Across the Universe -- review by Hope Austin

Across the Universe
by Beth Revis
**** stars

When Amy is cryogenically frozen she leaves behind her boyfriend, her friends, and the rest of Earth for an unknown planet 300 years away. The only thing that comforts her is the fact that her parents will be there when she wakes up. So, when she is woken up 5o years before she was supposed to, she is understandably angry. She finds herself aboard Godspeed, which now has its own government and society, and is in direct opposition with the leader, something people didn't know was possible. Her whole is once again shaken when she learns her un-freezing wasn't an accident; someone tried to kill her.

At the same time, Elder, a boy about Amy's age, is learning how to become the leader of the ship after his superior, Eldest, passes. While he's always been rebellious and somewhat of a free-thinker, Amy's arrival prompts some serious questions from Elder to Eldest. The answers are more haunting than he could ever imagine.

This book was great read. It had good pacing and multiple layers. On the surface it seems like the setup for a romance, with a murder mystery thrown in. Once you dig a little deeper, the book is all about asking questions, thinking outside the box, being your own person. Nearly all of it is impossible under the rule of a tyrannical dictator. People who like sci-fi, mysteries, or dyspotian societies will love this one.