Today’s YA recommendation is a departure for me. While I LOVE science fiction films and TV shows, I’ve never been one to read in this genre. Seems like when I tried in the past, I would get mired in the technical details, not to mention what I perceived as a preference for plot over characterization. So . . . I generally avoided Scifi novels like the plague.
But when I first heard of fellow Elevensie Beth Revis’s new Scifi dystopian Across the Universe (already a NYT Bestseller), I had to give it a try. Fans of wildly varying genres were all raving about it! Seemed like a good time to give Scifi fiction another chance.
The story alternates between two narrators, Amy and Elder. Amy’s story begins with her being cryogenically frozen for a 300+ year journey to a new planet. The cryogenic process is harrowing enough, but things take an even more dangerous turn when Amy is unfrozen in the middle of the journey. Who tried to kill her? Who is continuing to “unplug” members of the frozen cargo of scientists and military tacticians? And since she can’t be refrozen, how will Amy ever fit into the eerily submissive society on the spaceship Godspeed?
Elder, on the other hand, has only ever known life on Godspeed. He is being groomed as its next leader . . . only he’s not completely engaged by his training. In particular he resents that Eldest, the current leader, seems to be keeping secrets from him. When Elder encounters Amy and learns of the danger posed to the ship’s frozen cargo, he decides it’s time to uncover Godspeed‘s hidden secrets once and for all. Soon he will learn that murder attempts on the cryo level are only the tip of the iceberg (if you’ll forgive the strained pun).
The novel is beautifully written and extremely suspenseful, with elements reminiscent of Brave New World and other classic dystopian tales. I have to say that one of the things I admire most is that the central conflict or problem — the reason why everything “went wrong” in Godspeed‘s society – is something I never would have predicted. Across the Universe is engaging, clever, and nearly impossible to put down.
One last note — you gotta go play on the interactive Across the Universe website. SO COOL!
This sounds great. I need something different for the upcoming snow, and I’d also love to try to write sci-fi someday. Seems like a good creative challenge. Thanks for turning me on to it!
Wow! I was at B & N today and almost grabbed this one. I’ll have to go back now.
I know what you mean about not being a Sci Fi fan but there seems to be a lot of Sci-Fi-for-people-who-don’t-like-Sci-fi books out lately.
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