Revis, Beth: Across the Universe

[calico_reaction]

Comments

[jawastew]

Were you interested in reading this book because the cover grabbed your attention, too? Gorgeous! And, I love the title (hello Beatles fan!).

Edit: HA! Sorry, I did read the first part of your review, I just had a brain fart...

It's good to know this one 1) doesn't have romance or 2) a love triangle, but that it's also 3) a book that doesn't cater to any one gender.

I've been looking forward to this one since I saw it pop up on GoodReads. If I can find the hardcover for a good price, I'll get it since I want that reversible dust jacket. ;)

[calico_reaction]

I will say it does have SOME romance, but it's not part of the plot, and it's a very small percent of the overall story. I'll look forward to your thoughts! It is a gorgeous cover. :)

[calico_reaction]

When you get around to reading this, please come back and share your thoughts! I'm interested in discussing it with people! :)

[weasel_of_d00m]

Guy Gavriel Kay's writing does tend to spoil other books for you, doesn't it? My solution is to read something totally opposite, stylistically, otherwise I keep comparing whatever I am reading next to Kay's book (and usually they pale in comparison)

[calico_reaction]

Well, this is very much the opposite of Kay's style, and it still suffered in comparison. Maybe next time, I should read nonfiction after Kay?

[weasel_of_d00m]

Nonfiction might be a good idea.

I should have given examples of what falls under "totally opposite stylistically" for me, because now that I think of it, I should have said "something from a different genre" instead. Like a romance (Jennifer Crusie) or a detective story (Glen Cook's Garrett PI series, fantasy setting; Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden books, wizard detective in modern Chicago; Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone mysteries) or a space opera (Lois McMaster Bujold Miles Vorkosigan books, Elizabeth Moon's Serrano and Vatta novels) or a Terry Pratchett Discworld novel.

After a couple of these, I can go back to high fantasy and epic books without mentally comparing them to Kay all the time :)

[calico_reaction]

Technically speaking, YA dystopian space opera is pretty darn opposite, but I just can't get past writing styles. I think I'll really need to do nonfiction next time! :)

[calico_reaction]

I'm still really mixed on this one. It's not a romance, though there's a bit there, but I've still got issues.

Then again, I haven't been in the happiest reading frame of mind lately...

[calico_reaction]

Yeah... that's a frustrating quote. I really hope it's not in the final copy. I read over it again and cringed just a little. :)

[anonymous]

To be honest, the reversible cover makes me annoyed. I don't see why publishers can't make covers that appeal to BOTH male and female readers without having to cater to one or the other. To me, this just plays into the idea that there are boy books and girls books and never the 'twain shall intersect.

Other than that, I agree that it's great to see science fiction published under YA. Hopefully more will follow in the coming year.

[calico_reaction]

It is a bit of a gimmick, I'll admit that. But I see it so rarely that I love it. And while I'm using the labels "girl cover" and "boy cover," it's not fair to do so, because the publishers aren't. Sure, I think one cover will appeal to one gender over another, but that doesn't mean girls won't geek out over the spaceship cover, and boys won't geek out over the Sleeping Beauty motif cover.