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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Um. Wow. Just wow.
There were so many twists throughout this book, and most of them were unpredictable. I found the bit about Orion pretty predictable, but the rest was well-done.
I liked Amy, but she came across as incredibly weak sometimes. She was a little whiny, but overall, I think she was a strong lead. I liked Elder as well. Honestly, the only issue that I had with him was that he instaloved Amy. Like, from the one time he saw her frozen.... Mmm romantic. There was no build up. He saw her, went "I wanna spend the rest of my life with this girl", and BOOM one-sided sparks flew. One-sided because there is some serious friendzoning goin on. I HATED Eldest. When... The ending happened I was like, "It's 'bout dang time." I thought Orion was predictable, but gave me the creeps anyway, so I didn't like him. And I loved Hardley. His whole story was so sad and sweet. I miss his character already.
I liked to dual POVS. It was captivating, and well-written. Also, these covers are pretty darn gorgeous in a confusing, "what the heck is that?" kinda way.
UM, THE ENDING. THAT ENDING. UM. NO. I love cliffhangers as much as the next person, but Beth Revis might as well have ended her book in the middle of a sentence for all the wrap up that we got. IT WAS KILLER.
BOOK TWO NOW, PLEASE.
There were so many twists throughout this book, and most of them were unpredictable. I found the bit about Orion pretty predictable, but the rest was well-done.
I liked Amy, but she came across as incredibly weak sometimes. She was a little whiny, but overall, I think she was a strong lead. I liked Elder as well. Honestly, the only issue that I had with him was that he instaloved Amy. Like, from the one time he saw her frozen.... Mmm romantic. There was no build up. He saw her, went "I wanna spend the rest of my life with this girl", and BOOM one-sided sparks flew. One-sided because there is some serious friendzoning goin on. I HATED Eldest. When... The ending happened I was like, "It's 'bout dang time." I thought Orion was predictable, but gave me the creeps anyway, so I didn't like him. And I loved Hardley. His whole story was so sad and sweet. I miss his character already.
I liked to dual POVS. It was captivating, and well-written. Also, these covers are pretty darn gorgeous in a confusing, "what the heck is that?" kinda way.
UM, THE ENDING. THAT ENDING. UM. NO. I love cliffhangers as much as the next person, but Beth Revis might as well have ended her book in the middle of a sentence for all the wrap up that we got. IT WAS KILLER.
BOOK TWO NOW, PLEASE.
"Across the Universe" by Beth Revis is an exciting, fast-moving novel about a girl, Amy, who is frozen and placed on a spaceship with her family, so that they can be unfrozen 300 years later on a new planet. Only something goes terribly wrong. When Amy is mysteriously unplugged, her entire life, and all the lives currently living on the ship, will change forever.
The novel is written from two points of view: Amy's and Elder, the future leader of the ship. The book takes twists and turns all over the places and I had a very hard time putting it down! The book also makes you look at our own society at times and where it may even be headed. It makes you think about the ethics and morals behind it.
All I can say, is that I'm excited to read the second book!
The novel is written from two points of view: Amy's and Elder, the future leader of the ship. The book takes twists and turns all over the places and I had a very hard time putting it down! The book also makes you look at our own society at times and where it may even be headed. It makes you think about the ethics and morals behind it.
All I can say, is that I'm excited to read the second book!
Wow!!! I loved reading Across the Universe! I had my doubts when I first saw the story was told by two teenagers, and yet the story just got better and better! I love the fact that the book focuses way more on resolving mysteries rather than on a love story. I had a great time enjoying the story and I´m ready for the second book!
Cristi.
Cristi.
2.5 Stars
I wanted to give this book 3 stars, I really truly did. *sigh*
So, I'm a sci-fi freak from waaaayyy back in the day. I think it all started with Star Trek: TNG and Wesley Crusher. Ah, Wesley Crusher, with your bobbing Adam's apple and your polyester unitard, you ruled my silly early teen fantasies.
There were two main issues I had with this book, two reasons that it never reached past 2.5 stars for me.
The first is that this is probably some of the worst sci-fi I've ever read. The job of sci-fi is to take the improbable and spoon feed it to the reader, coated in the golden, honey coating of deep imagination. Now, I'm not saying Revis doesn't have an imagination. Goodness, she has that in spades! My issue is that she doesn't seem to have the imagination it takes to write SCI-FI. In fact, her heroine, hero and story line would lend themselves much better to an out and out dystopian fiction or maybe another one of those boring first person present tense urban fantasies everyone is always raving about. (I kid.)
So, let's discuss why this is not the best sci-fi... Well, it's not for lack of generic sci-fi jargon and technology, that's for sure. Genetic engineering, check! Super confusing and secretive mode of light speed (assumption) travel, check! People who get frozen and sent to colonize a new planet, check! New elevator technology, check! Super cool futuristic swear words... you better FREXING BELIEVE IT! The only thing the author is missing is a holodeck and Captain Picard and she would have her own show!
Another thing that felt totally out of place in a sci-fi SET IN SPACE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE REALISTIC, is all the pop culture references. It's almost as though Amy was living right in 2011! She went to prom! She's been to Walt Disney World. She's played with LEGO's. Unless your sci-fi takes place on present day earth, it's VERY UNUSUAL to include modern day language ("freaking" "gah") and like I said, those pop culture references.
I mean, this girl sounds like my next door neighbor, not a girl who exists when technology can FREEZE you and BRING YOU BACK TO LIFE. And in such a world, how is it that a FREAKING IPAD is so amazing? When did the author write this story, 1990??
