Across the Universe

Amy's parents, who have military and science backgrounds, are selected to help build a new colony on Centauri-Earth.  Unfortunately, the trip through outer space will take about 300 years, so Amy and her parents are cryogenically frozen along with 97 other passengers for the duration of the journey.  But when Amy is woken up fifty years too early it soon becomes clear that life aboard the Godspeed isn't at all what she would have expected.  Was Amy's awakening really an accident?  Soon it becomes clear that someone is trying to murder the other passengers who lie frozen in the ship's cargo hold, and only Amy cares enough to try to solve the mystery.  As Amy races to unlock Godspeed's secrets she encounters Elder, a teenage boy who is destined to become the leader of the ship's crew.  Is Elder Amy's greatest ally...or does he deserve a spot on her list of suspects?

Beth Revis' Across the Universe is one of the best science fiction reads I've encountered for the teen audience in quite some time.  There is some romance, but rather than dwelling on it as so many teen reads seem to do, this book does what science fiction does best:  It explores the human condition.  The story is narrated in alternating perspectives by Amy and Elder, so readers really get to see both sides of the story and the individual biases that form the basis of these characters' opinions.  This book has mystery, intrigue, a fascinating setting, and interesting characters.  What more can you ask for? 

Overall Grade:  A


But the story doesn't stop there!

In A Million Suns, Elder is now the leader of the Godspeed and is ready to enact his vision of what life on the ship could be like.  Unfortunately, his reign isn't going as smoothly as he had hoped.  While Elder has the beginnings of a rebellion in his hands, he and Amy learn that there are even more mysteries to be uncovered on Godspeed.  As they put together the pieces of the puzzle, Amy and Elder soon make a startling discovery...

In the final volume, Shades of Earth, Amy and Elder have finally made it off of the ship and onto the planet Centauri-Earth.  But even with the warnings they have received, the planet proves more dangerous than imagined.  Soon it becomes clear that Godspeed's crew isn't alone on the planet.  But what is the real danger:  The giant dinosaur-like creatures, the flowers with mind-numbing toxins, or something else - or someone else - entirely?  Amy and Elder will have to figure it out quickly, before the planet they worked so hard to reach kills them.

One downloadable novella and several short stories further flesh out the story of Godspeed's journey to Centauri-Earth. 

This series is well worth the effort.  I love that while the plots of all three books are intertwined, each book stands solidly on its own.  Each book has elements of mystery that drive the story, and it's fascinating as a reader to imagine what they would do in this unusual situation.