Beth Revis
400 pg., ARC
Razorbill/Penguin
3/5 Stars
A Million Suns is the sequel to Across the Universe. The book was a major let-down compared to its predecessor. I was immensely excited when I opened a package from Penguin and found the paperback ARC, but I wasn't really drawn in from the get-go. I was worried.
The book explores a darker side to Elder and Amy, something I usually worship in a book, but it didn't seem to really fit in to this story. The chapter's were too short to permit the proper ebb and flow of exposition and information.
The pros of the book include its conflict and partially its resolution, but I truly was let down.
A more positive review should be released in the New Year; I do not want to spoil those who have not read it.
EDIT: Okay, so it's been about a year since I wrote this review, and I'm just now getting around to acknowledging how positively shitty it is (mind my language), how this book deserves more, and how utterly cranky I must have been while writing this review. The third book, Shades of Earth, is about to hit the hands of some lucky reviewers, so I thought I'd redo this whole situation, because it's quite a mess.
Let me start out with rewording the review in a phrase: I didn't dislike A Million Suns. Sure, I stick by what I said about it being a let down from Across the Universe, but that doesn't mean it's a bad book. I gave it a 3 out of 5 stars, which is (using my review criteria) a C+, which is definitely not a bad grade.
That being said, in retrospect, I think what I disliked most about the book was its focus and reliance on other characters, after the first book was so centered around Amy and Elder. I was looking forward to more independence and strength from these two characters, and I didn't get it, and I thought the plot wasn't as well executed as it could have been. It had so much potential, but I think what really, truly, fo-sho turned me off was..."frexing." Seriously, that needs to go.
No comments:
Post a Comment