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geniesurreal's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book from the very beginning. The language is clear and flows freely in my mind. It's easy to understand and when the plot gets good I didn't stumble on weird phrasing or lack of.
Revis goes in depth with her writing. Talking about how it was like to be frozen for centuries and awakening into a whole new world.
The beginning threw me off a little. I wasn't expecting the chapters to alternate between Amy and Elder. Once I figured out what was going on the story became clear again.
I ate this series up. I ate up the action, the "lord of the flies" feel, the romance, the betrayal. I think I read the entire series in 4 weeks (which is fast for such a slow reader like myself).
I promise you, you will love this book!
I've read The Hunger Games and thought I'd never find another remarkable story like Collin's. Then I found Legend written by Marie Lu. Legend sweaped me off my feet and made me forget all about Katniss and Peeta. After feeling like I have climbed the to the peek of amazing books I land on Across the Universe and now all I can think about is Amy and Elder.
Revis goes in depth with her writing. Talking about how it was like to be frozen for centuries and awakening into a whole new world.
The beginning threw me off a little. I wasn't expecting the chapters to alternate between Amy and Elder. Once I figured out what was going on the story became clear again.
I ate this series up. I ate up the action, the "lord of the flies" feel, the romance, the betrayal. I think I read the entire series in 4 weeks (which is fast for such a slow reader like myself).
I promise you, you will love this book!
I've read The Hunger Games and thought I'd never find another remarkable story like Collin's. Then I found Legend written by Marie Lu. Legend sweaped me off my feet and made me forget all about Katniss and Peeta. After feeling like I have climbed the to the peek of amazing books I land on Across the Universe and now all I can think about is Amy and Elder.
vanikr's review against another edition
5.0
Godspeed ist ein echt spannendes und tolles Buch. Ich finde die Idee mit der Einfrierung echt toll. Besonders gut finde ich das man die manchmal schockierende Geheimnisse der Godspeed nach und nach herrausfindet. Das macht das Buch echt spannend.
Amy und Junoir sind echt total toll, aber zwischenzeitlich fand ich haben sie zu lange etwas getrennt gemacht.
Aber ansonsten finde ich es einfach total toll.
Amy und Junoir sind echt total toll, aber zwischenzeitlich fand ich haben sie zu lange etwas getrennt gemacht.
Aber ansonsten finde ich es einfach total toll.
eesh25's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Stars
I want to kick things off by saying that I finished read the sequel, A Million Suns, yesterday and even though it took me a year and a half to get to it, it wasn't because I wasn't interested. Quite the opposite, really. This is a very interesting novel that leaves you wondering about many things. And I think my anticipation for finding out what would happen next was part of the reason it took me this long, if that makes sense.
The novel is set on a spaceship called Godspeed. Godspeed is on a mission to another planet in another star system, one that's believed to be habitable. The mission is supposed to take hundreds of years so the ship is handled by generations of people who live their whole lives on the ship. The people crucial to settlement on the new planet are in cryo.
We have two main characters. Elder is a citizen of Godspeed and he's being raised to become the leader (politically) of the ship. Amy was asleep, only a passenger because of her parents, and was supposed to remain that way until planet-landing. But then someone tried to kill her. Her life is saved but she's awake before her time. She can't go back to cryosleep so she decides to use her time to find out who tried to kill her, only to discover that she wasn't the only one. Someone's trying to eliminate the frozens and the ship has many secrets. It's up to her and Elder to figure things out.
Like I said before, I found the book to be very interesting. I mean, it's a murder mystery in space. How cool is that?! And the story was great. I loved reading about life on the ship and how things worked. Elder was a great protagonist.
The is a well-written novel. There are some inconsistencies with the writing (continuity errors) but not many. Elder's narrative was very well done. Initially, his narrative has a childlike quality to it. But as the novel goes on, you can read the difference, the growth. It was gradual and very believable. His characters development was brilliant. Amy's on the other hand... not so much.
I didn't love Amy's characters. I'm sure no one's surprised but I still feel the need to explain. You see, Amy had a bad habit of yelling first and thinking later. She was condescending because she knew stuff about planet Earth that others did not, which was stupid since those people had never been to Earth. She blabbered idiotically, threw tantrums (which were understandable) and was quite self-absorbed. Her only concern was that she might have to live her entire life on the ship. As if there weren't over two thousand other people who shared her fate.
Also, not all the plot points in the novel were well-handled. The main plot was strong but some others were neglected. This could be counted under inconsistencies.
One last thing I wanna add; the cover. It's misleading. From the cover, this seems like a romance novel and while there is a slight romance, the novel could not be considered a romance. It didn't bother me but that's because I didn't have any expectations going in. If I'd expected, or wanted, a romance, I would've been disappointed.
Overall, I liked this book. It's a different story and a unique setting and I was very interested in the sequel. I definitely recommend giving it a read.
