Author Interview - Beth Revis

Where did the idea of Across the Universe come from? How did you pick the title? 

I came up with the idea of the twist first—the conclusion to the mystery. I built the entire novel—the characters, the plot, the setting—to make that twist happen in the story.

“Across the Universe” has always been my favorite Beatles song, and was my original title for the novel. I changed it before submitting it to my agent and publisher, and, ironically, they wanted to change it back to Across the Universe!

How has life changed for you since the publication of your novel?

It’s honestly a lot happier. There’s a sense of fulfillment that you get when reaching a dream, and that is a feeling that I think will never fade.

Other than that, I also get to sleep more! There wasn’t much sleep involved when I was both teaching, being a housewife, and writing a novel! Now I get to focus on the novel, which just adds to the happy in my life.

If your book were made into a movie, who would you want to play Amy, Elder, Eldest, Orion, Doc, and Harley?

For Amy: Molly Quinn, hands down. She’s the daughter in the ABC show CASTLE, and I adore her.

For Elder: I’ve no idea. Many fans say Taylor Lautner. I think Carlos Garcia (From BIG TIME RUSH) or Avon Jorgia (from VICTORIOUS) might be good fits. There’s sadly a lack of actors of color, and I would need a multiethnic actor for the role—for every role of every character born on the ship.

For Eldest: If you’ve ever seen the movie SERENITY, the Operative was the man I had in mind while writing this character.

For Doc: Oh…I don’t know. Many people hate Eldest, but Doc’s the creepiest guy for me (after Luthe). Someone very twitchy and neat and OCD…

For Harley: I had David Tennant in mind while writing this character. His spastic portrayal of Doctor Who seemed to fit the character perfectly. He’s too old and too white for the role, but someone with that sort of crazy energy.

Which character do you most relate to?

Both Amy and Elder—Amy in her desire to be with her parents is similar to my desire to have parents to protect me when I first moved away from home. And Elder’s desire to be good enough echoes my desire to be published.

How did the design of the ship come about?

I came up with the ship as I wrote, and, about halfway through, took a sheet of notebook paper and sketched the ship out. It’s roughly egg-shaped, a sort of symbolic nod to the idea that people are born on the ship. 

If you were on the ship, where would you like to be? The hospital? Recorder Hall? Research lab?

I would like to be in a room that isn’t revealed until the second book. It’s behind one of those rare locked doors, and it’s pretty much the only room I would want to be in…

If you could come up with a playlist for Across the Universe what music would you use?

Definitely “Across the Universe” by the Beatles! I tend to listen to one song over and over as I write, and that was one. Also “Fact/Fiction” by Mad Langer

What other projects do you plan to work on? What can you tell us about them?

Well, I’ve got to finish out the trilogy, and am working on Book 3 right now. After that, I do have an idea for something that would come next, but I’m too superstitious to talk about it now!

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Title: Across the Universe
Author: Beth Revis
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: January 11th, 2011
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 398
Format: Hardcover
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult
Challenge: 2011 Debut Author

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

This is one of the best reads I've had my hands on. First, there's the cover. At first I didn't notice the two people, but once I did I thought it was the coolest thing ever. And then you have the ship design on the back if you got the hardcover with the covering that comes off. I like when publishers add that to the story because it makes it more 3D and a lot easier for me to picture.

Second, it isn't like the other science fiction works I've read. At first when I saw that it was in space I was thinking about aliens and such, and I already went through my alien phase with Ender's Game. But the idea behind the story was increasingly original, I loved it! The idea of being in space for a certain amount of time and the freezing of the body's and the system that was set up.

Right away I knew there was something going on (especially when Elder started saying how Hitler was a great ruler, that really set off alarms and then the Season) and my suspicion only increased with the odd behavior of everyone.

When it comes to romance novels I always want to know what the guy is thinking and so I liked how Beth started interchanging the narrations between Elder and Amy.


I cried, I laughed, and I just had a good time reading it. It was really a good story. She constructed the story in a way that when the ending came you literally did not see it coming! I love the surprises and the twist of stories and this one really had me going in a whirlwind. The final pages I read with my mouth wide open.


Beth did an especially fantastic job in description and really capturing the torment that Amy was going through and how she felt about everything from the first page to the last page. Elder, I felt so bad for him. He grew up confused and believing things. There plenty of times I just wanted to jump into the pages and hit him.


Why it received a four was because I was left confused in so many places that I don't even know if Beth will cover come the second book. Don't get me wrong, she did a wonderful job tying up a lot of the major plot-driven events, but for the most part I felt like she could have dived into other areas. Though, I am looking forward to the second book.


Original, mysterious, twisted, romantic, and heart racing it was a ride that I would go on again.