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Under the Never Sky #1
Under the Never Sky
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2012)Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered.
This was worse.
Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland--known as The Death Shop--are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild--a savage--and her only hope of staying alive.
A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile--everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.
This was worse.
Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland--known as The Death Shop--are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild--a savage--and her only hope of staying alive.
A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile--everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.
374 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2011
1,682 people are currently reading
147k people want to read
About the author
Veronica Rossi
21 books7,169 followersVeronica Rossi writes fiction for young adults and older ones, too. To date, she has written the post-apocalyptic UNDER THE NEVER SKY series, the RIDERS fantasy duology, and the historical fiction standalone, REBEL SPY. Her latest book, ROAR OF THE TIDES, picks up where the UTNS trilogy left off.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 9,082 reviews
July 24, 2013
Sometimes your book reading experience comes down to one single factor: Do you like the MC?
That character can make or break a book.
Name the biggest praise and the biggest complaint about J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye. If you said they're both Holden Caulfield then you get the gold star.
This book was teetering on a precipice for me. It could either land back on solid ground or go toppling off into the deep end. eventually, the main characters, Aria and Perry, are what stacked it back to being a great read.
There's a lot to like about Rossi's futuristic science-fiction novel. The world building is fascinating and vivid, yet simplistic enough for most audiences to grasp reasonably well. The writing is fair enough and I felt that it was reasonably tight and serviceable. It wasn't a perfect novel but I feel that it achieved what it was meant to and that was inspiring me to invest in Aria and Perry's story.
Mostly I'm just impressed with Rossi because she clearly is a badass.
I can just imagine how her meeting with the editor went:
"Ms. Rossi, thank you for coming. We love your first copy but we're concerned about this Aether thing. What is it? Where did it come from? How does it work?"
Rossi sits back in her chair and kicks her feet up onto the editor's table. She pulls out a raw falcon egg and starts eating it.
"So?" she asks between bites.
"Well, you never clarify how it works? Why it's there? How did it come to be there?"
Rossi shrugs casually. "Meh. I don't give a shit. It's there. YA takes it for granted that a 108 year old vampire would fall in love with a teenager. They'll figure out this Aether shit. They have google."
"But-" the editor tries to continue.
Rossi pins the editor with a withering gaze. "I could devote ten boring pages to giving some lameass sciency explanation of the Aether or I could add in 20% more awesome. Also, I know how to falcon punch. I learned it from the mother of this egg I stole before I gave a right hook and uppercut to a shark."
The editor decides that surrender is the better part of valor and everyone learns an important lesson that day. Especially the wild life.
The End.
So basically, I like this book, and even if Rossi does eat raw falcon eggs, I like her characters and I like her style.
And hopefully you will too. If you know what's good for you.
This review also appears on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.
That character can make or break a book.
Name the biggest praise and the biggest complaint about J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye. If you said they're both Holden Caulfield then you get the gold star.
This book was teetering on a precipice for me. It could either land back on solid ground or go toppling off into the deep end. eventually, the main characters, Aria and Perry, are what stacked it back to being a great read.
There's a lot to like about Rossi's futuristic science-fiction novel. The world building is fascinating and vivid, yet simplistic enough for most audiences to grasp reasonably well. The writing is fair enough and I felt that it was reasonably tight and serviceable. It wasn't a perfect novel but I feel that it achieved what it was meant to and that was inspiring me to invest in Aria and Perry's story.
Mostly I'm just impressed with Rossi because she clearly is a badass.
I can just imagine how her meeting with the editor went:
"Ms. Rossi, thank you for coming. We love your first copy but we're concerned about this Aether thing. What is it? Where did it come from? How does it work?"
Rossi sits back in her chair and kicks her feet up onto the editor's table. She pulls out a raw falcon egg and starts eating it.
"So?" she asks between bites.
"Well, you never clarify how it works? Why it's there? How did it come to be there?"
Rossi shrugs casually. "Meh. I don't give a shit. It's there. YA takes it for granted that a 108 year old vampire would fall in love with a teenager. They'll figure out this Aether shit. They have google."
"But-" the editor tries to continue.
Rossi pins the editor with a withering gaze. "I could devote ten boring pages to giving some lameass sciency explanation of the Aether or I could add in 20% more awesome. Also, I know how to falcon punch. I learned it from the mother of this egg I stole before I gave a right hook and uppercut to a shark."
The editor decides that surrender is the better part of valor and everyone learns an important lesson that day. Especially the wild life.
The End.
So basically, I like this book, and even if Rossi does eat raw falcon eggs, I like her characters and I like her style.
And hopefully you will too. If you know what's good for you.
This review also appears on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.
June 2, 2020
Sixth Time Read Review:
The only thing I can say on this sixth reread is that I’m already looking forward to reread it for the seventh time. Lol. This book owns my heart. ❤️
Fifth Time Read Review:
Words cannot fully describe what I feel right now. 😭❤️ so here’s the thing, I’ve got a LOT of assignments and I barely can read nowadays and I don’t want to sound dramatic but this book is honestly what I need right now. In this kind of moment when I’m so stressful. Moreover, in this semester I am also preparing for my upcoming thesis and this is the literary work that I choose to analyze. Well, it’s also a kind of excuse so I can read my favorite book over and over again instead of my TBR. 😂
Basically, I’ve got nothing to say because I have said it all in my previous reviews of this book. So if you want to know more about what I think of this book, just scroll down and you’ll see my old reviews of it. No doubt this book/trilogy will forever have a special place in my heart. 💖
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Fourth Time Read Review :
It has become a habit for me to reread my favorite books once every year, and of course I will always read this book and the sequels once every year because I love going back to the world of this trilogy and it's all because of the marvelous characters and also the plot. All of these characters are incredible in their own way, which I really love.
