Across the Universe (Beth Revis)

Title: Across the Universe

Author: Beth Revis

Publisher: Razorbill (Penguin)

Length: 398 pages

Rating: 4/5

Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the spaceship Godspeed, bound for an earth-like planet 300 years in the future. But 50 years before Godspeed’s scheduled landing, Amy is violently and mysteriously unplugged and finds herself trapped on a giant steel ship, ruled by a tyrannical dictator named Eldest. Her only ally is Elder, Eldest’s rebellious successor who is fascinated by Amy, but also struggling with his own destiny to rule the ship. (And finally, the awesome tagline on the cover of the book:) What does it take to survive aboard a spaceship fueled by lies?

First, many thanks to all the Johnson County youth librarians who recommended and loaned this book to me. Second, this book is not related to that movie about the Beatles. Third, the cover is gorgeous:

Told from both Elder’s and Amy’s perspectives, this book is dystopian, romance, science fiction and more. There’s an entirely contained world aboard the Godspeed, and Elder, with the unexpected influence of Amy, must decide how he wants to rule it one day. Amy must come to terms with living in a giant metal box without the comfort of her parents who are still frozen. It’s claustrophobic, frightening, yet wonderfully told. Godspeed itself is like a giant Pandora’s box that Amy and Elder dare try and open. But is truth worth the loss of comfort and control?