Across the Universe

Title: Across the Universe 
Author: Beth Revis
Other books in the series: A Millions Suns, Shades of Earth
ISBN: 9781595143976
Publication info: Jan 2011
Price: 17.99
Pages: 398
Genre: fiction, sci-fi
Plot Summary: Amy and her parents are being frozen and stored on a spaceship called Godspeed. The ship will travel 300 years to another planet and when they reach their destination her family will be unfrozen to help start a new civilization. Though somehow Amy is woken up 50 years to soon to find that things are not how they should be on Godspeed. What she finds is a disturbing society controlled by an all powerful Eldest. She also learns that her accidental unfreezing may not have been an accident. It seems that someone is unfreezing the frozens and allowing them to die and she fears that her parents may be next. She is weary about trusting, Elder, the next in the line of power, but what choice does she have? Everyone on the ship thinks she is some sort of freak because of her pale skin and bright red hair. Everyone on the ship is the same tan color with dark brown hair. Amy is stuck on a ship lightyears away from everything she knows. Can she save her parents or will they die without ever reaching the new planet?
Critical Review: Amy Revis has written a sci-fi with a bit of dystopian twist. The book has many twists and turns that leave you wondering and it ends with more questions than answers. The plot is complex and at times it can be a bit confusing. But the dynamics between Elder and Amy makes for an interesting story. They grow from completely distrusting each other to relying on each other for survival. Their romance builds up slowly doesn't feel forced. iI enjoyed the fact that the story is told from both the perspective of Amy and Elder, it gives the reader a better idea of how both the characters feel and deal with certain situations.
Reader's Annotation: Amy is being frozen for a 300 year journey through space to another planet. But then Amy is woken 50 years to soon and she can't believe what she finds when she awakes.
Main Themes: space travel, romance, murder, mystery
Bibliotheraputic Usefulness: Amy faces many challenges from thinking she will die before her parents will wake, to almost being raped by one of the space borns. She is also trying to track down who is out to kill all the frozens, including her parents. Teens can use these themes to deal with their own challenges.
Book Talk Ideas: The book talk can focus on Amy's choice to leave Earth in hopes of a new world.
How does one deal with leaving everything they know behind for something unknown? What will Amy find and what if it isn't what she expected, can she live with her choices. Would you make the same choice?
Issues: The ship borns use chemicals in the water to control the population and keep them docile. The ship also decides when people will mate in order to control the population. This means that during mating season there is almost an animal like quest for people to have sex. There are some graphic scenes of Amy witnessing ship borns having sex. Amy is also almost raped by one of the ship borns.
Author Website: http://www.bethrevis.com/
Read Alikes: Matched by Allyson Condie
Professional Reviews: Publisher's Weekly
Publisher's Weekly
Why Chose this Book? Amy Revis's trilogy has become very popular with the release of the 3rd book in the trilogy. It is an interesting book on spacel travel that explores human nature.