The strange thing that always happens to me is that every time I reread a book, I will find something that I didn't recognize no matter how many times I read it. So I used to think that Aria was weak at the beginning of the book, but now after I have read this book for the 4th time, I realized that she is not a weak at all. She is brave, smart and observant character and she also does not give up easily. I don't know how I didn't recognize that before.
This book also feels so nostalgic for me because I remember that I read it for the first time when I was in high school and I was 15 and a half, and I also fell in love with reading at that same age. So every time I reread this book, it just feels so nostalgic for me. You know, sometimes when I read a book, I say to myself that I wish I lived inside of the story instead of in my own world. But it's different with this book, I mean yeah I want to live inside of the story because of all the wonderful characters, but it also makes me grateful that I don't live in the world of this book because it's terrifying, especially the Aether.
I love this book and all the characters. It is so amazing! The plot, the romance and the friendship in this book are incredibly amazing. I highly recommend you all to read it. It's SO good. Now, I'm going to continue rereading the second book! Bye! ❤️
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Third read review :
What can I say, other that I love this book so much. This is the third time I read it and thankfully, my feelings don't change toward this book. However, I did wish I didn't remember about the plot as vividly as I did, because I would enjoy reading it a lot more. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it, because I enjoyed reading it, but due to me remembering the plot very well, I just didn't really feel surprised, but sometimes I did for certain scenes that I didn't remember. Sometimes, I kind of feel annoyed by myself. I often forget so many things, BUT WHY CAN'T I FORGET THE STORY OF MY FAVORITE BOOK? 😭😭
If you want to know more about what I think toward this book, you can scroll down a little bit and read my second time read review. 😊
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Second time read review :
She looked up. "A world of nevers under a never sky."
this book tells us about a 17 year old girl named Aria. She lives in a pod called Reverie and she has a mother, who is a scientist and her mother lives in another pod called Bliss because of her job but Aria doesn't even know what exactly her mom job is but the distance between she and her mom isn't really mattered because they can contact each other using Smarteye but one day, the link between Bliss is broken and she hasn't heard anything from her mom for 5 days. She is worried about her mom and she does something to get information about her mom that doesn't end well. She is exiled from the home and the only place she knows to the outside, where there is nothing can protect her from the Aether and this is the place where Aria meets an Outsider named Peregrine and they need each other to get what they want. But don't forget Outsiders and Dwellers don't like each other.
My Opinion
I should've reviewed this book weeks ago but when I wanted to review it, I always had so many homework and finally I can review it. *phew*
This book is a reread. The first time I read this book was two years ago and that time I loved it so much so few days ago I decided to reread it and I was afraid for days. I was afraid because what about if I didn't like this book anymore? what about if I didn't like the main characters anymore? what about if I found this book disappointing after I reread it?
Because a year ago when I reread a book that I used to love I ended up not liking it anymore and I didn't even care about the love interest anymore and I didn't care about the main character and I even didn't care about the story anymore and I was afraid if that would happen to me again with this book. I know this will sound weird or cheesy but Peregrine is my first book - boyfriend and I really really love him and I didn't want ( I still don't ) to ... lose him or not liking him.
But thankfully after two years I still love Peregrine and I still love this book. But I have to admit that the feeling when I read this book for the first time was not the same as the second time. the feeling I got when I first read this book was beyond happiness and lots of surprises. But I still enjoyed reading this book even though it's a reread.
these are the reasons why I loved this book :
The Characters
OMG. I CAN'T EVEN.
all the characters felt so real to me and all the feelings I felt when I read it for the first time still didn't change. I felt like all the characters were my friends, like I knew them. Except Brooke, of course. I won't tell anything about her so you just have to read the book to know why I hate her. I have always wished she were strucked by Aether.
Roar
"There are some differences between the Senses. Scires tend to be tall. They're the rarest Marked. Seers are the most common. Seers are good at looking and good-looking, but before you start wondering, no, I'm not a Seer. Just lucky."
I'm sure you'll like him when you read this book. most people I know love him and I love him to but in a friend way. This guy is also so funny. He always makes me laugh and I just love how friendly he is and he is warmer (?) than Perry and he is an Aud, it means he can hear better than normal people.
his relationship with Aria was really wonderful. They are very close but don't worry they don't love each other. wait ... maybe they do love each other but only in friend way. not more. Roar has a girlfriend and Aria also has a boyfriend. But I'm serious, their friendship was really awesome! now this is always what I have needed. Friendship between a girl and a boy but only just best friends not more and I have always felt he was my best friend since I read this book for the first time.
I wish I could hug him like that *sighs*
Peregrine
"People can be the cruelest to those they love."
Peregrine is very unique. He is both Seer and Scire. Seer mean he can see better but he is very different from most of Seers as well, He sees better in the dark and Scire means he can smell people's emotions. like whether they lie or nervous or angry and many more.
I LOVE THIS GUY SO MUCH. The first time I read this book I didn't think I would love him so much but in the end of the first book I realized that I loved him and I was scared when I reread it. I was scared because what about if I didn't love Perry anymore? what about if I didn't care about him? what about if he disappointed me? and worst what about if I hated him? and thankfully all of them didn't happen to me and I don't know how to describe him. he is kind of cold - hearted guy but he's not that cold as well but there is one thing I'm sure, that one thing is that this guy ruined my life. I just love him so so much.
Aria
I have always thought I was her since the first time I read this book and the development about this girl was really great. She was weak and you might find her annoying at the beginning but she changed and she became much stronger girl. So when you read this book and you find her annoying, do not stop reading because she'll change into a strong girl.
