Review #253: Shades of Earth- Beth Revis

Title: Shades of Earth
Author: Beth Revis
Series: Across the Universe #3
Pages: 369
Format: Hardcover
Summary: Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceshipGodspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing.

FUELED BY LIES.
RULED BY CHAOS.
ALMOST HOME.

Review: So despite the obviousness of this cover being terrible and no where near as amazing as the first two, I wanted to finish he trilogy. I loved the first two books in this series but I found this one to be a bit boring and the ending was anti-climatic. And honestly my biggest issue with the book was that the author didn't describe the planet at all. If I had been a shipborn and had never been off the ship, I would have been amazed at anything and everything on the planet and off the ship. Or if i had been deserted on a new planet I would be keeping a journal of what was harmful (the purple flowers), and what was edible or not, and she didn't talk about any of that stuff.

Those amongst other things made me not be able to love this book. I still enjoyed the read, I just wasn't 100% invested.

About this author

Beth Revis wrote her first books as a student in classrooms, when the professors did not hold her interest and she jotted down stories instead of taking notes.

Beth writes science fiction and fantasy novels for teens. Her debut novel, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, will be published by Razorbill/Penguin in Spring 2011. Beth is represented by Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House.

Beth also runs a blog on writing (http://bethrevis.blogspot.com) and is a participant of a group blog by debut dystopian authors (http://leaguewriters.blogspot.com).