Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis
Across the Universe #3
Release Date: January 15, 2013
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Borrowed
Goodreads Stars: 4
Rating: Essential
Buy the Book: Amazon UK

Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing. - Goodreads

I'm feeling a lot of different emotions now that I've read this book. Across the Universe is one of the first debuts and series that I started reading when I was a baby book blogger, and now it has come to an end. Since reading the first book, I've experienced so much both as a blogger, in 'real' life, and as a reader. I am so happy that such a good series has been with me along the way. Does that sound weird? Probably.

WoW: Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis 
Across the Universe #3
Release Date: January 15, 2013
Publisher: Razorbill
Goodreads

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

A Million Suns by Beth Revis
Across the Universe #2
Release Date: January 10, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill
Rating: Essential

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

Oh. My. God.

Okay, so... I have no idea where to begin. This always happens with books I love, I have no idea how to review them properly so I just start spewing out random thoughts and hope they come together in a well rounded review. Much like my past reviews, I doubt this is going to be the case with this one. Oh well, let's get on with it. You've been warned.

I really enjoyed Across the Universe when I read it last year, and while I didn't get a chance to reread it before starting this sequel (damn you, Mount TBR), I still was able to recall everything that happened. It was that memorable.

The story kicks off straight away, with Elder trying to lead the ship and Amy finding a message from Orion - the dude they froze in AtU - which leads her to running around the ship to find clues to lead her to the answer. Much like in AtU, dead bodies start turning up everywhere and the people on the ship blame Elder, thinking it's him sending a message. Obviously, we know it's not Elder so we spend the book trying to figure out who could be the killer.

To be honest (you're all going to get annoyed with me if I keep saying this in every single review) I knew who the killer was almost straight away. It's pretty easy to cross off the potential culprits in your head. I saw it coming a mile away.

There are a couple of other secrets which, thanks to Orion, our characters are on the way to finding out. Again, these secrets, in my opinion, were pretty obvious and I wasn't shocked by the big reveal. That said, they are ENORMOUS and I loved it. I'm so glad this story went the way I was hoping it would.

Despite knowing the answers, I was more interested in the journey the characters were taking. The riots and fights were interesting and you never knew who was going to die next. I was also really interested in Elder's attempts at leading the ship. At only 16, he's not meant to lead an entire ship, and this showed. I loved it. The science fiction aspect is also awesome, but I didn't have to tell you that, did I?

The only thing I didn't particularly like in this book was Amy. Actually, I really hate her right now. Amy acting like a bloody child the whole way through, and her character development seemed to go backwards. She whined A LOT, and it frustrated me. I understand that she has strong feelings about things but MY GOODNESS *headdesk* I really didn't like her in this book. She didn't understand what it took to be a leader at all, and she didn't seem to care about other people's free will. Nope, she just wanted them all to do what she thought was best and on top of that she's a hypocrite *hits her with a flip flop* I can't stand her.

Anyway, I LOVED this book despite the ridiculous female lead and after the ending (!!!!!!!!!) I am DYING to read the next book. I have to know what happens next!

Spoiler: Personally, I'm hoping for dinosaurs.

Thankful For... Atticus the Storyteller's 100 Greek Myths

Beth Revis is hosting an ENORMOUS giveaway on her blog, and I highly recommend going to check it out. It includes a rather large collection of signed books, as well as swag and prize packs. All you have to do it write a post about the book that you are most thankful for.

I picked Atticus the Storyteller's 100 Greek Myths by Lucy Coats and Anthony Lewis.

The reason? This was one of the last books that my Nanny bought me before being diagnosed with cancer for the second time. She used to buy me books all the time when book companies visited the retirement home that she worked at, but when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour, she stopped going to work. She stopped buying me books.

She bought me this when I was about ten years old. I had never heard of any Greek myths before, aside from those featured on the television show Xena the Warrior Princess, which my brother and I were obsessed with. I started reading this, and I got sucked in. I was fascinated to learn all about these Greek gods who could fly, and turn into animals. And about the kings who made deals with these gods only to break their contracts. I loved reading about the monsters, and the creatures, and the woman who gave birth to eggs (Leda, in case you were wondering). The mythology fascinated me.

Ever since the day I began reading this book, I've been in loved Greek myths. It's more than love now, it's an obsession. It's a genuine love of mine, and I found it through the best circumstances. But that's not why I'm thankful. I'm thankful because I can now pick up this book, and as well as reading the stories for the hundredth time, I can remember my Nanny and how she was before she became ill.

Book Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

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. - Goodreads

After all the hype surrounding this debut YA novel, I was a little nervous about starting it. I was worried that it wouldn’t live up to my extremely high expectations, and I’d be disappointed, after spending so much money on it. 

I was wrong to worry though. 

Across the Universe was an amazing read. The plot started off slowly - for me - but it was still enough to pull me in. The first few chapters were spent introducing the reader to the new world inside the spaceship Godspeed. The technology and life there was so interesting, and my favourite part of the novel - apart from the murder mystery! - was probably reading about how the people of Godspeeds’ life is now. 

The plot picks up very quickly after the main female protagonist, Amy is awoken from her centuries long sleep by someone who is running around the ship and trying to kill the frozen people. 

The two main characters, Amy and Elder, are very interesting. Amy is from Earth, and has no idea about life on Godspeed. Elder was born and raised on the ship, yet he hasn’t really discovered the whole truth about what goes on in it. 

The chapters alternated between Amy and Elder’s points of view, and although this was only my second time reading a YA book set out this way, I loved it. I loved knowing what each character was thinking, and what they were both doing - something we wouldn’t know if it was from one person’s POV. And yet, even though we were inside their heads, there was still so much to discover!

All in all, the story gripped me from the word go, and I was unable to put this book down. For a story of almost 400 pages, it went surprisingly fast! The ending was outstanding, and it was so much fun trying to figure out who the killer was until the very end. Outstanding.

Rating: 5/5

You can buy Across the Universe here:

Amazon US | Book Depository

Series: Across the Universe #1

Published on January 11, 2011 by Razorbill

Edition: Hardback; 398 pages