The Romance
I loved the romance! it was very sweet and in my opinion it was slow-burn love and did I mention to you that I love enemy to lover kind of story? and THERE IS NO LOVE TRIANGLE IN THIS BOOK. YAY. but I have to tell you that Peregrine has past with girls but he didn't love them and even before he met the love interest, He didn't have relationship with anyone anymore but there was one thing I didn't like about him at the beginning. He didn't love this girl and he didn't want to be with this girl but he didn't make her to give up on him because this girl never gave up on him and it was cruel that he didn't love her but he kind of gave her hope, like playing with her heart. even though I didn't like this girl and I love Perry I think what he did to her was wrong. but it was before he met Aria, after he met Aria, she is the only one he loves and I'm fine with it because that was just his past and he changed now, so it doesn't matter anymore. everyone has past.
I'm writing this review at 02:10 am and I might add another reason why I loved this book but for now, this is all I can write and thank you so much for reading and liking this review. I highly recommend this book and I hope you all have a great day.❤❤❤
*THE FIRST READ REVIEW BELOW CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.*
First read review
The only thing I can say on this sixth reread is that I’m already looking forward to reread it for the seventh time. Lol. This book owns my heart. ❤️
Fifth Time Read Review:
Words cannot fully describe what I feel right now. 😭❤️ so here’s the thing, I’ve got a LOT of assignments and I barely can read nowadays and I don’t want to sound dramatic but this book is honestly what I need right now. In this kind of moment when I’m so stressful. Moreover, in this semester I am also preparing for my upcoming thesis and this is the literary work that I choose to analyze. Well, it’s also a kind of excuse so I can read my favorite book over and over again instead of my TBR. 😂
Basically, I’ve got nothing to say because I have said it all in my previous reviews of this book. So if you want to know more about what I think of this book, just scroll down and you’ll see my old reviews of it. No doubt this book/trilogy will forever have a special place in my heart. 💖
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Fourth Time Read Review :
Perry nodded absently, imagining a world without fear.
Was that possible? If there was no fear, how could there be comfort? Or courage?
It has become a habit for me to reread my favorite books once every year, and of course I will always read this book and the sequels once every year because I love going back to the world of this trilogy and it's all because of the marvelous characters and also the plot. All of these characters are incredible in their own way, which I really love.
The strange thing that always happens to me is that every time I reread a book, I will find something that I didn't recognize no matter how many times I read it. So I used to think that Aria was weak at the beginning of the book, but now after I have read this book for the 4th time, I realized that she is not a weak at all. She is brave, smart and observant character and she also does not give up easily. I don't know how I didn't recognize that before.
This book also feels so nostalgic for me because I remember that I read it for the first time when I was in high school and I was 15 and a half, and I also fell in love with reading at that same age. So every time I reread this book, it just feels so nostalgic for me. You know, sometimes when I read a book, I say to myself that I wish I lived inside of the story instead of in my own world. But it's different with this book, I mean yeah I want to live inside of the story because of all the wonderful characters, but it also makes me grateful that I don't live in the world of this book because it's terrifying, especially the Aether.
I love this book and all the characters. It is so amazing! The plot, the romance and the friendship in this book are incredibly amazing. I highly recommend you all to read it. It's SO good. Now, I'm going to continue rereading the second book! Bye! ❤️
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Third read review :
What can I say, other that I love this book so much. This is the third time I read it and thankfully, my feelings don't change toward this book. However, I did wish I didn't remember about the plot as vividly as I did, because I would enjoy reading it a lot more. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it, because I enjoyed reading it, but due to me remembering the plot very well, I just didn't really feel surprised, but sometimes I did for certain scenes that I didn't remember. Sometimes, I kind of feel annoyed by myself. I often forget so many things, BUT WHY CAN'T I FORGET THE STORY OF MY FAVORITE BOOK? 😭😭
If you want to know more about what I think toward this book, you can scroll down a little bit and read my second time read review. 😊
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Second time read review :
She looked up. "A world of nevers under a never sky."
this book tells us about a 17 year old girl named Aria. She lives in a pod called Reverie and she has a mother, who is a scientist and her mother lives in another pod called Bliss because of her job but Aria doesn't even know what exactly her mom job is but the distance between she and her mom isn't really mattered because they can contact each other using Smarteye but one day, the link between Bliss is broken and she hasn't heard anything from her mom for 5 days. She is worried about her mom and she does something to get information about her mom that doesn't end well. She is exiled from the home and the only place she knows to the outside, where there is nothing can protect her from the Aether and this is the place where Aria meets an Outsider named Peregrine and they need each other to get what they want. But don't forget Outsiders and Dwellers don't like each other.
My Opinion
I should've reviewed this book weeks ago but when I wanted to review it, I always had so many homework and finally I can review it. *phew*
This book is a reread. The first time I read this book was two years ago and that time I loved it so much so few days ago I decided to reread it and I was afraid for days. I was afraid because what about if I didn't like this book anymore? what about if I didn't like the main characters anymore? what about if I found this book disappointing after I reread it?
Because a year ago when I reread a book that I used to love I ended up not liking it anymore and I didn't even care about the love interest anymore and I didn't care about the main character and I even didn't care about the story anymore and I was afraid if that would happen to me again with this book. I know this will sound weird or cheesy but Peregrine is my first book - boyfriend and I really really love him and I didn't want ( I still don't ) to ... lose him or not liking him.
