A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Series: Across the Universe, Book Two

Publisher: Puffin

Format: ARC

Published: 5^th April 2012

Number of Pages: 400

Book: For Review*

Genre: Science-Fiction, Dystopia, Fantasy, Action-Adventure, Romance, Murder Mystery, Thriller, YA

Recommended Age: 13+

Contains: Violence, Death, Swearing-Godspeed-Style, Alcohol and Drug Refernces

Author's Blog: Beth Revis

Trapped on board the spaceship Godspeed, Amy trusts no one.

The ship’s ruler is dead and a rebellion threatens.  Amy wants to help Elder as he tries to take charge, but she’s torn between her feelings for him and the chaos that’s pulling everything apart.  As more harrowing discoveries are made about Godspeed, Amy is caught up in a desperate race to unravel its secrets.  Only one thing is certain.

The have to get off this ship…

                                                                   Review:

It’s been three months since Eldest died and since Elder took over running Godspeed.  He only wants to make life better, but the pressure is intense and a rebellion is threatening to destroy the life they know.

While Amy wants to help him become the leader she knows he can be, she is fighting with secrets of her own and the pain of never seeing her parents again.

As the terrible truth about Godspeed is revealed, Amy is determined to follow the clues left to her and her alone, certain they hold the key to their survival.

They need to get off of Godspeed.

Before the mutiny pulls it apart…

I absolutely adored Across the Universe, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book!  But because I loved the first so much, I was really worried A Million Suns wouldn’t be able to live up to it.  I should have known better than to underestimate Miss Revis!  A Million Suns was a book as beautiful as it was utterly shocking – literally everything was unexpected, a total surprise.  And I loved: Every. Single. Second!

Oh, I love Elder!  He had so much responsibility now, but he was strong and clever and a frexing good leader in my opinion – yeah, it’s all the others who are wrong!  And through it all, through everything going on, Elder was sweet and brave and cute, always doing what was best for the ship and his people, no matter what.  This just made me love him more!  And seeing all his childhood memories made me even more real.

Amy was so much stronger now than she was in Across the Universe.  I really don’t know how she kept going – I would have fallen apart from the word go.  I loved her sense of humor, her determination, her snark.  All of the things she was struggling with – keeping her parents frozen, trying to remember Earth –really broke my heart.  She really had to fight to keep her own identity, and I admired her so, so much for that.

The relationship between Elder and Amy felt so, so real – even more so than in Across the Universe.  I loved seeing them get to know each other.  And oh my God, I really felt it this time: felt the confusion, the hunger, the pure love.

Even more, though, I found it intriguing, getting to know the Previous Elder better.  I, of course, hated him by the end of Across the Universe, but I did start it off liking him.  I loved how we slowly go to see why he did what he did, who he really was.  But who is he, you may ask?  Well, read the book and find out!!

Again, I have to touch on how real the world and characters all felt.  That’s what I loved about the first book, and something I still felt in A Million Suns.  Even though it was a rather unbelievable place, the way Revis described everything just made it so real to me.  Love it!  The world building Revis does is one of the best and most thought-out ones I’ve read!

The plot was… well, just incredible.  I had no idea where it was going and I swear I was literally, physically gaping at times.  There were so many secrets to discover, so many clues to keep me guessing.  The plot was just like a treasure hunt, the kind I had as a little kid with Easter eggs.  This book?  Just as rewarding as nummy chocolate! And the ending?  Well, I need Shades of Earth.  NOW!

The writing I also adored.  The split POV lets us see into all the action, all the emotions and let us really get to know Amy and Elder.  What I love most about the writing is that I see everyting I my head: the ship, the people, Amy, Elder, everything.  Simple and descriptive, my favorite kind of writing!

All the twists, turns and secrets made A Million Suns so exciting!  I was hooked to every single word.  And how, how, how can they make us wait until March 2013 for the next book?  HOW?!

Rant over.  In other words?  Absa-frexing-brilly!  (Sorry, I just love Revis’ slang!)

Star Rating:
5 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Legend by Marie Lu

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

Happy Reading

Megan

* This book was received from Penguin in exchange for an honest review

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Series: Across the Universe, Book One

Publisher: Puffin

Format: Paperback

Published: 3rd March 2011

Number of Pages: 416

Book: Bought

Genre: Science-Fiction, Dystopia, Fantasy, Action, Romance, Murder Mystery, Thriller, YA

Recommended Age: YA: 12+

Amy has left the life she loves for a world 300 years away.

