Across the Universe (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Across the Universe April Spisak Revis, Beth. Across the Universe. Razorbill, 2011. [400p.] ISBN 978-1-59514-397-6 $17.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 8-10. Amy expected to wake 300 years in the future, carried to an Earth-like planet, along with other cryogenically frozen passengers, on a ship called Godspeed. Instead, she wakes much earlier, while the ship is still in transit, and she must negotiate the bizarre social world onboard, where countless generations of workers, scientists, and leaders have all labored to keep the vessel heading toward their new home. Elder, the second in command, is just beginning to uncover the secrets that his superior has been keeping, and he and Amy join together to overcome the obstacles:the mood-altering drugs that have numbed all of their peers, the folks in power who would rather they be dead than rebellious, and the horrifying secret itself, which threatens to destroy them as they realize they may never reach the new planet. While Amy is well developed as a plucky heroine worth rooting for, it is really the tortured, brilliant, but uninformed Elder who is the star of the novel. His efforts to protect his loved ones, to learn how to be a leader, and to negotiate his first love are sometimes painful to watch, but they're so deeply well intentioned that they're actually inspiring. Revis also compellingly unfolds the situation, suspensefully revealing the fact that the ship is built on lies, genetic alterations, and bizarre social structuring that enforces sameness rather than individuality, and that its passengers may never escape. Even after the slightly convenient (given they are the only two teens around) romance is forgotten, sci-fi readers will likely debate the book's key philosophical question: is it better to live a happy life based on lies or a harsh life clear-eyed about the truth? Copyright © 2011 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois