Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Genre: Sci-Fi
Hardcover: 398 Pages
Published: January 11, 2011
Series: Across the Universe
            1. Across the Universe
            2. A Million Suns
            3. Shades of Earth
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

My Review:

            This is a really cool story about a young girl named Amy who is frozen in time for 250 years aboard a space ship called Godspeed. However, she is suddenly awaken 50 years before the ship reaches it's destination. She struggles to adapt to her new life and can only depend on the next leader of the space ship, Elder. He isn't much older than her and their relationship starts off bumpy. Amy doesn't know if she can trust Elder but agrees to help him solve the mystery and lies that surround the ship and its current leader, Eldest. As the story continues on a mysterious path, Amy discovers the many secrets that are being hidden from the rest of the passengers. And there's one secret that--if it's let out-- will cause all hell to break loose. And Amy will do anything in her power to reveal this dangerous secret, even if it means unfreezing the rest of her family and her fathers army solders.

          The characters in this book could have been more developed. Though I had no problem with the female lead. She was stubborn and determined to help in any way that she can. Elder on the other hand, seemd like a wimp. One minute he is a toddler whining to Eldest about not being taught everything and the next he is a dog with his tail between his legs. He can't decide if he wants to trust Eldest or follow his leadership. At one point I just rolled my eyes at his behavior because it looked like it wasn't going to change.  

            I enjoyed the premise of the plot. Frozen people on a ship in space, traveling to a new planet to colonize. How interesting is that?! There was just enough romance, betrayal, mystery, lies and secrets.