But thankfully after two years I still love Peregrine and I still love this book. But I have to admit that the feeling when I read this book for the first time was not the same as the second time. the feeling I got when I first read this book was beyond happiness and lots of surprises. But I still enjoyed reading this book even though it's a reread.
these are the reasons why I loved this book :
The Characters
OMG. I CAN'T EVEN.
all the characters felt so real to me and all the feelings I felt when I read it for the first time still didn't change. I felt like all the characters were my friends, like I knew them. Except Brooke, of course. I won't tell anything about her so you just have to read the book to know why I hate her. I have always wished she were strucked by Aether.
Roar
"There are some differences between the Senses. Scires tend to be tall. They're the rarest Marked. Seers are the most common. Seers are good at looking and good-looking, but before you start wondering, no, I'm not a Seer. Just lucky."
I'm sure you'll like him when you read this book. most people I know love him and I love him to but in a friend way. This guy is also so funny. He always makes me laugh and I just love how friendly he is and he is warmer (?) than Perry and he is an Aud, it means he can hear better than normal people.
his relationship with Aria was really wonderful. They are very close but don't worry they don't love each other. wait ... maybe they do love each other but only in friend way. not more. Roar has a girlfriend and Aria also has a boyfriend. But I'm serious, their friendship was really awesome! now this is always what I have needed. Friendship between a girl and a boy but only just best friends not more and I have always felt he was my best friend since I read this book for the first time.
I wish I could hug him like that *sighs*
Peregrine
"People can be the cruelest to those they love."
Peregrine is very unique. He is both Seer and Scire. Seer mean he can see better but he is very different from most of Seers as well, He sees better in the dark and Scire means he can smell people's emotions. like whether they lie or nervous or angry and many more.
I LOVE THIS GUY SO MUCH. The first time I read this book I didn't think I would love him so much but in the end of the first book I realized that I loved him and I was scared when I reread it. I was scared because what about if I didn't love Perry anymore? what about if I didn't care about him? what about if he disappointed me? and worst what about if I hated him? and thankfully all of them didn't happen to me and I don't know how to describe him. he is kind of cold - hearted guy but he's not that cold as well but there is one thing I'm sure, that one thing is that this guy ruined my life. I just love him so so much.
Aria
I have always thought I was her since the first time I read this book and the development about this girl was really great. She was weak and you might find her annoying at the beginning but she changed and she became much stronger girl. So when you read this book and you find her annoying, do not stop reading because she'll change into a strong girl.
The Romance
I loved the romance! it was very sweet and in my opinion it was slow-burn love and did I mention to you that I love enemy to lover kind of story? and THERE IS NO LOVE TRIANGLE IN THIS BOOK. YAY. but I have to tell you that Peregrine has past with girls but he didn't love them and even before he met the love interest, He didn't have relationship with anyone anymore but there was one thing I didn't like about him at the beginning. He didn't love this girl and he didn't want to be with this girl but he didn't make her to give up on him because this girl never gave up on him and it was cruel that he didn't love her but he kind of gave her hope, like playing with her heart. even though I didn't like this girl and I love Perry I think what he did to her was wrong. but it was before he met Aria, after he met Aria, she is the only one he loves and I'm fine with it because that was just his past and he changed now, so it doesn't matter anymore. everyone has past.
I'm writing this review at 02:10 am and I might add another reason why I loved this book but for now, this is all I can write and thank you so much for reading and liking this review. I highly recommend this book and I hope you all have a great day.❤❤❤
*THE FIRST READ REVIEW BELOW CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.*
First read review
March 11, 2012
2.5 stars My feelings on Under the Never Sky are fair to middling. Overall, it had a lot of potential, but unfortunately, I had a hard time staying interested in the story and invested in the characters. The book is one of many recent dystopian-lite novels that have been cropping up in the YA market recently, and while I don't always mind books that are less focused on the world-building as long as something else is done well, neither the characters nor the plot were so outstanding here that they could keep me fully engaged. My partner also bailed about halfway through our readalong, if that counts for anything.
Here's what I liked about the book:
--The overall concept
--Occasional humor in the writing
--Interesting shorthand for words, which makes sense in a futuristic society: "champ," "rancy," "wrathy" are all great examples of the way language might evolve or devolve, depending on how you look at it
--cool "Smarteye" technology
--a couple of interesting action sequences
Here's what I didn't care for:
--The girl is much too trusting and had to be rescued over and over, to the point that you want to scream at her. She also isn't all that compelling of a protagonist, and is also occasionally very rude and rather ungrateful.
--The names. Aria (GUESS WHAT SHE DOES), Paisley, Lumina, Aria, Echo, Peregrine
--Interchangeable secondary characters
--Weird things that are mentioned in passing but never really explained. Soren's underwater birthday party, no stains, not getting hurt in the Realms' virtual reality type situation, blood lords, the Tides' superhuman senses, etc.
--Rather uninspired "she did this, he did that" type of writing. Everything is explained as an afterthought and random snippets suddenly dropped, there’s no gradual lead in for it in the narrative.
--Some writing choices that didn't quite work as well as the examples in the "like" section, such as "“sweaty seaweed" or “his nephew’s temper had grown dark and damp.” Those just don't make sense to me. There were also some awkward sentences, such as "Perry woke sweated to his clothes."
--What is with all the birdish names? Peregrine, Talon, Lumina (which is a type of falcon), etc?
I came away from Under the Never Sky feeling rather aggressively indifferent to it. There were moments when the book was fairly entertaining and there were moments when I was extremely bored, so it worked out to be a pretty uneven reading experience. My partner and I really spent most of the time during the two weeks of our readalong asking questions, however. "What the HELL is aether? How is he doing this? I don't get it!" and so on and so forth, because so many things were introduced and then dropped and never explained. And even if we got answers, they didn't really provide lightbulb moments so much as a grudging concession that an attempt was made to explain something.
