There have been many times in which I've mentioned how I took a ridiculously long time to get around to reading a specific book, but this by far is the most ludicrous. Seriously, Across the Universe by Beth Revis was on my TBR long before it even got a cover (I somehow ran into the summary somewhere in the bookish realm of blogs), and I'm just now reading it, when all the other books in the trilogy have long been released.
How did this happen? That summary grabbed me like no other summary I've ever read, the book trailer is the best book trailer I've ever seen before in my life, and it ended up with one of the most beautiful covers of all time. This is what happens when the TBR list gets too big.
Anyway. Across the Universe is dually narrated by main characters Amy and Elder, both aboard Godspeed, a spaceship destined to reach a new Earth-like planet. While Elder (who is bound to be the future leader of Godspeed some day) is fully conscience living on the ship like many others, Amy and her parents are amongst those frozen, preserved to be awakened once the ship lands on the new planet. Their lives become intertwined when Amy wakes up early, and it becomes evident that there is a murderer on the ship. It is extremely difficult to get any answers when it seems that Eldest, the current leader of the ship, and the primary doctor shield the truth concerning just about everything.
...Where to start? First of all, WOW. Second of all, I haven't plowed through a book so urgently since Mockingjay, nor have I read anything so utterly intense in a very long time. Across the Universe is fantastic; I could not put it down. I never felt that I wanted to continue reading, I felt that I needed to.
Part of that need came from my constant worrying over Amy and Elder. How could I not - I like them so much! Amy felt very real to me and I sympathized with her throughout the story, but I also enjoyed reading about Elder and Harley since they were both kind of raw in a unique way. But my nervousness was also caused by the primary antagonist, Eldest. I could not stand him. He is perhaps my least favorite antagonist of all time... Really, all of the antagonists in this book were cringe-worthy, even the ones without Eldest's power. Take Luthe for an example; he's an absolutely horrid excuse for a human being.
In addition to Luthe, the Season disturbed me. It gave the people of the ship (particularly the Feeders) such a primal feel, and when the Season wasn't in swing, they were like brainwashed zombies in some ways. Everyone has been so consumed in lies. Between them and Eldest, I felt like poor Amy had to fear nearly the entire ship, and that's what made this dystopian novel especially scary. To top it off, it's not like she could run or hide anywhere, it's not like she can just leave the claustrophobic realm of Godspeed.
Despite it's like a cage, I must say I loved the concept of being on a spaceship. It's quite interesting to see how generations of people lived on Godspeed and how technology has advanced, but it's also fascinating to see how Earth-like they tried to make it by (poorly) insinuating the outdoors. It all doesn't seem to be too unrealistic, and it's unsettling to think about.
The ending of Across the Universe was indeed fulfilling but I can sort of tell that there may be a conflict ahead in its sequel, A Million Suns. I can't wait to unravel more of Beth Revis' sci-fi magic in her lovely, emotional prose (though I wouldn't necessarily say it was 100% perfect, she's definitely good!) and I must admit, I'm excited to see Elder and Amy's relationship develop some more, especially since it's been developing at such a normal pace compared to other characters I've read about.
I really don't know what else I can say about this amazing book, all I know is I haven't said enough. I feel as though I can't entirely express my fascination with it. But without a doubt, I loved Across the Universe. It's definitely one of my favorite books, and hopefully the other two novels make it one of my favorite trilogies... But at this point, I really don't think they'll disappoint. If you haven't read this book, buy it. Now.
**I gave Across the Universe 5/5 stars on Goodreads**
The ending of Across the Universe was indeed fulfilling but I can sort of tell that there may be a conflict ahead in its sequel, A Million Suns. I can't wait to unravel more of Beth Revis' sci-fi magic in her lovely, emotional prose (though I wouldn't necessarily say it was 100% perfect, she's definitely good!) and I must admit, I'm excited to see Elder and Amy's relationship develop some more, especially since it's been developing at such a normal pace compared to other characters I've read about.
I really don't know what else I can say about this amazing book, all I know is I haven't said enough. I feel as though I can't entirely express my fascination with it. But without a doubt, I loved Across the Universe. It's definitely one of my favorite books, and hopefully the other two novels make it one of my favorite trilogies... But at this point, I really don't think they'll disappoint. If you haven't read this book, buy it. Now.
**I gave Across the Universe 5/5 stars on Goodreads**
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