Review: DRIVE by Stephanie Fournet
I have loved everything I’ve read from Stephanie Fournet, and DRIVE did not disa[...]
Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1) by Beth Revis
Published by Penguin Audio on January 11, 2011
Genres: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Format: Audiobook
Pages: 398
Source: Library
Goodreads • Amazon •
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.
First I just have to say, that I absolutely love this cover! Love it! It’s gorgeous. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed by the romance being secondary to the main story. Like other readers, for whatever reason I was expecting an epic romance. That being said, I really enjoyed the science fiction aspect and the mystery. It was different, and a refreshing change to the paranormal and romance novels I’ve been engrossed with recently.
I do have to say that I was really surprised by how disturbing this book was! I mean really disturbing, in a fascinating way that makes you think. I don’t want to say much, because I hate it when reviews give too much away. I want you to learn about things as the mystery unfolds, just like you should! This is a murder mystery with some creepy futuristic scenarios that make you think if our society could ever end up that way.
I loved how the chapters alternated between Amy and Elder’s perspectives, and how the audiobook used a female and male narrator respectively. For me, it adds another dimension to the story. I felt the narrators – Lauren Ambrose and Carlos Santos did a great job, though I wasn’t a big fan of Santos’ female voice. I thought Ambrose was perfect for Amy, especially in the beginning when she was frozen. Though I enjoyed this audiobook, I do want to warn listeners, especially those new to audiobooks that this was a bit complicated to listen to… I had to pause and re-listen to some scenes if I was at all distracted (at least in the beginning), and I found it difficult to visualize the ship, Godspeed at first. Early on in the story, I went to the book’s website which has a great map of the ship and a description of each level and section’s function. I highly recommend checking out the map while reading this book in any format!
This is a great debut by Beth Revis, and I am looking forward to A Million Suns, the next book in the series!
Book Links: Across the Universe Website – Ship Navigation
