This review was first posted on http://www.rubysreads.com. 
 This book has been sitting on my shelf for some time. Since I received it before Christmas and I knew it wasn't coming out until January, I let it slide further and further down my TBR pile. Not because I didn't want to read it. I have to confess--I peeked at it a few times--but I had other things on my plate, and before I knew it, it was already the end of January. What with my Shadowfever commitments, I didn't have time for anything else. Which was too bad, really. 
 Across the Universe is one of 2011's most highly anticipated YA debuts of the year. I think it's worth the hype. It sucks you in and doesn't let go. Both of the narrators--Amy and Elder--are likeable, sympathetic characters. Amy you instinctively feel for because she, like us, is new to the strange future she's woken up in. Elder is likeable because, despite the trappings and conventions of his time, despite everything he's been taught, he remains able to differentiate between right and wrong. 
 While I liked this book a great deal, and it certainly posed a great many philosophical questions, I mainly came away from it feeling that it was what it is: the first book in a trilogy. It sets the stage for the later novels. It tells about the world we'll be visiting when we read the next two books. It also tells us about the issues Amy and Elder will face in the future. I'm happy to go on the journey with them--it's going to be fascinating. 
 One thing that I really, really appreciated about this book is that the revelation at the end of this book happens at the end of this book. Revis could easily have let that particular twist taken control of the rest of the books in the series. I like that it was revealed in time for Amy and Elder to deal with it in future books--not just the last twenty-five pages of the final volume. They have a lot to work through. But, honestly, read the book--the issues are endless. 
 So, by all means, search out this book--either at your local bookstore or through the library. I especially recommend it to fans of Anne Osterlund's Academy 7.