I liked these books. I've read better, I've read much worse. Maybe sci-fi just isn't my style. When I say these books are sci-fi, they are REALLY sci-fi. There's genetic alteration, communication chips imbedded in the characters ears, clones, a few aliens, oh, and did I mention the gigantic spaceship? Everyone lives aboard the giant spaceship Godspeed. There are the folks that take care of the ship, and then the lesser known...others. People from earth-specifically with science, medical, or military expertise-were frozen in cryo chambers and left there to be woken up when they reach their destination, Centauri-Earth. The idea behind this story is amazing and is well told. It could have been a bit better paced, but I was satisfied in the end.
The story is duel-POV. One of the characters is Amy. She is from earth and her parents were going to be frozen, so she decided to go with them. It's addressed that, while frozen, Amy can still think and dream. That wasn't supposed to happen and she wonders about it in the first book. It isn't brought up again and the question of what happened was never really answered. Amy starts off as a scared teenager, but matures and grows courage as the series progresses. She feels fear for her parents and newfound friends. She also learns what it feels like to be a scapegoat, as many of the people on the ship dislike her, including it's leader. Amy meets the second main character, Elder, right after she wakes up. Elder is going to be the leader of Godspeed someday, AKA Eldest. I don't like his character as much as Amy's. Maybe it's because he has never seen earth, therefore is less relatable. Maybe it's the way he speaks, the members of Godspeed have added many new words to the english language. Or it could simply be him as a whole. He was raised very different than many are. For example, he has been taught that the three causes of discord are A) Lack of leadership, B) Differences, and C) Individual thought. Readers, of course, think this is totally bogus and, eventually, so does he. His character does develop though. He learns who, and what, he is willing to do anything for, even die. Amy is one of those people. It becomes obvious fairly quickly that they like each-other and their relationship is built and tested throughout the series. There are many other characters, but none of them really stand out in my mind. I don't really like them or they simply are not complex enough.Let me say this, the last book in the series was a real doozie. The author warned that she liked to kill characters off and that many would be in book three, but whoa! There were characters dying left and right. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure at least one person dies every chapter save the last three or so. The series wraps up better than I had hoped. While it's not a fairy tale ending, everyone more less gets something they want. It's a tad abrupt. There is enough of a wrap-up for it to be a conclusion, but another chapter or two would have been well-loved. Book two, A Million Suns, was by far my favorite book in the series. If you're a geek (like me!) and love things such as Star Wars and Star Trek, this is for you! Overall, I give it a four star rating.
Author Bio:Beth Revis is the author of the NY Times Bestselling Across the Universe Series, published by Razorbill/Penguin in the US and available in 17 countries.. The first book in the trilogy, Across the Universe, is a “cunningly executed thriller” according to Booklist, and the second book, A Million Suns, was hailed by the LA Times as “a fast-paced, action-packed follow-up.” The final book of the trilogy, Shades of Earth, will be released in early 2013.
A former teacher, Beth lives in rural North Carolina with her husband and dog. Her goals include travelling around the world in 80 days, exploring the moon, and finding Narnia.
You Can Find Her At:
Website
GoodReads
Synopsis:
Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed. She expects to wake up on a new planet, 300 years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, Amy's cryo chamber is unplugged, and she is nearly killed.
Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader, and Elder, his rebellious and brilliant teenage heir.
Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she? All she knows is that she must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.
Titles: Across the Universe, A Million Suns, Shades of Earth
Author: Beth Revis
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Number of Books: Three
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