Across the Universe: Volume 1

Beth Revis

Jan 2011 · Across the Universe · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

Book 1 in the New York Times bestselling trilogy, perfect for fans of Battlestar Gallactica and Passengers!

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SURVIVE ABOARD A SPACESHIP FUELED BY LIES?

Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the spaceship Godspeed. She has left her boyfriend, friends--and planet--behind to join her parents as a member of Project Ark Ship. Amy and her parents believe they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earth, three hundred years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, cryo chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged, and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber.

Someone tried to murder her.

Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's 2,312 passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader. And Elder, Eldest's rebellious teenage heir, is both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it takes to lead.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she put her faith in a boy who has never seen life outside the ship's cold metal walls? All Amy knows is that she and Elder must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.

Ratings and reviews

First, all I have to say is, WOW. This was such an excellent book that I had to read this without interruptions or I’d get angry. I LOVED this book! I do admit, I was skeptical at first. I was concerned because there might be scientific jargon, and that it would be difficult to understand but it wasn’t! and there was no hard to read science lingo here either! everything was well described and in clear detail. I absolutely loved the concept of living on a ship, and the dynamics on how people related to one another, and how they survive and live together. The history of the ship and its’ people is also interesting to read up on. The actual description of the ship itself was fun to read, it made me think of Star Trek immediately. Since this is mostly coming from Amy’s point of view some of the things she encounters are strange and rather disturbing. There is a dark ugly side to how this ship is run and once everything is laid out in the open (you’ll be blindsided a couple of times), there’s a great amount of uncertainty but leaves the book with such a great ending and you’ll be left wanting more! The mystery behind who wanted to kill her was also well thought out. There is a bit of a guessing game involved - but not much and although the mystery is the main theme of the book, there’s other things to focus on such as how Amy’s character develops throughout the novel as she tries to adjust to this kind of living. The characters in the book are also really well written. I did take a liking to Harley. Amy and Elder on the other hand, are interesting enough to read - especially Amy as she has lots to worry about. I am definitely looking forward to the sequel! It’s a perfect science fiction read for the younger adult age bracket. Not too much scientific lingo to confuse the reader, just enough to make it a good wholesome setting that can be easily pictured. The plot is fantastic and well worth the read, and the surprises go off like bombs when they’re revealed. I definitely think this is worth the time to go through.

This book wasn't written with a solid understanding of physics which caused some suspension of disbelief issues. I liked the characters though. The 'villian' was obvious from the start, but this was probably meant for YA readers.

This book is so great. Keeps you wanting to come back or not stop reading at all. When there are surprises you are totally shocked , one of a kind.

About the author

Beth Revis lives in rural North Carolina with her husband and dog, and believes space is nowhere near the final frontier. Across the Universe is her first novel.