Overall, this book felt similar to me to Blood Red Road, Divergent, and Legend, in that they are all very much action-oriented stories. But the difference is, those books had much stronger and more memorable characters, who took initiative and made things happen. Those novels were also, for all their admitted flaws, just plain fun. For me, that element was sorely lacking in this story and I was disappointed to find that I wasn't nearly as excited about this book as many of my friends have been--and that's saying something for a book where there are cannibals.
But look! I snapped this Under the Never Sky moment at the beach in January. I do like the title quite a bit, even if I still have no idea what it means.
Random Side Notes:
There is NO WAY that what Perry thinks smells like violets actually smells like violets, no matter how advanced our society becomes. Also, I wish my skin were as velvety as a mushroom.
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for this review.
Here's what I liked about the book:
--The overall concept
--Occasional humor in the writing
--Interesting shorthand for words, which makes sense in a futuristic society: "champ," "rancy," "wrathy" are all great examples of the way language might evolve or devolve, depending on how you look at it
--cool "Smarteye" technology
--a couple of interesting action sequences
Here's what I didn't care for:
--The girl is much too trusting and had to be rescued over and over, to the point that you want to scream at her. She also isn't all that compelling of a protagonist, and is also occasionally very rude and rather ungrateful.
--The names. Aria (GUESS WHAT SHE DOES), Paisley, Lumina, Aria, Echo, Peregrine
--Interchangeable secondary characters
--Weird things that are mentioned in passing but never really explained. Soren's underwater birthday party, no stains, not getting hurt in the Realms' virtual reality type situation, blood lords, the Tides' superhuman senses, etc.
--Rather uninspired "she did this, he did that" type of writing. Everything is explained as an afterthought and random snippets suddenly dropped, there’s no gradual lead in for it in the narrative.
--Some writing choices that didn't quite work as well as the examples in the "like" section, such as "“sweaty seaweed" or “his nephew’s temper had grown dark and damp.” Those just don't make sense to me. There were also some awkward sentences, such as "Perry woke sweated to his clothes."
--What is with all the birdish names? Peregrine, Talon, Lumina (which is a type of falcon), etc?
I came away from Under the Never Sky feeling rather aggressively indifferent to it. There were moments when the book was fairly entertaining and there were moments when I was extremely bored, so it worked out to be a pretty uneven reading experience. My partner and I really spent most of the time during the two weeks of our readalong asking questions, however. "What the HELL is aether? How is he doing this? I don't get it!" and so on and so forth, because so many things were introduced and then dropped and never explained. And even if we got answers, they didn't really provide lightbulb moments so much as a grudging concession that an attempt was made to explain something.
Overall, this book felt similar to me to Blood Red Road, Divergent, and Legend, in that they are all very much action-oriented stories. But the difference is, those books had much stronger and more memorable characters, who took initiative and made things happen. Those novels were also, for all their admitted flaws, just plain fun. For me, that element was sorely lacking in this story and I was disappointed to find that I wasn't nearly as excited about this book as many of my friends have been--and that's saying something for a book where there are cannibals.
But look! I snapped this Under the Never Sky moment at the beach in January. I do like the title quite a bit, even if I still have no idea what it means.
Random Side Notes:
There is NO WAY that what Perry thinks smells like violets actually smells like violets, no matter how advanced our society becomes. Also, I wish my skin were as velvety as a mushroom.
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for this review.
December 15, 2011
As seen on The Readventurer
My opinion about Under the Never Sky is similar to the one I have about Unearthly. I am not going to claim that these books are ground-breaking or Printz-worthy. But in their genres, dystopia/post-apocalyptic and PNR respectively, they are as good as it gets. They are well written and entertaining, with characters and relationships that do not annoy and make you roll your eyes.
The summary of Under the Never Sky does this book a disservice. It is accurate enough, but overwhelms you with weird names of things and places. I'll try to explain the plot in a, hopefully, simpler way.
In a distant future, our (I assume) planet is ravaged by strange climate changes that make living on the surface quite rough. A big part of the population now exists inside huge, self-supporting, sealed from the outside domes. This group of people finds its only relief from the tediousness of the confined, sterilized living in virtual realities. The other half of the population barely survives outside. Food is scarce, climate dangerous, the living is primal, only the fittest survives.
Aria belongs to the sheltered kind, Perry - to the savage kind. When Aria is expelled from the security of her dome, she joins Perry, and together they ally to reach their separate goals.
While Under the Never Sky is hardly super-original, whatever genre tropes are used in it, are done exactly to my taste.
The novel has dual narration, but the choices Veronica Rossi made here work just right. 3rd person helps her avoid the customary similarities between her characters' voices. The switches between the POVs always happen when it is the most advantageous, no repetitiveness, no excessive navel-gazing (also, very frequent whenever 2-POV structure is used).
Another plus, Under the Never Sky is more of an adventure story, rather than romance (thank you, Jesus! I mean, Harper Teen). The love story line is strong, but the romance is slow-burning, not angsty, not overwhelming. The priorities are straight here - there are more important things in the characters' lives than a few days-long romantic relationships, things like families and loyalties.
Finally, the characters. I really liked Aria and Perry, especially Perry. There is a soft spot in my heart for a guy who is understanding of and helpful during the special lady days (aka periods).
Basically, Under the Never Sky, in my eyes, is a perfect mix of adventure and love, sci-fi and romance, entertainment and heartbreak. I am definitely coming back for more.
My opinion about Under the Never Sky is similar to the one I have about Unearthly. I am not going to claim that these books are ground-breaking or Printz-worthy. But in their genres, dystopia/post-apocalyptic and PNR respectively, they are as good as it gets. They are well written and entertaining, with characters and relationships that do not annoy and make you roll your eyes.
