Book Review: “A Millions Suns,” the sequel to Beth Revis’ “Across the Universe”

By: GabrielleAdelle

I read Across the Universe a couple months ago and enjoyed it. I had some issues with its ending; you can read more of my thoughts on it in my review by clicking here. The ending of the last book felt forced, like slapped on. Yet, it did manage to nicely set-up the next novel, A Million Suns, and left me curious to read it. Luckily, Razorbill was kind enough to send me an ARC of A Million Suns to review. I must say, ATU fans, you are in for a treat because A Millions Suns is very good.

A Million Suns picks up a few weeks after the ending of Across the Universe. Elder is trying to take control of Godspeed and its people, while still resisting taking on the name of Eldest. Amy is trying to lay low to avoid confrontation with Godspeed’s citizens, whom after being taken off Phydus, a sort of tranquilizing drug, are starting to rebel. Elder is overwhelmed with his responsibilities, he must find a way to get Godspeed to Centauri-Earth and deal with a rebellion. All the while, Amy discovers that Orion had left her clues, leading her to find out about the BIG, BIG secret about Godspeed. Against Orion’s wishes, she asks for Elder’s help and together they discover the true secret Godspeed has been hiding.

I think it goes without saying that you must read Across the Universe before picking up this book. All the secrets are built off past secrets and information. It would be hard to fully understand A Millions Suns, without reading Across the Universe. I honestly think it’s worth getting through Across the Universe, just so you can devour A Millions Suns.

A Million Suns is a vast improvement over ATU. Author Beth Revis really finds her stride in this one. If you thought the mystery in ATU was great, just wait until this one. The mystery surrounding this big secret that Orion sets Amy to find pulsates with suspense. From practically page one, this book becomes a page turner. Small secrets and developments get revealed throughout the story; it’s all part of a bigger picture that gets revealed at the end.

Also, A Million Suns is a lot more interesting. Throughout the novel, Elder is trying to deal with the stirring rebellion. It’s interesting to see how a society in Godspeed’s situation would react. Along with the search for Orion’s clues, a murder mystery also begins. Someone is killing people by overdosing them with Phydus patches. The crime scene insinuates that Elder is the one murdering people, and respect for him drops incredibly as others try to take charge and become a new authority figure.

The end of ATU left me feeling disappointed in how Elder’s character turned out. But this book re-established my faith that he truly does mean well, and that like any normal human being, he is scared. Amy still is my favorite character though. She’s strong, and not afraid to reveal when she’s vulnerable. I just really love how Orion chose her to go on this search for the secret. It worked brilliantly in the story.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I still I have a couple complaints about it. Each chapter ended with pretty hefty cliffhangers. Yeah, that’s a pretty weak complaint, but after a while it gets annoying, since the chapters alternate points of view. Something goes down with Elder, and then you have to automatically make that mental switch back to Amy. Another complaint is about what happens near the ending, which I don’t want to go into because spoilers aren’t fun. But it caught me off guard a bit, and I’m not sure if I liked how that turned out. Sure, I like to be surprised, but I totally believe in some foreshadowing, and this, in my opinion, seemed to come out of nowhere.

Overall, A Million Suns is a great book. It makes the ATU trilogy a must-read. I suggest you go out and get Across the Universe now, if you haven’t yet, and get to reading. As for me, I can’t wait to read the next and final book, which is probably over a year away. The set up for the next novel sounds very, very interesting, and I think a ton of craziness and even more mystery will ensue.

A Million Suns will release into bookstores on January 10, 2012. You can pre-order it here, and/or purchase Across the Universe here!