All this might be forgiven, given that the characters are likeable, the story line itself isn't horrible, and the author herself has quite a bit of potential. And then... there's the ending.
It's unforgivable. LITERALLY. I'm sorry, it takes a couple of minutes to forgive someone for eating the last piece of chocolate cake. In what world (or what spaceship) does it take mere minutes to forgive someone for separating you forever from the parents you loved and chose to follow "Across the Universe"? In what universe do you actually turn to that person, FORGIVE HIM, and then actually demand that he be yours forever?
"Yes, I know you just ruined my life, damn you. I'll hate you forever. Except, you know what, now that I think about it for a couple of minutes, probably like 180 seconds or so, I DO forgive you. But only if you promise to be my very bestest boyfriend!"
Maybe I'm a big B-I-T-C-H, but I could not forgive someone that quickly, if at all. A more realistic way to end this book would have been for her to refuse to forgive him and for him to have to woo her back. That would have been way more realistic and satisfying and have given some actual impetus for the next book. As it was, I have no desire to learn what happens next. I'm happy to leave these silly characters in their improbable world.
And just so you don't think I'm making it up when I say this is bad sci-fi, I challenge you who doubt me to read the authors on this list —they are all fantastic— then come back and take another look at this book. Make me a liar. Tell me it's any good as sci-fi.
Suggested reading for the author:
Isaac Asimov
David Brin
Neal Stephenson
Verner Vinge
Larry Niven
Anne McCaffrey
Dan Simmons
Andre Norton
Robert Heinlein
Sheri S. Tepper
Octavia Butler
Andre Norton
Anne Leckie
I wanted to give this book 3 stars, I really truly did. *sigh*
So, I'm a sci-fi freak from waaaayyy back in the day. I think it all started with Star Trek: TNG and Wesley Crusher. Ah, Wesley Crusher, with your bobbing Adam's apple and your polyester unitard, you ruled my silly early teen fantasies.
There were two main issues I had with this book, two reasons that it never reached past 2.5 stars for me.
The first is that this is probably some of the worst sci-fi I've ever read. The job of sci-fi is to take the improbable and spoon feed it to the reader, coated in the golden, honey coating of deep imagination. Now, I'm not saying Revis doesn't have an imagination. Goodness, she has that in spades! My issue is that she doesn't seem to have the imagination it takes to write SCI-FI. In fact, her heroine, hero and story line would lend themselves much better to an out and out dystopian fiction or maybe another one of those boring first person present tense urban fantasies everyone is always raving about. (I kid.)
So, let's discuss why this is not the best sci-fi... Well, it's not for lack of generic sci-fi jargon and technology, that's for sure. Genetic engineering, check! Super confusing and secretive mode of light speed (assumption) travel, check! People who get frozen and sent to colonize a new planet, check! New elevator technology, check! Super cool futuristic swear words... you better FREXING BELIEVE IT! The only thing the author is missing is a holodeck and Captain Picard and she would have her own show!
Another thing that felt totally out of place in a sci-fi SET IN SPACE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE REALISTIC, is all the pop culture references. It's almost as though Amy was living right in 2011! She went to prom! She's been to Walt Disney World. She's played with LEGO's. Unless your sci-fi takes place on present day earth, it's VERY UNUSUAL to include modern day language ("freaking" "gah") and like I said, those pop culture references.
I mean, this girl sounds like my next door neighbor, not a girl who exists when technology can FREEZE you and BRING YOU BACK TO LIFE. And in such a world, how is it that a FREAKING IPAD is so amazing? When did the author write this story, 1990??
All this might be forgiven, given that the characters are likeable, the story line itself isn't horrible, and the author herself has quite a bit of potential. And then... there's the ending.
It's unforgivable. LITERALLY. I'm sorry, it takes a couple of minutes to forgive someone for eating the last piece of chocolate cake. In what world (or what spaceship) does it take mere minutes to forgive someone for separating you forever from the parents you loved and chose to follow "Across the Universe"? In what universe do you actually turn to that person, FORGIVE HIM, and then actually demand that he be yours forever?
"Yes, I know you just ruined my life, damn you. I'll hate you forever. Except, you know what, now that I think about it for a couple of minutes, probably like 180 seconds or so, I DO forgive you. But only if you promise to be my very bestest boyfriend!"
Maybe I'm a big B-I-T-C-H, but I could not forgive someone that quickly, if at all. A more realistic way to end this book would have been for her to refuse to forgive him and for him to have to woo her back. That would have been way more realistic and satisfying and have given some actual impetus for the next book. As it was, I have no desire to learn what happens next. I'm happy to leave these silly characters in their improbable world.
And just so you don't think I'm making it up when I say this is bad sci-fi, I challenge you who doubt me to read the authors on this list —they are all fantastic— then come back and take another look at this book. Make me a liar. Tell me it's any good as sci-fi.
Suggested reading for the author:
Isaac Asimov
David Brin
Neal Stephenson
Verner Vinge
Larry Niven
Anne McCaffrey
Dan Simmons
Andre Norton
Robert Heinlein
Sheri S. Tepper
Octavia Butler
Andre Norton
Anne Leckie
I feel like this just set up the series and the rest will get to what the POINT actually is.
Oh my cripes that was good. REALLY good. Straight up fantastic dystopic/sci fi that raises really great questions. I will definitely be finishing this series, having JUST discovered that there are more books. Oh my goodness. Excellent.
