Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Title: Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1)
Author: Beth Revis
Genre:  Sci-Fi, Young Adult
Publisher:  Razorbill (3rd March 2011)
Blurb:

AMY has left the world she loves for a world 300 years away.

Trapped in space and frozen in time, Amy is bound for a new planet. But fifty years before she’s due to arrive, she is violently woken, the victim of an attempted murder. Now Amy’s lost on board and nothing makes sense – she’s never felt so alone.

Yet someon is waiting for her. He wants to protect her – and more if she’ll let him.

But who can she trust amidst the secrets and lies?

A killer is out there – and Amy has nowhere to hide . . .

Rating: ** (2 stars)
Review:

Across the Universe is the first book in the series. It follows the adventures of a girl who wakes up on a spaceship two hundred and fifty years in the future. There have been a LOT of recommendations for this series on book blogs, so I thought I would give it a go.

Sci-fi is a genre I enjoy reading, although sparingly. I’ve read some of Issac Asimov’s Foundation stories, as well as Douglas Adam’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I really enjoyed them, and I really enjoyed Rhiannon Lassiter’s Hex Trilogy. So I am not unfamiliar with the genre. However, Across the Universe fell flat for me. It took me fifteen chapters to start to get into the story. The first chapter, in particular, left me cold. If I had read the first chapter in a bookstore I would not have bought this book. I did not find the plot particularly interesting or new, and I couldn’t identify with either protagonist.

So, why did I give it two stars instead of one? Although I found the two protagonists difficult to identify with I did enjoy reading about some of the secondary characters. And whilst the plot isn’t new, I still found myself wanting to know what happened next. There were some twists that surprised me. I also came to like Amy. She was, in my opinion, the strongest character in the book. Also, by the end I found myself wanting to read next book in the trilogy – which has to say something. I cannot recommend this book, but if you like the Sci-fi genre it’s something you may want to consider trying.