Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

Hi guys!
So, this months Group Read is Across the Universe by Beth Revis.
I have started reading this, I picked it up at the local library, and at the moment it's a bit slow, so I'm reading Hush, Hush whilst I take a bit of a break from it, for now. I hope to go back to it soon, when I eventually finish Hush, Hush.
Please let me know if you've read this, expect to read it or what your opinions surrounding this are.

Thanks for reading,
- Caitlin.

I'm only like 20 or so pages in and so far I find it to be about average. I like the concept, it reminds me of the mini-series Ascension that came on SyFy last year. The setting gets a good grade from me, as of right now anyway.

I can't make a judgement about Amy yet. But, I've already passed judgement on Elder. Namely, I think he's an idiot (I'm going to mark my proof as a spoiler just in case).

(view spoiler)[It took him 3 pages to open a locked door, when the scanner thing used to open locked doors was right there on the wall! That's why Eldest isn't training you be leader, Elder. Granted, it turned out it didn't open the door, but that's probably just because he didn't give the right command. (hide spoiler)]

Mary Elizabeth wrote: "I'm only like 20 or so pages in and so far I find it to be about average. I like the concept, it reminds me of the mini-series Ascension that came on SyFy last year. The setting gets a good grade..."

I know! (about the spoiler bit). Some things in it are just annoying like that so that's why I've stopped reading it just for now. I personally don't mind Amy so far, I'm only around 70 or so pages through it. But, however, Elder annoys me a bit still.
Anyways, hopefully you and everyone else end up enjoying it.

Mary Elizabeth wrote: "I'm only like 20 or so pages in and so far I find it to be about average. I like the concept, it reminds me of the mini-series Ascension that came on SyFy last year. The setting gets a good grade..."

Yeah, I agree that Elder is a bit of an idiot. He is still a bit annoying to me at around 70-ish pages. Amy is alright, she isn't an Elder, but some aspects of the book just seem extremely unrealistic to me.

Caitlin wrote: "Mary Elizabeth wrote: "I'm only like 20 or so pages in and so far I find it to be about average. I like the concept, it reminds me of the mini-series Ascension that came on SyFy last year. The se..."

What parts? I don't mind if you tell me (you can mark it as a spoiler for everyone else), since you're not much farther than I am.

Mary Elizabeth wrote: "Caitlin wrote: "Mary Elizabeth wrote: "I'm only like 20 or so pages in and so far I find it to be about average. I like the concept, it reminds me of the mini-series Ascension that came on SyFy la..."

(view spoiler)[ It's mainly just how they act, as in Elder and Eldest. There's a bit later on where Elder won't do what Eldest has told him to do, so Eldest sets off these weird beeping things in Elder's Wi-com thing. I understand that this is well into the future but it's still unrealistic and I was a bit annoyed by it, because it might have only been for about 5 minutes, but it was over a good 10 or so pages. It seems just a bit drawn out in some areas. (hide spoiler)]

Caitlin wrote: "Mary Elizabeth wrote: "Caitlin wrote: "Mary Elizabeth wrote: "I'm only like 20 or so pages in and so far I find it to be about average. I like the concept, it reminds me of the mini-series Ascensi..."

Ah, okay. It's one of those. I've read a few books that drew stuff out. Not my favorites.

Caitlin wrote: "Mary Elizabeth wrote: "Caitlin wrote: "Mary Elizabeth wrote: "I'm only like 20 or so pages in and so far I find it to be about average. I like the concept, it reminds me of the mini-series Ascensi..."

UPDATE: I see what you mean about taking a break. I might have to take a break from this book because every few pages I get angry. Like right now Love Interest (I can't remember which one's Elder or Eldest, and I'm too lazy to go get the book) and Cranky Old Guy are discussing the demographics of the ship. [marked as a spoiler just in case]

(view spoiler)[Okay, I can almost believe that people aboard the ship decided to give up religion; they were probably all scientist originally anyway. Almost. In the event of a horrible tragedy, people tend to turn towards religion, not away from it. After this so called Plague everyone on board should have become monks, or religious zealots, or something!

However, this is what really bothers me: Everyone on the ship has a natural tan, brown eyes, and brown hair. In 250 years. I don't buy it. I could see minorities getting breed out, maybe. But, I'm suppose to believe that blue/green/gray/hazel/violet eyes have been breed out of existence in such a short time? What about redheads/blondes/black hair? Black hair is actually the most common hair color. Realistically everybody on that ship should have black hair.

Let's say for the sake of argument that all of the original people on the ship had the same hair and eye color: Are recessive genes not a thing anymore? If someone’s parents/grandparents had hair/eyes that were any other color but brown, probability demands that it should show up in future generations at some point! Especially, when only a couple hundred years have lapsed. I mean in Delirium, the only people described by Lena seemed to be white; to me anyway (honestly I skimmed most of that book). But, nobody left the city and the people still had different hair/eye colors. And they’d been there long enough for Maine to melt!

