Since travelling the world

Seems far from reach

I’ll just open some books

And get lost with each..

For in books, I live in an entirely secluded, serene, and sanguine universe of unending freedom and bliss.

The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss—they define us as much as happiness or love. Whether it’s the world or relationship, everything has its time and everything ends.

—Sarah Jane Smith (Doctor Who S02E03 School Reunion)

***

This is probably one of the most beautiful lines I’ve ever heard from Doctor Who. Yes, it seems to be a bit gloomy but hey, it’s true. No matter how much we try to deny it, everything must come to an end. Plants wither, people die, things change, memories are forgotten—all of these are inevitable. Because it is the only way to go forth and evolve. Nothing good will happen to mankind if all of us remain stuck at where we are, in our lives, right now. Eventually, we would get tired of all the things around us that it would be the main reason for our destruction. Change might be painful and unacceptable, but it’s the only way we survive the passing of time.

Sorry, it’s happening again. I’m thinking too much. Sometimes, I get so lost in my head when watching shows or reading books. I am wandering off inside my own mind, again.

I wonder why the Earth Hour is only done once a year. I mean, if it could really help lessen the effects of Global Warming, why not do it every night? It won’t hurt to kill the lights for just an hour, right?

Across The Universe by Beth Revis

Imagine how every human being will survive when the Earth finally comes to its close. When everything crumbles down and the whole planet dies, what will happen to the human race?

In Beth Revis’ futuristic novel, Across The Universe, scientists and researchers alike have found a solution to this grave complication. They found a planet, Centauri-Earth, which is potentially capable of sustaining human life. It is located several light years away from the Earth, possibly inhabitable due to the fact that it has almost the same substantial elements as our home planet. So, to preserve the human race, a gigantic ship was built to carry thousands of people to the new planet: the Godspeed. These people are selected based on their skills, intellect and usefulness, which are essential in order for the people to survive in Centauri-Earth. But the journey itself is not a brief one. In fact, it was estimated to last for three centuries. It is planned that generations of people will have to carry on the task of leading the ship towards it’s destination. In order to survive the 300-year expedition, these selected “essential” were frozen and kept in cryo chambers until Godspeed lands on Centauri-Earth. They were meant to sleep through three centuries and would only be awaken when Godspeed reaches the new planet.

And in the picture comes Amy, one of the frozens. She isn’t actually essential but her parents are. This guaranteed her a place in one of those cryo chambers. Together with her parents, she was scientifically frozen in an ice coffin, set for a very long sleep. Imagine her surprise when she was violently awakened from her deep cold slumber as her glass chamber was unplugged, 50 years ahead of the expected time. Now, she was alone and a complete stranger to the world of Godspeed. 

Life in Godspeed is different from the Earth. Everything is in unison and things were so orderly. There were no disputes among citizens, everyone has their own place and purpose, the place was peaceful. They are all obedient to their leader and follows every rule. To Amy’s eyes, it wasn’t normal. It’s as if people were in some kind of daze, completely stripped of their own senses. Something is seriously wrong with this ship.

And then there’s Elder, the next leader of Godspeed. The person who will soon be responsible of every life aboard. He is the only person Amy feels she could trust. Elder was currently being trained by Eldest, the present leader of the ship. He is taught about everything that has to be known about preserving the unity and ensuring safety of the people in Godspeed. Surely, nothing could go wrong. Until one by one, the frozens are being unplugged and murdered.

Of all the dystopian, futuristic novels I’ve read, this one is very much surprising. I was lead to think that it was a romance novel because of it’s cover, but soon I realize how very wrong I was. This book is so much more than a love story between two teenagers from two different worlds. As the characters find out more about the mysterious murders, they also unveil the secrets and lies that surround the ship. They soon question the system and how things were implemented in Godspeed. Truths were uncovered and they soon understand how much they were fooled by their leaders. 

I think it was beautifully crafted because while reading, I can feel being in the same ship as the characters. Like many dystopian novels, this book shows us that too much progress and scientific development is not very good for people. No matter how advance our technologies get, it is still important to put humanity higher up the ladder. It also teaches us about the value of true leadership. What matter is how we give strength to the people who depend on us, not how much power or control we have over them. Greed and selfishness won’t get you far. And finally, it tells us how every people deserves the truth, no matter how unacceptable it may be.

All in all, it was good book and very riveting. It’s not a perfect book as I easily predicted about some of the events and secrets. And also, the ending was quite a hanger. But then I know that there is a sequel so it’s not entirely disappointing. Honestly, I was not expecting that it was such a captivating read. It’s part dysoptian, part sci-fi, and part romance. I just could not put it down. I’m sorry if this review is quite long, but I just can’t help my thoughts about this book form overflowing. I give it a 4.5/5.