One of my biggest problems with the Across the Universe books has always been Amy and how utterly and incredibly selfish she is. That doesn't change when this book gets rolling. Things pick up where they left off at the end of A Million Suns with Elder, Amy and approximately 1,500 of the Godspeed inhabitants making their way down to the surface of Centauri-Earth. As soon as they land Amy again managed to exasperate me. Elder's busy trying to deal with an untold number of injuries his people sustained during the landing and all Amy can think about is unfreezing her parents. There's chaos and panic abound and Amy just ignores all this and increases all the problems they're facing. 
 Elder, however, is a character that I like and respect. He's thrust into a very difficult situation with 1,500 people depending on him, trusting him to keep them safe when really he's only a sixteen-year-old boy with very limited knowledge and experience. Things don't get any easier when he has to fight for even a modicum of respect from the unfrozen military personnel and scientists sent from Earth to discover this Centauri-Earth's secrets. He has to go through a lot of frustration in this book but he never gives in to the idea of just letting the head of the military, who coincidentally happens to be Amy's father, just assume all power. He accepts his responsibilities and fights for what he believes to be right. 
 Amy, it has to be said, does eventually improve but it's only when she realises that her father is keeping some very important secrets from her (and all the other colonists). I think it might have been a bit too late in the game for me, though, as I could never really bring myself to like her, I just tolerated her. 
 The new setting was very interesting to discover bit by bit along with Amy and Elder. I liked this planet and all its hidden dangers (as well as those that are not-so-hidden). I'm not entirely sure about all the science included but as I can't refute it I'll tentatively accept it at face value. 
 All in all, despite my reservations about Amy, this is a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. There are secrets, there are deaths, there's hope, there's tragedy. Amy and Elder take their romance to the next level. What's more, there's no tidy bow wrapping it all up at the end of the book, but you go away with a good idea of what's in store for the characters. I'm a little sad to be parting ways with Godspeed but I'm happy with the conclusion.