Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Revis, Beth  Across the Universe, 398 pgs. Penguin/Razor Bill, 2011. $17.99. Language – PG (made-up swear words and several instances of “shite”), Sexual Content - R; Violence - PG; When Amy is cryogenically frozen and placed aboard a space ship, she expects to wake up on a new planet 301 years in the future. Instead, she comes spluttering back to life fifty years before their ship is due to land. Soon she and Elder, a boy her age and the future leader of the ship, realize that someone tried to murder her – and is now going after the other cryogenically frozen people. Who is it? And why? And will her parents – who were frozen minutes before her and have not yet been thawed – survive the journey alive? This mystery set in space has the potential to keep both boys and girls reading. It is the first in a trilogy. Although it could be very popular and gives readers plenty to think about, the mature content (an attempted rape and several strong allusions to sexual activity) make this one best for public library collections. HS – PUBLIC.  Reviewer: Caryn