Trapped in space and frozen it time, Amy is bound for a new planet.  But fifty years before she’s due to arrive, she is violently woken, the victim of an attempted murder.  Now Amy’s lost on board and nothing makes sense – she’s never felt so alone.

Yet someone is waiting for her.

He wants to protect her –

and more if she’ll let him.

But who can she trust amidst the secrets and lies?
A killer is out there – and Amy has nowhere to hide...

Review:

I’ve seen rave reports for this book all over the place.  My expectations were so high I was sure that it couldn’t possibly live up to them.  Well.  I was wrong.

It exceeded them by a long shot. 

Starting with the first few chapters, that had me so hooked I didn’t notice how late it was getting as I read.

The novel begins with Amy (our female protagonist) undergoing freezing, the process that will allow her to be alive when the ship reaches her new home, three-hundred years away.  These chapters scared the life out of me, and I could imagine the ice filling my veins.  But what was worse was that her mind was awake while she was trapped in that ice: she had nightmares, memories, dreams all mixed up.  It would have driven me insane.  And then there’s the unfreezing as well, another few chapters that felt scarily, horribly real.  (I had nightmares about it; ice everywhere: in my veins, my lungs, my heart.  No book has done that to me for as long as I remember.  Which is why this one stayed with me.)

Someone tried to murder Amy, and she doesn’t know why.  She was just baggage, non-essential.  There was no point to it.  But they still tried.  And she has nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.  She doesn’t even know who she can trust.  But Elder is determined to be that person, the one she can rely on.  He wants to keep her safe.  Only, there’s a killer aboard the ship; but can they stop him before he strikes again...

Amy was a brilliant character, vibrant, strong and so brave.  She made an impossible decision, one I know I wouldn’t have been able to make.  My heart went out to her: she felt like a freak on the ship, and had no way to escape it.  I loved her determination and goodness, and completely understood – and felt – her confusion and anger at being on a strange ship where absolutely nothing makes sense. 

I loved Elder too, the way he was determined to find the truth; his independence.  I felt for him: his childhood was absolutely horrible.  His life was completely believable, and so was the pressure on him as the next Eldest (leader) of the ship.

Now Harley was so incredible!  He was just so mad, funny, and, well, I loved him!  Plus, gotta love the whole is he-isn’t he insane.  Kept me on my toes.  And his nickname for Amy: Little Fish, had me laughing.

Everything was one-hundred-per-cent believable; the ship (it was perfectly and convincingly described), the flaws the main characters had: it made them so real and interesting: three-dimensional.  The relationships between the characters was amazing, especially the one between Elder and Amy.

But most of all, I loved not knowing who I could trust.  Never a dull moment: so many lies, secrets, and mysteries to unfold.  I was constantly on my toes: there were so many twists and turns: I sped through the book and had finished it far too soon.  The short chapters were perfect, and each left me something to think about.  And I really liked how the POV jumped between Elder and Amy, so I could see the events from both an insider and outsider’s views. 

The murder-mystery side of the story was absolutely amazing as well: I can honestly say that I had no idea who the killer was.  Well, I kind of did, but I didn’t guess the exact character...  Well, that will make no sense to those of you that haven’t read this, but if you have, maybe you can relate.  But the mystery was brilliant, and I loved it all.  (I’ve very into all the crime-drama, like CSI, Bones, NCIS, Law & Order, etc.)

Then there’s the concept, which is something I’ve never come across before.  Humans controlled by drugs, like animals.  And how everything from earth (Sol-Earth to the people of the ship) was twisted around and used to control them.  It was weird, but really interesting the way they used some key points in history.

It was so beautifully written: haunting and quite frankly genius.  And it really made me think “what if”.  Should we let science control us?  And if we do, how far do we go?

 Have you ever read a book that leaves you longing for more, desperate for more?  Well, I have to say Across the Universe left me like that.  I can’t believe I have to wait until Spring 2012 for more, to know what happens aboard the Godspeed.  Already counting down the days!

Oh, and I loved ‘frex’, a swearword aboard the ship.  It made me laugh.  As did their use of “brilly”.  I’m going to guess it means brilliant.  Gotta love it!

Star Rating:
5 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)