Across the Universe has been on my radar for a while, but I never picked it up. I am so glad I decided to listen to the audiobook, it was definitely one of the most intriguing and smartest written YA books I have read in a while. The audiobook was read by Lauren Ambrose and Carlos Santos. It was 10 hours and 13 minutes long. I am excited to continue with the series and see what happens to Godspeed.



Likes:

This book really held its own. It was unique, well-written and intriguing. It was so smart and really made you think. It was like Hitler met up with Star Trek.

I really liked both main characters. Let’s start with Amy. She is a teenage girl whose parents are important to the government and are chosen to be frozen to go to space. Amy is sort of given the choice of being frozen with her parents for 300 years. Amy’s dad lets her make a decision for herself, she can either stay on Earth with her aunt and live out her life here, or be frozen and go with her parents to start the “new Earth.”

Elder was such a neat character, he has no family and has known for his entire life that he was chosen to be the next leader of the ship, Godspeed. He has to learn about the ship, being a leader and what happened to Earth that needs to be fixed before starting a new planet.

The ship is massive and really cool, there are multiple levels, it is like a city within a ship. It was such cool world-building!

The people on the ship were very controlled and that was so mind-blowing. This book was definitely dystopian in nature and was one of the most well-done with description of why and how the people “ruined” Earth. Each of the people on Godspeed were multi-raced, the perfect mix of all races to make everyone the same. Everyone had the same hair color, skin color, eye color, ect. Amy comes into play with her fair skin and red hair she stands out so much since everyone else looks the same.

Eldest, the current ruler of the ship is tight lipped, but he has ways to control the population. It was so well-written and you had the desire to keep listening because you really needed to find out why the people on the ship act as they do. I don’t want to give away secrets!

A good dystopian has a leader that is so awful you have to hate them. Eldest was that perfect fit. He choose to lead the people of Godspeed almost like Hitler. He is actually quoted in the book saying that Hitler was a wise man, that there is discord when people look different.

Gripes:

I really thought there would have been a romance, or at least more of one, in the book. There really isn’t even slow burn. The cover has two people almost kissing, so I guess I was surprised when the book ended without. (I am not saying that every YA needs a romance, I just was expecting it with this one)

I enjoyed the book a lot, but there was just not enough feels in the book to make me rate it a 5, it is not a book I swoon over and hold dear to my heart. It was a book that appealed more to my brain.

Favorite Quote:

“Don’t you see?’ Eldest says. I think he’s talking to Elder, not me, but I’m the one he’s looking at. ‘The people of Godspeed have simple needs, simple wants. Give them some sparkly lights and they call it hope. Give them hope and they’ll do anything. They’ll work when they don’t want to. They’ll breed when the ship needs it and they’ll smile the whole time.”

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