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maggie_sotos 's review for:
Across the Universe
by Beth Revis
I can't... I don't...UGH.
OK There are so many things about this book that frustrated the hell out of me. I'm not sure where exactly to start.
First of all, the beginning is awesome. The description of the freezing process is a fabulous hook and the premise is delightful. And the overall idea of multiple generations in a spaceship being brainwashed...I love it.
But then it kind of falls apart. The pacing, for one, felt really off. The ending was so ridiculously rushed and chaotic, it strains credulity. What the hell was that whole thing about Orion clawing out his own comm? Pretty sure he'd be dead by now. And how is it that no one noticed him, when there are only a few thousand people on the ship?
Then you have these one-dimensional characters that have very little depth -- we don't actually know very much about Elder or about what his deal is. And Amy, aside from having red hair and enjoying running, is kind of this mystery character too. Really disappointed to have such shallow protagonists driving the story.
There are also a lot of plot points that are so bizarre that it sort of pulls you out of the action. Like, after the first frozen is woken up, why does Eldest keep the floor unlocked, accessible, and not guarded? Are there seriously NO GUARDS ON THIS SHIP OF BRAINWASHED PEOPLE? WHY DOES THIS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT DUTY GET SHUNTED ONTO THE SHOULDERS OF YOUNG ADULTS? Also, the concept of the Season makes more sense after the explanation, but it seems forced (like the author just REALLY wanted for there to be a spaceship full of people fucking everywhere). That makes no sense. If there was genuine concern about avoiding incest on the ship, you'd be assigned a partner, you'd be given a private space to go, and you'd "try" for a baby several times over the course of a few months. Not everyone ovulates in sync. Having it be all "SPRING BREAK WHOOOO!" with people everywhere is illogical, even within the confines of the world this creates for us. Also, there are plenty of ways to trick people regarding the passage of time (tinker with the clocks, for example) -- making a whole elaborate "Season", followed by the announcement...it feels convoluted.
Then there are all of the loose ends and unanswered questions. Why did they delay launch by a year? Who is the company that sponsored all of this? Why did Amy's dad not pack her stuff but invite her to be frozen? I know that this is part of a series, but somehow the lack of clarity and characters in the first book has turned me off from reading more.
OK There are so many things about this book that frustrated the hell out of me. I'm not sure where exactly to start.
First of all, the beginning is awesome. The description of the freezing process is a fabulous hook and the premise is delightful. And the overall idea of multiple generations in a spaceship being brainwashed...I love it.
But then it kind of falls apart. The pacing, for one, felt really off. The ending was so ridiculously rushed and chaotic, it strains credulity. What the hell was that whole thing about Orion clawing out his own comm? Pretty sure he'd be dead by now. And how is it that no one noticed him, when there are only a few thousand people on the ship?
Then you have these one-dimensional characters that have very little depth -- we don't actually know very much about Elder or about what his deal is. And Amy, aside from having red hair and enjoying running, is kind of this mystery character too. Really disappointed to have such shallow protagonists driving the story.
There are also a lot of plot points that are so bizarre that it sort of pulls you out of the action. Like, after the first frozen is woken up, why does Eldest keep the floor unlocked, accessible, and not guarded? Are there seriously NO GUARDS ON THIS SHIP OF BRAINWASHED PEOPLE? WHY DOES THIS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT DUTY GET SHUNTED ONTO THE SHOULDERS OF YOUNG ADULTS? Also, the concept of the Season makes more sense after the explanation, but it seems forced (like the author just REALLY wanted for there to be a spaceship full of people fucking everywhere). That makes no sense. If there was genuine concern about avoiding incest on the ship, you'd be assigned a partner, you'd be given a private space to go, and you'd "try" for a baby several times over the course of a few months. Not everyone ovulates in sync. Having it be all "SPRING BREAK WHOOOO!" with people everywhere is illogical, even within the confines of the world this creates for us. Also, there are plenty of ways to trick people regarding the passage of time (tinker with the clocks, for example) -- making a whole elaborate "Season", followed by the announcement...it feels convoluted.
Then there are all of the loose ends and unanswered questions. Why did they delay launch by a year? Who is the company that sponsored all of this? Why did Amy's dad not pack her stuff but invite her to be frozen? I know that this is part of a series, but somehow the lack of clarity and characters in the first book has turned me off from reading more.