At this point, I’m fully expecting Amy to have red/blonde hair and blue/green eyes. Love Interest will fall in insta-love with her because she’s so different from the other girls. (hide spoiler)]

Wow, this was...ranty. Sorry about that. I haven’t had a good book to rant angrily about in a while though, and I’ve honestly been having a lot of fun with it. Also, if you have Netflix, I recommend that you watch Ascension. It’s like Across the Universe, with more realism.

Mary Elizabeth wrote: "Caitlin wrote: "Mary Elizabeth wrote: "Caitlin wrote: "Mary Elizabeth wrote: "I'm only like 20 or so pages in and so far I find it to be about average. I like the concept, it reminds me of the min..."

I totally agree with all of that and I will mark it as a spoiler just in case.
(view spoiler)[ One of the main unrealistic things about it was exactly what you stated. In 250 years, all other eye and hair colours couldn't have just practically evaporated into thin air. Also, just because Amy's 'different' from the others and like the only other person on the ship that is his (Elder's) age. Also, Another unrealistic thing is the fact that the children on the ship are born in stages. There most definitely would be the occasional birth that isn't an Elder or Eldest out of the set time zone things. Also, the fact that she can't be re-frozen, so that when her (Amy's) parents wake up, she'll be older than them, is just weird. I understand it could happen but it's still weird and it's going to be awkward when they are living together again. (hide spoiler)]

Anyways, enough ranting from me. I might pick it back up soon-ish to keep reading it.

Caitlin wrote: "Mary Elizabeth wrote: "Caitlin wrote: "Mary Elizabeth wrote: "Caitlin wrote: "Mary Elizabeth wrote: "I'm only like 20 or so pages in and so far I find it to be about average. I like the concept, i..."

Agreed. I just wish that the author had taken those kinds of things into account. It's not like she had to read a bunch of thesis papers on space travel or anything, but she could've at least watched a few decent sci-fi movies; that would have sufficed. That's where I get all of my facts from, well, that and 5th grade science.

Mary Elizabeth wrote: "Caitlin wrote: "Mary Elizabeth wrote: "Caitlin wrote: "Mary Elizabeth wrote: "Caitlin wrote: "Mary Elizabeth wrote: "I'm only like 20 or so pages in and so far I find it to be about average. I lik..."

Yeah, exactly. I learnt a heck of a lot about space travel and space in general just from watching Doctor Who.

So, I haven't commented in a while, mainly because I had to, absolutely had to take a break from this book. But, I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday and since doctors always run late, it seemed like the perfect place to catch up on Across the Universe a little bit. Anyway, back to this book (marked as a spoiler, just to be safe).

(view spoiler)[Called it! Amy's a pale-skinned redhead with green eyes. Now Elder's obsessed with her. Because she's different!

Here are my feelings about Elder: I don't like him. He's just so...whiny. I hate whiny characters, especially when I'm stuck in their heads. All that Elder’s done up to this point is complain about (for several pages) how unhappy he is with the whole stuck-on-a-space-ship thing and about Eldest. That’s literally like, 99% of what Elder does: complain. He complains about the ship, he complains about Eldest, now he’s complaining because Eldest won’t let him hang out with Amy.

Speaking of Amy, being stuck in her head was awful too. But up to this point it was only for a page or two and I could skim it (all she did was think about her life on Earth). I do like the part when she first wakes up though. She completely flips out and actually gets the odd punch in. That scene was actually most entertaining thing I’ve read in 102 pages. Then, there's this observation Amy makes about Elder:

“The high cut of [Elder’s] cheekbones...make him look instantly trustworthy�

If you follow that logic, the Avengers should have let Loki take over the world. We would’ve been in good hands. What about Khan (2013)? He certainly has the cheek structure of an upstanding citizen. Let’s not forget Balem from Jupiter Ascending. Now those are cheekbones! I mean, it’s not like any of these individuals could turn out to be deranged, sociopathic, mass murderers or anything.

Seriously, either Amy never watched any good (or bad) movies when she was on Earth, or else she’s never heard of these guys.

What kind of dystopian netherworld did she come from?!

What I'm saying is that you shouldn't judge someone's character by how attractive they are. (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[ I totally agree with you, with the fact that you shouldn't judge anyone upon their appearances, and the cheekbone bit was....weird, to say the least. (hide spoiler)] This is pretty much where I got up to, but I have completely given up on this book. i borrowed it from the library and it will probably be going back before I finish it, mainly because I can't stand the characters.

Caitlin wrote: "[spoilers removed] This is pretty much where I got up to, but I have completely given up on this book. i borrowed it from the library and it will probably be going back before I finish it, mainly b..."

Me either. I just can't finish the book. Also, I'm pretty sure (view spoiler)[the former Elder is either the main bad guy or working with them. The foreshadowing in this book is awful (hide spoiler)]

But,I did have fun writing about the cheekbone thing though, cause I'm fangirl of literally all of the actors I mentioned.