Natalie M. (natalietahoe) - , reviewed on 10/4/2010 + 70 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

WOW!

I think this word over and over again throughout the reading of Across the Universe, by Beth Revis. A Young Adult novel, it is literally a murder mystery in space, in a universe that stretches on and on, infinite and vast. And how incredibly lonely it is when stuck on a ship traveling in it.

Amy is sixteen-years-old and lives with her parents on our Earth. Her parents are gifted, a talented genetic scientist is her mother, and her father is a brilliant military tactician. They are essential to a new world that 100 other gifted members of society are selected to make a journey to Centauri-Earth, a world where oxygen and water samples have returned successfully, necessary for human survival. These people will be cryogenically frozen to journey 300 years to this new world to help begin life on that planet.

But, Amy is not essential to this new planet. She's just a kid, but is permitted to go because of her parents, and she is frozen into the 300 year sleep along with her parents on the ship called Godspeed.

Fifty years before the intended arrival to this new world, Amy awakes when she is unplugged and separated from her cryo-haven, surviving an attempted murder -- and no one knows who did it. Forced with the reality that she is now living in a small city that exists on the metal ship, where everyone awakens to a fake sun and drinks recycled water, Amy bonds with Elder, also sixteen. This new life is all that she will now have and she is also awake before her parents. She's now alone. Elder is next in line to lead the ship after the current aging leader, known as Eldest, passes on. But, now amidst the safety of a world which doesn't know questions and chaos, someone is starting to kill again, and they're targeting the frozen people hidden in a ship that only a few select people know about.

I was lucky to score an Advance Reader's Copy at the SIBA Trade Show in Daytona Beach last weekend, part of my loot of 47 books. The release date for this book is January 2011, and color me giddy with excitement for how this book will be received by everyone. It has all of the elements that all murder mysteries need, which completely satiated my desire for a good "whodunit," all amidst the realities of space and the cage of Godspeed.

I could not put the book down, and my eyes were growing heavy with sleep late into the night as I kept telling myself "just one more page." Each chapter switches between Amy's and Elder's perspective, allowing you to experience each of their own stories. Normally, I tend to like one character more than another when chapters switch like that and want to hurry to get to the next chapter, but not with this one. As each chapter switched characters, I was excited, ready to find out more and uncover the mystery that each of them were facing.

I cannot tell you more about the plot without giving anything away - I can only tell you that I loved this book, this story with characters so real and interesting and engaging. I was drawn into their angst, their confusions, and the mystery that they were trying to solve. There is even more to this story, discussions of class systems, prejudice, and other social issues that were fascinating. I admit that I sit on the edge of my seat wishing for 2011 to pass quickly so that I can get my hands all over Book Two -- oh, yes, this is a series! Yes, yes, yes!

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