The summary of Under the Never Sky does this book a disservice. It is accurate enough, but overwhelms you with weird names of things and places. I'll try to explain the plot in a, hopefully, simpler way.
In a distant future, our (I assume) planet is ravaged by strange climate changes that make living on the surface quite rough. A big part of the population now exists inside huge, self-supporting, sealed from the outside domes. This group of people finds its only relief from the tediousness of the confined, sterilized living in virtual realities. The other half of the population barely survives outside. Food is scarce, climate dangerous, the living is primal, only the fittest survives.
Aria belongs to the sheltered kind, Perry - to the savage kind. When Aria is expelled from the security of her dome, she joins Perry, and together they ally to reach their separate goals.
While Under the Never Sky is hardly super-original, whatever genre tropes are used in it, are done exactly to my taste.
The novel has dual narration, but the choices Veronica Rossi made here work just right. 3rd person helps her avoid the customary similarities between her characters' voices. The switches between the POVs always happen when it is the most advantageous, no repetitiveness, no excessive navel-gazing (also, very frequent whenever 2-POV structure is used).
Another plus, Under the Never Sky is more of an adventure story, rather than romance (thank you, Jesus! I mean, Harper Teen). The love story line is strong, but the romance is slow-burning, not angsty, not overwhelming. The priorities are straight here - there are more important things in the characters' lives than a few days-long romantic relationships, things like families and loyalties.
Finally, the characters. I really liked Aria and Perry, especially Perry. There is a soft spot in my heart for a guy who is understanding of and helpful during the special lady days (aka periods).
Basically, Under the Never Sky, in my eyes, is a perfect mix of adventure and love, sci-fi and romance, entertainment and heartbreak. I am definitely coming back for more.
February 15, 2019
i started reading this for the intriguing plot, but finished reading it for the characters (more specifically, the romance). so funny how priorities and interests can change throughout the course of a story.
and its not because the storyline is lacking in any way; i just found the characters to be the strength of this book. they are so complex and have so many layers (even the minor characters!). but especially perry - he is one of those characters that is more than meets the eye and that is such a treat for a reader. i also think aria is really well-written. her character has such a lovely balance between being tender, but also strong. and these two together are the ultimate couple goals. there is soooo much angst between them for like 70% of the book, but it built up to something to satisfying to read. i am definitely rooting these two in the books to come.
i would definitely recommend this to those looking for a unique sci-fi story set in a crazy world, filled with very likeable characters!
↠ 3.5 stars
and its not because the storyline is lacking in any way; i just found the characters to be the strength of this book. they are so complex and have so many layers (even the minor characters!). but especially perry - he is one of those characters that is more than meets the eye and that is such a treat for a reader. i also think aria is really well-written. her character has such a lovely balance between being tender, but also strong. and these two together are the ultimate couple goals. there is soooo much angst between them for like 70% of the book, but it built up to something to satisfying to read. i am definitely rooting these two in the books to come.
i would definitely recommend this to those looking for a unique sci-fi story set in a crazy world, filled with very likeable characters!
↠ 3.5 stars
February 17, 2012
This is a difficult book to review. I want to start off by saying this is not a bad book. I think this book will appeal to a lot of people, but at the same time will turn others off. I was, for the most part, turned off. I really don't think it is my kind of book, which is strange considering dystopian is my favorite sub-genre. And if I'm really being honest here, I feel a little conned by this being marketed as dystopian. Sci-Fi, yes. Dystopian, no. Maybe post-apocalyptic, but even that is pushing it. Recently, another GoodReads reviewer Marg reviewed this book and her feelings regarding it's placement in the dystopian genre mirror my own.
Aria lives in a world where her people live in pods and fear the outside world dubbed The Death Shop due to the cannibals and Aether storms that wreak havoc on the land. Her people spend almost all of their time in virtual reality Realms rarely attempting to live in the Real. One day Aria is exiled from her pod city, Reverie, and embarks on a journey with an outsider named Perry to find her way back into her society.
The premise of Under the Never Sky vaguely reminds me of The Reality Bug because it has the same general idea of people in the future too busy in their virtual reality worlds to come outside and play. So, I was excited to read Under the Never Sky because the possibilities with it are endless and I applaud Rossi for going outside the YA "box" and doing something different. Unfortunately, I don't think that potential was really tapped into in this book. But I'm getting ahead of myself. What I really want to talk about is what I did like first.
I did like the characters. In fact, I liked them all except for Aria. I think Perry was well-developed and I felt I could easily sympathize with his situation throughout the novel. Roar, a good friend of Perry's that we meet halfway through the book, was awesome. I loved his humor and I always felt like I enjoyed the scenes best that involved him. Aria fell short for me. I understand she was going through a lot in the story, but I never really felt connected to her. Though, admittingly, this could have to do with the fact that I'm not a fan of third person PoV narratives. Still, I found Aria rather annoying in the beginning. For example, there is one scene in the novel where she and Perry are stopping to rest in a cave and Perry tells her to stay in the cave so he can hunt. Now, Aria has zero survival skills because she has never needed them ever, but what does she do? She wanders on her own in search of berries. Did she stop to think they could be poisonous? NO. How about a wild animal mauling her to death? NO. Or maybe even getting lost? NO. As a result of her little adventure, she ends up getting her and Perry in a serious bind. So, along with survival skills, people living in pods also do not possess common sense either. *sigh* Thankfully, there *is* character growth for her and she did grow on me by the end of the book. I wouldn't call us BFFs, but I no longer had the urge to fling my Kindle across the room.
