Review: A Million Suns by Beth Revis

A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2) 
by Beth Revis
Publisher: Razorbill/PenguinTeen
Release Date: January 10, 2012
Format: Advance Reader Copy
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Buy: Amazon | IndieBound

Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.

It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to enact his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.

In book two of the Across the Universe trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis mesmerizes us again with a brilliantly crafted mystery filled with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship. (Goodreads)

A Million Suns starts off right where Across the Universe ends, and I was quickly immersed back in the world Beth Revis has created. I swear, thanks to Revis’ descriptions, I can picture Godspeed inside and out – all its different levels, features, and new nooks and crannies we learn about in this book! I love when I can imagine a story’s world so completely without feeling bogged down with details, and I think Revis has found a perfect balance with this series.

In A Million Suns, the pace gradually builds until about halfway through when it becomes a roller coaster of a ride! Seriously, there were so many unexpected plot twists and turns that I never saw coming. At one point I actually exclaimed “Holy Crap” out loud while I was up late reading, which my sleeping husband wasn’t thrilled about. You can’t help but feel a sense of urgency while reading this, because the ship is in chaos. The people are on the brink of mutiny, while Elder, in his new role of leadership struggles to maintain control. Godspeed is truly another character in the story with its own secrets that Elder and Amy must figure out, while also trying to figure out who is responsible for the murders.

I think what I enjoyed most about this installment was watching Elder grow as a character. I was fascinated with how he handled each new situation as issues/problems were thrown at him in rapid fire. I do have to admit, that I wanted more romance… I kept waiting, and waiting. This series is most definitely science fiction and mystery, with very little romance. I’m not sure why I feel so insistent that it should be there. I think I got the idea of the series being a sci-fi romance stuck in my head before reading Across the Universe, and I’m just having a hard time letting it go.

This is a must-read for fans of Across the Universe; it will leave you reeling and desperate for book 3, Shades of Earth! I highly recommend this series to fans of mystery, and to anyone curious about sci-fi. You don’t need to be a sci-fi fan to enjoy this series!

Author Links: website | twitter | facebook | goodreads | tumblr

Book Links: Across the Universe Website - Ship Navigation | ATU Facts Tumblr

Teaser Tuesday (7)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

To participate you:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

From A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2) by Beth Revis:

"Godspeed has not just replaced Earth in my mind; it's replaced my home. And it's inhabited by people who hide dark thoughts behind staring dark eyes."

 ~ page 35, Advance Reader's Copy

Waiting on Wednesday (21)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The week's WoW feature is:

[My review of Across the Universe]

A Million Suns
(Across the Universe #2)

by Beth Revis

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: January 10, 2012

When Elder learns harrowing news about the space ship Godspeed, he and Amy must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, all the while dealing with the romance that’s growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart. It all boils down to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship. (Goodreads)

I love this cover, and I'm really looking forward to this sequel to Across the Universe (my review)! I've heard that there's a major cliff hanger at the end of this one...

What book are you anxiously waiting for?

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Across the Universe by Beth Revis, read by Lauren Ambrose and Carlos Santos

Publisher: Penguin Audio
Release Date: January 11, 2011
Format:  Audiobook
Source: Library
Age Level: Young Adult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Buy: Amazon | IndieBound

Goodreads Synopsis: 

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!