Across the Universe [Hardcover]

Cover:
This was the old cover and I thought it was OK. They redesigned the covers, and although I do like these new covers, I'm irritated about all these cover redesigns they decide to do in the middle of a series. Most of the time, it seems it's because the cover didn't reflect the story well. Isn't it somebody's job to make sure that the cover does represent the story? It's getting irritating, especially if I have the older covers. How many times can someone fail at getting the cover to represent the story well? A lot of times, apparently. (Sorry about the little rant there).

Writing:
(2.5/5) It wasn't badly written, but it wasn't anything exceptional, unique, or noteworthy.

Setting:
(5/5) Where the book shines the most has to be the setting. Across the Universe is set in the distant future on a spaceship called Godspeed. The lives of the people within the ship, the containment area where people are frozen to be awakened one day, the technology, the rulership, well everything! It was all clearly very well thought-out. The ship, Godspeed, with its limited space in comparison to earth was very jarring and I felt Amy's claustrophobia constantly, like the ship was pressing down on you, trapping you, and you constantly felt caged. Also, the people of Godspeed lead very different lives and had very different views compared to that of Amy, who had lived a different life back on earth and there was this constant comparison between the two.

Plot:
(3/5) The plot was OK; it was a bit difficult for me to get into. It didn't leave me at the edge of my seat and I was bit disappointed with it. It just didn't feel very gripping and couldn't catch my attention for long, which was disappointing as I was expecting so much more considering how many people seem to love this series.

Main Character:
(2.5/5)
Amy: I have to say I didn't like Amy very much, I felt she was very full of herself. Her character just wasn't that great in general. There wasn't anything distinctive about her, no real pattern of a personality, just the kind of thing you'd come to expect when you think of a bland main character. But Amy did irritate me quite a lot, maybe it was because of how sure she was of herself but I'm sure it was because of Elder's obsession with her.

Elder: I liked Elder a whole of a lot better than Amy. He was ignorant of what it was like on earth and even within Godspeed. As he slowly starts to comprehend what's going on, you see him shift as a character, slowly trying to become stronger, as well as growing to understand what it truly means to be a leader.

Villain:
(4/5) There was more than one villain in Across the Universe and what I liked about them was that they both weren't very stereotypically evil. Their beliefs and how they reached those beliefs were very well thought out. Not to say they didn't have villainous traits like ruthlessness or power hunger, but I'm saying as characters, as villains, they were layered.

Other Characters:
(3/5)
The other characters were OK, but I didn't really like any of them in particular (there's usually one character I love or semi-love). It was interesting to see their character and beliefs taking into account their lives on Godspeed, but they were just overall boring in my opinion.

Romance:
(1/5) OK, the largest lowlight of the book for me was the romance. Or, more accurately, Elder's obsession with Amy. You see, the people on Godspeed are mono-ethnic; they all have olive skin, almond eyes, dark hair and eyes. Amy, however, was frozen and accidentally awakened before her scheduled arrival. Amy has red hair, green eyes, pale skin, and a totally different point of view from the people of Godspeed since she was born and raised on earth. Amy didn't seem to have much feelings for Elder, although I could see it growing. Elder, on the other hand, was completely taken with her and I didn't see it as love or that kind of mumbo jumbo. It seemed to me he was fascinated by her because she was exotic (mainly because of her looks), because she was different. A curiosity, a kind of person he's never seen before, and honestly I see his fascination for her as mostly just culture shock.

Overall:
(21/35) I was disappointed with Across the Universe considering how many people seemed to love this series; the plot nor the characters were gripping. The setting was pretty well done though, and if you're interested in the science fiction genre (especially if you're new to it), this might be a good introduction that's not too intimidating.

Amy is a 17 year-old teenager, whose parents are going to be cryogenically frozen so that they can travel in space for 300 years to land on Centauri Earth. Her mother is a geneticist, and her father has a military background, and the government has hand-picked them as well as other essential people who will help colonize and conquer Centauri Earth. Amy and her father watch as her mother undergoes the cryogenic procedure. Her father gives her the chance to back out by going next, telling her that he wants her to be free to make her own choice without their influence: Whether to go with them on their journey through space to be reunited in 300 years, or to remain on Earth with her aunt and uncle. Unbelievably, even after watching her parents drown in cryogenic goo, she still opts to go through with it!

Amy is jolted back to reality when someone turns off her cryogenic chamber and she begins to thaw. Rather than awakening on Centauri Earth, she finds that she is still on the spaceship, Godspeed, and that it is still approximately 49 years before it will land. With her parents still cryogenically frozen, Amy realizes that her parents will outlive her since she will be in her late 60s or possibly even dead before her parents return to the land of the living. As Amy looks for answers as to why someone would want to kill her, she uncovers a web of lies, deceit, and betrayal.

The story is told from alternating points-of-view between Amy and Elder, and I do tend to like these types of books. I feel like it gives the reader an opportunity to get to know the characters on a deeper level.

I really liked the character of Elder, who is Eldest's successor in governing the people on the ship. He is only 16 years old but was born and trained to fulfill this position of leadership. At the end of the book, I thought he faced his responsibility with maturity and a clear vision of what it means - to him - to be a leader. I found this quote to be particularly poignant:

Elder's thoughts: "Eldest thinks power is control, that the best way to be a leader is to force everyone into obedience. Holding Amy against me, I realize the simple truth is that power isn't control at all-power is strength, and giving that strength to others. A leader isn't someone who forces others to make him stronger; a leader is someone willing to give his strength to others so that they may have the strength to stand on their own.

This is what I've been looking for since the first day I was told that I was born to lead this ship. Leading Godspeed has nothing to do with being better than everyone else, with commanding and forcing and manipulating. Eldest isn't a leader. He's a tyrant.
A leader doesn't make pawns-he makes people."

It didn't knock my socks off, but I still really enjoyed Across the Universe. I thought that it was a solid series opener. The pace of the book was good, and Revis hooked me right at the beginning with her graphic description of the cryogenic procedure which left me squirming! I thought that the antagonists were quite vile, and they became more and more repugnant as Amy uncovered the extent of their deceit. It will be interesting to see where Revis takes us with the next in the series, A Million Suns. I have a feeling that the series is only going to get better!

This is my first narration by Lauren Ambrose and Carlos Santos. I thought that both portrayed the teenage roles convincingly.

MY RATING: 4 stars!! It was really good, and I would recommend it!

it is compelling story telling at its best.
great story great characters great plot there is very little I disliked about this book.
I reccomend this book to ages 16-25 its a bit dark at times.