I also enjoyed how Rossi played with the Outsiders having heightened senses. Perry, in particular, has a heightened sense of smell enabling him to smell emotions. That was pretty cool, but there were a few awkward parts with regards to this special skill. Like, say, knowing when your female companion is on her period. Yikes! Talk about uncomfortable. Other than that, there were times when it felt like he was one *sniff* away from becoming man's best friend. *sniff* Just throw him the damn ball, Aria!
Whose a good boy, Perry? You are!
That is pretty much where the "likes" end for me friends.
So, let's cut to the chase and get down to it. Two words: World Building. If you are reading a dystopian novel there are a few things that are kinda, sorta important. We need to know what stuff is, how it works, why the world has come to be where it is, information about how the society is run, ect. You know, basic dystopian elements. That is where this book lacks the most. The reader is flung into the story, head first, without any background information. We don't know what caused Aria's society to live in pods. We know nothing about her society except that they have these realms. We know nothing about the Aether or the Unity. This is the most background information we are given:
The Aether didn’t look like something that could put an end to the world, yet that had nearly happened during the Unity.And speaking of the Aether, that angered me the most. It is talked about ALL THE TIME, but it is NEVER EXPLAINED. What is an Aether storm? I don't know and neither will you. Unless, of course, you are a mind reader. If you are, please share the secrets of this universe with me! There were so many holes in the story that I just could.not.compute. Throwing around capitalized words does not impress me.
The writing style was another issue for me. I had a lot of trouble getting into the beginning. In fact, I almost wanted to give up, but I was told to stick with it because "the beginning is rough, but it's worth it in the end." Hmm...Ok, yeah. I didn't see it that way. I'd say a little more than the first half is very rough. I found it difficult to keep up with what was going one because not a lot of time is used to describe what was happening. One minute the characters are having a conversation and the next sentence they are walking in the forest. This book could have used better transitioning. It didn't feel "smooth" to me. However, my fellow readers are right. The book is noticeably better during the last half.
All in all, again, this isn't a bad book, but clearly holds the markings of newbie mistakes. I will most likely check out the sequel because I like where Rossi is going with things and who knows? Maybe she will surprise me.
ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
Shameless self-promotion===> Don't forget to stop by Cuddlebuggery Book Blog to check out Kat Kennedy and I duke it out in a hilarious Review War of Under the Never Sky.
October 16, 2017
'Under the Never Sky' had been sitting on my TBR list for years. I had heard so many great things about it, but since it isn't my usual "type" of story, I kept putting it off. Recently, the Audible edition was on sale and so I picked it up and decided to finally give it a go.
Unfortunately, this book left me feeling a little disappointed. It was good, but I expected to be blown away after all of the hype. Again, this isn't my normal "type" of read. Maybe if I were a big adventure/fantasy/dystopian/sci-fi reader then I would have loved it. I'm not and it ended up being "okay" for me.
This is a futuristic dystopian story, with sharply divided "sects" of people. There are the dwellers, who live in enclosed compounds, such as Reverie, where Aria is from. The dwellers live a "virtual" existence, never leaving the confines of their compounds, but experiencing different realms through the use of a device called a "smarteye". In many ways, they are the privileged class, but their entire existence is a lie facilitated by the use of virtual reality.
Outside of the dweller compounds there are several different "tribes". These people live under the harsh conditions of the tumultuous Aether, with danger lurking everywhere. They are viewed as primitive and barbaric by the dwellers, simply referred to as the "outsiders". Some are hunters, some are cannibals and some possess supernatural abilities. They are as harsh as the environment in which they live.
When Aria is cast out of her dweller compound, she sets off in search of her mother. A scientist working at the compound Bliss, her mother has gone missing. Despite finding herself in a dangerous situation that she is unprepared to navigate, Aria is determined to make her way to Bliss and find her mother.
Before long, Aria crosses paths with Perry. Perry is an outsider and an exceptional hunter. He has the ability to scent things that are undetectable to others, from great distances. His supernatural ability has been an asset to his tribe, even as he exists in the periphery under his brother's rule.
When Perry's nephew is stolen by dwellers and taken to a compound for studies, Perry sets out to rescue him. He partners with Aria to find the dweller compound. They form a friendship based on necessity. Aria needs Perry to survive in the Outside world that is foreign to her. He needs her to find his way to the dweller compound and to gain entry.
The two set out on their journey, against all odds. Along the way, they face multiple threats and setbacks. Amidst the danger, Perry and Aria's relationship grows into far more than a partnership based on necessity. They fall in love, even knowing that their relationship would be forbidden. Outsiders and dwellers do not like one another.
While there were parts of this story that I did enjoy, like the love story between Aria and Perry. I had a hard time connecting with the storyline. I wanted to get lost in the world that the author crafted, but I just couldn't. The whole dystopian, futuristic setting was kind of grim and off-putting to me.
In the end, this ended up being an "okay" read for me. I can see the appeal, but it just wasn't my cuppa. There were things that I liked about the story, but it just wasn't the type of story that speaks to me or is particularly compelling for me. If you're a big adventure/fantasy/sci-fi reader, then you'll probably appreciate this one far more than I did.
Unfortunately, this book left me feeling a little disappointed. It was good, but I expected to be blown away after all of the hype. Again, this isn't my normal "type" of read. Maybe if I were a big adventure/fantasy/dystopian/sci-fi reader then I would have loved it. I'm not and it ended up being "okay" for me.
This is a futuristic dystopian story, with sharply divided "sects" of people. There are the dwellers, who live in enclosed compounds, such as Reverie, where Aria is from. The dwellers live a "virtual" existence, never leaving the confines of their compounds, but experiencing different realms through the use of a device called a "smarteye". In many ways, they are the privileged class, but their entire existence is a lie facilitated by the use of virtual reality.
