Summary from Goodreads
As the spaceship Godspeed travels toward a new earth, the lives of 100 cryogenically frozen settlers hang in the balance after someone endeavors to quietly murder them. The other passengers aboard the ship have never known life outside its walls and are enslaved by the machinations of Eldest, their tyrannical leader, who divides them into three distinct classes. When Amy, a frozen settler from earth, survives being thawed in a murder attempt, she immediately bonds with Elder, Godspeed's lone teen and future leader.
Amy’s individuality, her rebellion, and her fierce desire for freedom, inspire Elder to act on his own doubts and defy Eldest--his mentor and keeper--with shocking results. Eldest’s methods of twisting history and altering the lives of this captive community are a frightening echo of tyrants in our own history, and Across the Universe challenges readers to consider the impact of unchecked power, blind trust, and the ability of one dissenting voice to make a difference.
Two words for ACROSS THE UNIVERSE: emotional whirlwind. The main thing that I like about dual points of view is that you get the full effect of both characters instead of just one. It made me feel so connected to Amy and Elder, therefore, feeling everything more. I was so scared for Amy going through the freezing and could feel her pain as if was my own. I experienced the confusion Elder had over discovering that everything that he had learned was a lie. I am also a technology freak and Godspeed was filled with all kinds of cool things.
My favorite thing was the brilly slang. At first, when I heard frex, I thought it was a name and laughed at myself. I like ACROSS THE UNIVERSE because of its complexity and underlying message. I am a very firm believer that ignorance is not bliss and this book is all about this. I liked that Elder was not shy in his unexpected feelings for Amy and that he trusted her to start him on the jump that what was "normal" was not right.
It was wonderful to just be affected by the little things. Like within everyone's monethnic skin color and hair, Amy came through with pale skin and bright red hair so that she could cause the hugest commotion. I bet if her hair had been black or blonde, it wouldn't have fit nearly as much!
