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10 February 2011

When I go "Across the Universe"

Honestly, I finished the New York Times bestseller (!) Across the Universe by Beth Revis a couple days ago.  I don't know why I haven't sat down to write a review, maybe because other stuff was going on, but I think its because I just couldn't find the right words to describe how I felt about ATU. 

First, the synopsis, from Barnes and Noble:
A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.
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.

I guess I should preface this review by saying, science fiction usually isn't my "thang".  However, after reading everyone absolutely rave about this book on twitter and other blogs, I figured, why not?  Lets give it a shot!  I am so glad I did.

Across the Universe is so much more than a science fiction book.  Its also a murder mystery.  Its a romance.  Its young adult.  Its all these wonderful elements wrapped up in this great story.

Like I said, sci fi isn't my preferred reading choice, so I kind of went into this book with that ideal in my head ("Ok, its set on a space ship.  It must be like Star Trek or something like that").  But, the more I read, the more the characters and the story unfolded, I realized that it wasn't just some Trek-y thing.  I LOVED the twist at the end with Elder and Amy (I won't say more, but just know its there!).  I got teary at some parts (you twisted my arm, a favorite character died).  And it really made me think about what I would do, how I would react if I were trapped on a space ship, or anyplace really, without those I loved and with no hope of ever seeing them again.

I read on twitter (see below for author Beth Revis' twitter handle) that ATU is actually going to be a trilogy.  One word:  Awesome.  I will definitely be picking up those books.

Do I think you should read this book?  Yes, but only if you're over about 14.  I think the content and just the different themes might be a little hard for younger kiddos (grades 5-8ish) to really fully appreciate. 

You can follow author Beth Revis on twitter, @BethRevis.  Her tweets are hilarious, and she's tweeted me back (insert fan-girl squeal!)  She's currently on tour with a bunch of other authors promoting their books (The Breathless Reads Tour).  Sadly, the closest she's coming to VA is NC.  But, if you google it, I'm sure you can find more information.

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