With "Across the Universe" - a mixture of science fiction and dystopia - Beth Revis has presented a spectacular debut! I just liked everything about this book, even more so, I am completely immersed in an unimaginably small, claustrophobic world that is so complex and more than a secret from their citizens (and readers) hides.
On the Godspeed only one thing: preserve peace, give people no reason to revolt. To create unity, any difference between people is avoided - they all look the same (olive-colored skin, dark hair, brown eyes), there are no races, no religions, no multilingualism. They all depend on a sole central leader - Eldest - who controls the lives of his proteges. Its sole job is to take responsibility.
The social structures of the Goodspeed remember dictatorial systems, as we know from the past and present of our world. Everything is controlled by Eldest, but apart from Elder - the 16-year "apprenticeship", which will take over from Eldest - and Amy - with her fair skin, red hair and green eyes the epitome of "otherness" among dark-skinned inhabitants of Goodspeed's - leaning hardly anyone on to the system. People who show even remotely creative thinking are admitted to the psychiatric hospital. Even Elder spent there a year of his life.
"Across the Universe" deals critically with the future and the past, in particular the control of large groups of people. A central question is whether a person has a right to information. Or is it better to withhold certain information to him when he is thus happier?
Both Amy and Elder are characters with whom you can identify with. Both tell alternately from the first-person perspective, so you get very personal insights into their thought.
As Amy is awakened from their cryo-sleep, she is completely alone on a spaceship, its rules and structures of society is not familiar with. As Elder and his best friend Harley finds understanding of their situation.
Elders world is torn by Amy's emergence from its foundations. He begins to doubt Eldest and bring those incidents on the ship in question.
Together begin Amy and Elder, to investigate, because Amy was only the first to be resuscitated from their icy sleep - only: others have not been so lucky, they will not survive the awakening. In addition to the question of the identity of the murderer, however, there is above all the question of the motive.
I am absolutely convinced of this book! Beth Revis has created an incredible scenario, according to its reading I am now extremely happy to have my legs firmly on the ground.
Even the cover of the book is beautiful and hides - like the Goodspeed - a little secret: On the inside of the envelope is in fact a plan of the vessel, which it especially in the beginning greatly facilitated the reader to orient himself.
Another little bonus: the end is on the whole not a cliffhanger! Yes, there is a second part (which the author has already filed for Proofreading + became +), and yes, I want to know how to proceed with Amy and Elder, but it's still nice to read a series opener who is not a can totally hang in the air.
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Rating
5 stars from me! I really do not know what I should expose in "Across the Universe". Language, plot and characters have vollens convinced me and make the book for me for the first must-read in 2011!