I want to kick things off by saying that I finished read the sequel, A Million Suns, yesterday and even though it took me a year and a half to get to it, it wasn't because I wasn't interested. Quite the opposite, really. This is a very interesting novel that leaves you wondering about many things. And I think my anticipation for finding out what would happen next was part of the reason it took me this long, if that makes sense.
The novel is set on a spaceship called Godspeed. Godspeed is on a mission to another planet in another star system, one that's believed to be habitable. The mission is supposed to take hundreds of years so the ship is handled by generations of people who live their whole lives on the ship. The people crucial to settlement on the new planet are in cryo.
We have two main characters. Elder is a citizen of Godspeed and he's being raised to become the leader (politically) of the ship. Amy was asleep, only a passenger because of her parents, and was supposed to remain that way until planet-landing. But then someone tried to kill her. Her life is saved but she's awake before her time. She can't go back to cryosleep so she decides to use her time to find out who tried to kill her, only to discover that she wasn't the only one. Someone's trying to eliminate the frozens and the ship has many secrets. It's up to her and Elder to figure things out.
Like I said before, I found the book to be very interesting. I mean, it's a murder mystery in space. How cool is that?! And the story was great. I loved reading about life on the ship and how things worked. Elder was a great protagonist.
The is a well-written novel. There are some inconsistencies with the writing (continuity errors) but not many. Elder's narrative was very well done. Initially, his narrative has a childlike quality to it. But as the novel goes on, you can read the difference, the growth. It was gradual and very believable. His characters development was brilliant. Amy's on the other hand... not so much.
I didn't love Amy's characters. I'm sure no one's surprised but I still feel the need to explain. You see, Amy had a bad habit of yelling first and thinking later. She was condescending because she knew stuff about planet Earth that others did not, which was stupid since those people had never been to Earth. She blabbered idiotically, threw tantrums (which were understandable) and was quite self-absorbed. Her only concern was that she might have to live her entire life on the ship. As if there weren't over two thousand other people who shared her fate.
Also, not all the plot points in the novel were well-handled. The main plot was strong but some others were neglected. This could be counted under inconsistencies.
One last thing I wanna add; the cover. It's misleading. From the cover, this seems like a romance novel and while there is a slight romance, the novel could not be considered a romance. It didn't bother me but that's because I didn't have any expectations going in. If I'd expected, or wanted, a romance, I would've been disappointed.
Overall, I liked this book. It's a different story and a unique setting and I was very interested in the sequel. I definitely recommend giving it a read.
laura_mayfair's review against another edition
3.0
Very enjoyable read. This was difficult to put down. Revis' pacing/ plotting is her best asset. I'm currently reading her second book in the series which I think is even better than this one. "Across the Universe" felt as if it were setting something up, a quality that remained throughout the book. She leaves many things unexplained but she does reveal more and answer many unanswered questions in book two. This is a series well-worth staying with if you enjoy science fiction.
reader4evr's review against another edition
4.0
One word to describe this book: interesting
This book has been sitting in my TBR pile for over a year and I finally checked out the audio and I'm glad I did. I'm not sure if I would have liked it as much if I had just read it. I liked the alternative pov's with both a male and female (Lauren Ambrose from Can't Hardly Wait!) narrating the story. The guy's voice kind of bugged me at times though.
I agree with a lot of people that this book drew me in right away from the first chapter but then it was kind of up and down with the way the plot went. I think there was just so much that needed to be added to this story that sometime there were some not so exciting parts. Some of the book was kind of predictable but there were a couple parts that I gasped and was shocked with what happened.
I really liked Amy, wasn't a fan on Elder (evil, evil little man).
One thing that I didn't like about the book was the mating "season". That was kind of distrubing and I was surprised how detailed (to say the least) it was.
The ending was good with finding out who unplugged Amy but I'm not sure if I'll read on in the series. I wonder if Amy will ever get to see her parents unfrozen again.
This book has been sitting in my TBR pile for over a year and I finally checked out the audio and I'm glad I did. I'm not sure if I would have liked it as much if I had just read it. I liked the alternative pov's with both a male and female (Lauren Ambrose from Can't Hardly Wait!) narrating the story. The guy's voice kind of bugged me at times though.
I agree with a lot of people that this book drew me in right away from the first chapter but then it was kind of up and down with the way the plot went. I think there was just so much that needed to be added to this story that sometime there were some not so exciting parts. Some of the book was kind of predictable but there were a couple parts that I gasped and was shocked with what happened.
I really liked Amy, wasn't a fan on Elder (evil, evil little man).
One thing that I didn't like about the book was the mating "season". That was kind of distrubing and I was surprised how detailed (to say the least) it was.
The ending was good with finding out who unplugged Amy but I'm not sure if I'll read on in the series. I wonder if Amy will ever get to see her parents unfrozen again.
bookph1le's review against another edition
2.0
This book just didn't work for me for a multitude of reasons, which was disappointing. I saw so many raves about it that I really wanted to love it but just couldn't. If you're looking for really good YA fiction, might I suggest something like Divergent, The Hunger Games, or Ship Breaker instead?
magencorrie's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars!
