Datlow and Windling’s After anthology a couple of months ago. Revis wrote a short prequel mentioning the three rules are essential to the spaceship Godspeed’s survival:

• No difference allowed.
• The ship must have one strong, central leader to survive.
• No individual thought.

That short story was brilliantly written and so I had to get the book out. I haven’t read many science fiction books but I do like the ones involving spaceships. The world building of Godspeed did take a while to get through but the blueprint of the ship is at the back of the book. The concept of needing an established leader system is a theme greatly echoed throughout the book. It questions should we let science rule us or should we control science before it too late. See I like books that make me think.

Plus I love the book cover. It's gorgeous but in no way did the two almost kissing couple would be Elder and Amy. It doesn’t even look like them.

Unfortunately, there were some things that could have gone a lot better.

I still cannot believe this is the same author who wrote the prequel featured in After. It doesn’t even sound like the same author. This book is in first person narrative, alternating chapters from Amy and Elder but the prequel wasn’t (well I think it wasn’t) and so I wondered why did Revis change that?

Some authors can make two characters fall in love effortlessly. Sadly Revis couldn’t do it in this one. Why are Elder and Amy attracted to one another? Amy’s pale complexion, ginger hair, and green eyes stick out like a sore thumb against the majority of olive skins and dark hair. But really Elder, that’s your only reason to like Amy? I thought Amy would view Elder as a friend (as she has none since her revival) but no... she fancies him and I really don’t know why. I honestly believe this book could do without romance. If there’s such need for it then there are two more books for that to develop properly.

The mating/ orgy season in this book was flat out gross. Was it even necessary? I know in their new order of ways it’ll bring the next generations. But did it have to be done in an animalistic way? And the almost rape scene didn’t seem real enough. Amy bangs on about how this is different from what Jason (her boyfriend on earth) would do. WHY ARE YOU MAKING COMPARISONS when you’re about to get raped? Be alert and figure out a way to escape!

Please, can an author write a likeable protagonist? Amy did my head in. She just moaned and cried and moaned some more. Yes, Amy is alienated in a world and a system unfathomable to her but instead of complaining, do something about it. And we don’t know much about Amy and her former life apart from her physicality, running and loving her parents. Was she a rebel at school? Did she have a pet? I mean these little things make up her background identity, makes the character relatable and interesting. Amy was just a cut-out board that moved around Godspeed.

And Elder wasn’t any better. He’s meant to be the next Eldest once the current one retires and all he did was follow Amy around like some love-struck puppy. He’s easily distracted and didn’t possess many redeeming qualities. But then again this is only the first book so I hope it gets better. And poor, poor Harley – the only sane one out of the lot and he just had to unlock the hatch door. Why are you authors killing off great characters!

I saw the plot twists and the many clues within the first quarter of the book but I wasn’t too fussed with it.

It’s not a terrible book as I like the setting, but I wished the main characters had some backbone. Despite a poor book, I will read the other two in this trilogy, and I hope it gets better. I’m not sure if I would recommend this book to others

Rating 2.5/5 Stars
Publishers: Razorbill
Publication Date: March 3rd 2011 (first published January 11th 2011)
Genre: YA/Science Fiction /Romance