Book Review: Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication date: January 2013
Pages: 384
Source: Purchased
For: Fun!
Series: Across the Universe, Book 3

*Spoilers are inevitable for the first two books*
Summary from goodreads:

Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed 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.

Things I Liked:
I really enjoy this space sci-fi story.  Despite having some minor issues with science and logistics in the second book, I truly loved this one.  It was such a unique story and Revis has kept the characters and story fresh and moving.  I loved the idea of landing on the new planet and finding things not exactly as they should be.  While I did guess a few things right off, there were a number of surprises that kept me reading.  The world she's populated was interesting and even believable.  Very well done, I say.

Things I Didn't Like:
I had one minor physics moment near the end where I just had to roll my eyes at the sheer convenience that had to take place.  Otherwise, I really just enjoyed it.  It did take me a while to feel fully immersed, but after that initial problem, I was able to enjoy it fully.  A great book in the eyes of this science geek.

Read-alikes:
This one reminded me of Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor:  !@
a few

mrg-factor: X
mostly kissing and some implied stuff

v-factor: ->->
Quite a bit of violence and gore, but not over the top

Overall rating: *****

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