My Thoughts:
Across the Universe took me by surprise, honestly. I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I’m glad that I finally picked it up. I’m so picky when it comes to books that take place in outer space, and even though I felt the book could have been a bit better, I thoroughly enjoyed it! Even though I kept having Battlestar Galactica moments (I love that show).
I also enjoyed the characters that Beth created; both Elder and Amy. They were interesting, and pulled me into their world, held my attention. Even some of the side characters were interesting, each playing an interesting role aboard Godspeed.
The plot, though not all original, was attention-grabbing. It sucked me in; I couldn't wait to read what would happen next. The mystery that was in it was also interesting. I was taken by surprise by how some of the event unfolded; how some of it turned out. I couldn't believe some of the things that happened, which is good! It’s good when an author can keep a reader guessing. The book also switches back and forth from Elder's and Amy's POV, which I really liked that. You get two very didn't sides of the story. It allows you to see each character's world, and their understanding of it.
"My pale skin flashes white. I am different from them in every way. I am shorter, younger, paler, brighter. I am from another world." -Amy
What I loved: That it's a sci-fiction, dealing with space, and that I actually enjoyed it!! It’s very hard for me to like books that take place on a space ship. I’m very picking; however, Across the Universe was pretty amazing. I liked how Beth showed us what could happen to people when they are in space for hundreds of years, how their lives change, their society, beliefs and costumes. Some of it was definitely a wow factor, some I didn't really like per say; however, some of it was really interesting and a cool idea.
What I felt needs improvement: I felt that the characters could have been more rounded. It felt like I only got to see (know) one side of them. There seemed to be more I could learn about them, personality wise. I also hope that more is explained about what happened on Godspeed, the journey, in the next books.
“Maybe the secret of the stars has nothing to do with being alone.” -Elder
I’m really glad I enjoyed Across the Universe; that it wasn't what I original thought it would be. I had the book sitting on my shelf forever, but I just couldn't bring myself to pick it up. I’m glad I finally did.
I love when I’m nervous about a book, not sure if I will like it, and then it turns out that I do, in fact, come to enjoy it, even love it. I feel Beth did an amazing job by creating this story, though it isn't an original idea, but she was able to give it a spin to make me consume it as fast as I could. I’m definitely continuing the series!
My Thoughts:
Across the Universe took me by surprise, honestly. I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I’m glad that I finally picked it up. I’m so picky when it comes to books that take place in outer space, and even though I felt the book could have been a bit better, I thoroughly enjoyed it! Even though I kept having Battlestar Galactica moments (I love that show).
I also enjoyed the characters that Beth created; both Elder and Amy. They were interesting, and pulled me into their world, held my attention. Even some of the side characters were interesting, each playing an interesting role aboard Godspeed.
The plot, though not all original, was attention-grabbing. It sucked me in; I couldn't wait to read what would happen next. The mystery that was in it was also interesting. I was taken by surprise by how some of the event unfolded; how some of it turned out. I couldn't believe some of the things that happened, which is good! It’s good when an author can keep a reader guessing. The book also switches back and forth from Elder's and Amy's POV, which I really liked that. You get two very didn't sides of the story. It allows you to see each character's world, and their understanding of it.
"My pale skin flashes white. I am different from them in every way. I am shorter, younger, paler, brighter. I am from another world." -Amy
What I loved: That it's a sci-fiction, dealing with space, and that I actually enjoyed it!! It’s very hard for me to like books that take place on a space ship. I’m very picking; however, Across the Universe was pretty amazing. I liked how Beth showed us what could happen to people when they are in space for hundreds of years, how their lives change, their society, beliefs and costumes. Some of it was definitely a wow factor, some I didn't really like per say; however, some of it was really interesting and a cool idea.
What I felt needs improvement: I felt that the characters could have been more rounded. It felt like I only got to see (know) one side of them. There seemed to be more I could learn about them, personality wise. I also hope that more is explained about what happened on Godspeed, the journey, in the next books.
“Maybe the secret of the stars has nothing to do with being alone.” -Elder
I’m really glad I enjoyed Across the Universe; that it wasn't what I original thought it would be. I had the book sitting on my shelf forever, but I just couldn't bring myself to pick it up. I’m glad I finally did.
I love when I’m nervous about a book, not sure if I will like it, and then it turns out that I do, in fact, come to enjoy it, even love it. I feel Beth did an amazing job by creating this story, though it isn't an original idea, but she was able to give it a spin to make me consume it as fast as I could. I’m definitely continuing the series!
byp's review against another edition
2.0
I would give it 2.5, because I enjoyed parts of it, and I like the concept. Some of the revelations were too unbelievable, and I think the author's ideology beats you over the head. While I don't mind violent sexuality in teen novels, this one has some detail that made me a bit squeamish.
thisisrealthisisme's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
alhj's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5