Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

Shades of Earth 

Author: Beth Revis

Book Length: 383 pages

Date Published: January 15, 2013

Content Notes: YA audiences

“I learned that life is so, so fragile. I learned that you can know someone for just days and never forget the impression he left on you. I learned that art can be beautiful and sad at the same time. I learned that if someone loves you, he'll wait for you to love him back. I learned that how much you want something doesn't determine whether you get it or not, that "no" might not be enough, that life isn't fair, that my parents can't save me, that maybe no one can.” 

This is the third and final book in the Across the Universe series. 

The people of the colony sized spaceship Godspeed have a decision to make. They can remain on the orbiting spaceship forever, or take the one way trip down to the new planet with its unknown dangers. Some stay and some follow Elder and Amy to the new planet. Right from the start, the trip to Centauri-Earth is exciting and eventful. Revis grabs the reader and does not let go. The cryogenic Earth-born people are awakened and immediately there is an “Us and them” situation of distrust. Everyone has their hands full. Their only information about this new planet is that it is habitable, and there are “monsters." Food, water, shelter, monsters, and surviving with people who are unfamiliar with such simple things as a thunder storm is only the start of the problems and adventures in this story.    

My thoughts:

I absolutely love a book with a great setting. Also, I love survivor stories. So, I was double happy with this whole series and this book is the most exciting of the three. It has plenty of twists and turns to think about. I did figure out some of the mysteries and might have figured out more if I could have put the book down to think a bit. But, for me that was not possible because I was NOT putting that book down until it was finished. I had to re-read one chapter because I read it so fast and wanted to make sure I did not miss something.  

I liked how Revis created more problems for the characters by revealing how Earth's technology has grown during the time period of this series. This gives the people of the Godspeed some confusion and ultimately a new purpose and role on the new planet. I did not see that coming.

Amy, an “Earth-born,” matures and comes of age in this book. I like her strength, decisiveness, and character. I can say the same for Elder, the leader of the “ship-borns.” In the last book, he had a great heart but usually ran around trying to solve problems after they happened, however in this book he is more pro-active in heading off problems.

Amy’s military dad, the Earth-born leader, seems a little close-minded and bull-headed for a person in his position. I know he is in over his head with problems, and is “third choice” for leader since the first two are dead, but STILL a good leader should listen to and think about all ideas. Amy’s dad just dismisses Elder even though it was Elder who finally got them to the new planet … after a couple of hundred years of delay. Amy’s father just looks at Elder and decides that all the ship born people are pretty useless if their leader is so young. However, I suppose it is not unusual for a dad to dislike a boy who is stealing his daughter’s heart.   

The problems in this story are numerous. We know there are “monsters,” and the characters encounter them right away and call them “Pteros” because of their resemblance to Pteranodons from Earth. But guess what? There is more than one type of monster to deal with. 

If you like adventure, interesting characters, great settings, you will want to read this whole series. I loved it.