A Book Review: Across the Universe

Title: Across the Universe
Author: Beth Revis
Genre: Science Fiction (YA)
Length: 398

Quality Rating: 8
Content Rating: PG-13

Beth Revis is the second member of the League to get published, and between following her on the League and the wonderful Authoress singing her praises, I couldn't resist running out to get this book. Not to mention its science fiction, and I love a good SF book. Though, I have a small confession. This book's dust jacket is reversible, with a completely different cover on the inside. The two different covers represent the two different characters, Amy and Elder. Though I am a female and should technically be ok with Amy's romantic girly cover, I really hated that cover. And I really really really love the blue-print Elder cover. So I switched it. Blame the engineer in me.

In the not to distant future, Amy and her family are frozen so they can undertake a 300 year journey to a new planet. Except Amy's mind doesn't freeze like it should. She's aware as time passes. She dreams and remembers, trying to pass the time.

In the distant future, Elder is the future leader of the people who live on the ship and is destined to be leader when the ship finally lands on the new planet. Despite his great destiny, Elder is alone. There is no one on the ship near his age, and he alone is to be trusted with the secrets of the ship.

When Amy wakes up it is 50 years too early, and it is to discover a society that is unlike anything she has ever known. Something is wrong on the ship, and its up to Amy and Elder to figure it out.

I stayed up late one night, reading this book, when I should have been sleeping. I told myself I would only read for an hour, but suddenly three hours had passed. I couldn't put this book down, as I discovered the strange society that inhabited the ship and wondered how a people could possibly go so wrong. The secrets of the ship were not what I expected at the beginning, and I love being surprised. I also enjoyed the description of the ship itself and its layout. I love seeing how people imagine space travel might be.

This book is PG-13 for a crazy intense description of being frozen in the very first chapter (that I admit scared me very much), violence, and sexual situations that include a near rape.