25.4.12

Review ][ Across the Universe

Title ][ Across the Universe
Author ][ Beth Revis
Chapters (Summary) ][ link
Rating ][

I really liked this book. I think the thing that threw me off initially with it was that I was expecting it to be totally amazing, and the beginning fell slightly short of that expectation. However, the rest of the book definitely didn't disappoint. The one criticism that I have is that the mystery was both too obvious and not obvious enough at the same time. Let me explain. It was super obvious who was committing the "crime" (for lack of a better word) and I guessed correctly about a quarter of the way through the book. On the other hand, although it was obvious it wasn't very well constructed. There weren't really any clues, so I never got the satisfaction of having to puzzle it out. I was hoping for something more like Angels & Demons (Dan Brown), or even just something remotely like it. However, for the entire novel we didn't know enough about the perpetrator to connect him to the crime. Although the whole thing was explained at the end (and totally made sense), I was a bit miffed that I hadn't been given any clues and yet still knew who it was. That's why I gave Across the Universe four kernels instead of five.

That said, the rest of the book was amazing. The society on the ship was fascinating, and I loved reading about a population that was not only evolved/futuristic, but also isolated and placed in a very unique situation. Some parts were truly horrific, and sometimes I just wanted to reach into the novel and shake someone and tell them to wake up! Even though I knew the reasons behind it, sometimes it was truly hard to read about what people were believing. That said, the characters of Across the Universe were okay as far as characters go. I could totally relate to Amy, and Harley was amazing, but I couldn't quite figure out Elder. Maybe because his name is Elder, which makes him seem a lot older than 17 (I think). There was just something about him that bothered me, although I grew to like him by the end of the book.

The thing that really stood out for me in this novel was the ship, and the feeling of isolation, danger and claustrophobia. A lot of the issues Amy and Elder faced where really closely related to some of my biggest phobias, so their situations had a huge impact on me. This book literally had me hyperventilating and unable to fall asleep at night. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, because it made me think a lot more about the book and about myself, and I could totally connect to what was going on. I felt for the characters, laughed with them and cried with them, which made them seem that much more real. I honestly don't think I've ever felt like that about any other book.

Why four kernels? This book was amazing, and I really connected to it emotionally. Even if you don't totally fall for it like I did, it was still really enjoyable and a fascinating read. The only thing that really bothered me about it was the mystery, which was a major part of the plot and yet very underdeveloped. However, I still totally recommend it.

I just bought A Million Suns from Chapters and can't wait to read it. The reviews I've seen for it say it's better than Across the Universe so I have pretty high hopes!

][ Midelaye

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