Outside of the dweller compounds there are several different "tribes". These people live under the harsh conditions of the tumultuous Aether, with danger lurking everywhere. They are viewed as primitive and barbaric by the dwellers, simply referred to as the "outsiders". Some are hunters, some are cannibals and some possess supernatural abilities. They are as harsh as the environment in which they live.
When Aria is cast out of her dweller compound, she sets off in search of her mother. A scientist working at the compound Bliss, her mother has gone missing. Despite finding herself in a dangerous situation that she is unprepared to navigate, Aria is determined to make her way to Bliss and find her mother.
Before long, Aria crosses paths with Perry. Perry is an outsider and an exceptional hunter. He has the ability to scent things that are undetectable to others, from great distances. His supernatural ability has been an asset to his tribe, even as he exists in the periphery under his brother's rule.
When Perry's nephew is stolen by dwellers and taken to a compound for studies, Perry sets out to rescue him. He partners with Aria to find the dweller compound. They form a friendship based on necessity. Aria needs Perry to survive in the Outside world that is foreign to her. He needs her to find his way to the dweller compound and to gain entry.
The two set out on their journey, against all odds. Along the way, they face multiple threats and setbacks. Amidst the danger, Perry and Aria's relationship grows into far more than a partnership based on necessity. They fall in love, even knowing that their relationship would be forbidden. Outsiders and dwellers do not like one another.
While there were parts of this story that I did enjoy, like the love story between Aria and Perry. I had a hard time connecting with the storyline. I wanted to get lost in the world that the author crafted, but I just couldn't. The whole dystopian, futuristic setting was kind of grim and off-putting to me.
In the end, this ended up being an "okay" read for me. I can see the appeal, but it just wasn't my cuppa. There were things that I liked about the story, but it just wasn't the type of story that speaks to me or is particularly compelling for me. If you're a big adventure/fantasy/sci-fi reader, then you'll probably appreciate this one far more than I did.
March 30, 2012
I thought Tatiana's comparisons between this and Blood Red Road were spot on, Under the Never Sky is definitely a very similar kind of book but without the strange dialect that sometimes made the other difficult to appreciate at times. They both focus on the dystopian aspect, instead of getting caught up in a romantic whirlwind, they both feature a journey that keeps the novels fast-paced and interesting, and I can honestly say that I cared about the characters in both books.
The romance, when it arrives, is told perfectly. It didn't feel rushed or "insta" and I liked Aria and Perry enough already to want them to be together. Perry was an especially intriguing character, his past and his motives for doing what he does throughout the novel endeared me to him almost immediately. He does seem to think that monthly ladythings smell like violets but, oh well, nobody gets it right all the time...
As well as Blood Red Road, I recognised similarities between this and another dystopia I've read recently: Pure. Both use the idea of humanity being split into two, those "lucky" enough to make it into the domes and those who are forced to live outside - the latter of which are meant to be the underprivileged and uneducated group. Of course, things are not all what they seem and the domes aren't as rosy as they first appear. A fact which becomes apparent when a boy and girl from each world happen to meet. The difference is that Under the Never Sky is just an all round better book, in terms of writing, plot and characters. In Pure the reader is bombarded with overly descriptive and often shocking imagery, it's okay at first but after a while I began to wonder where the actual story was amongst the descriptions. The characters were only as good as their weird physical portrayal and had little personality. So if you were wondering which of the two to go for, here's my recommendation.
Though I can't say this is the best book or most unique storyline I've ever read, I found it very entertaining with all of the elements balanced just right: action, adventure, dystopia, romance and even the occasional touch of humour. I'm really looking forward to the sequel.
December 13, 2011
"A world of nevers under a never sky."
There's always something so compelling about a book with a tantalizing title. Under The Never Sky first caught my attention because the title seemed so... fanciful somehow. I've been out of the loop for a while now, so I hadn't even heard of this book, but when HarperCollins put me on auto-approve, I took a chance and requested. And I'm really glad I did.
First things first, this is not strictly a dystopian novel. Nitpicky, I know, but while it is post-apocalyptic fiction, it doesn't fit into my parameters of what a dystopian should be. In fact, this works way, way better as science fantasy than any other genre. Except for some throwaway references to the Earth we know, Rossi has built a full-scaled, beautifully rendered sci-fi/fantasy world that could have been self-contained.
Aria is a Dweller, a girl who grew up in virtual Realms her whole life, sheltered by the Pods, living her life through the make-believe worlds she accesses through her Smarteye, the eyepatch that lets her tap into her virtual reality. But her fantasy life takes a 180-degree turn when her mother goes missing and she becomes involved in a crazy escapade in the real world. It is there that she first encounters Peregrine, a Savage from the outside, the world they call The Death Shop, where reality is harsh, disease-ridden and dangerous. When Aria is falsely accused of doing something treasonous and cast out into the Death Shop, she has no-one but her wits and Perry to fall back on. These two complete strangers from opposite worlds enter into an uneasy partnership to rescue the people most beloved to them, finding through their journey that the things they never questioned before need to be examined after all.
I loved this book. It was everything I expected Blood Red Road to be, and wasn't. The narrative is told from dual perspectives, so we get a clear picture of both Perry and Aria's lives, their prejudices, their beliefs, their emotions. The lives of this hugely mismatched couple has been so different, they might as well be living on different planets. Rossi does a beautiful job drawing them onto common ground, first through extenuating circumstances and mutual need, and then through a deeper understanding of the other person's perspectives, down to a level of personal growth that eventually makes them respect and understand each other better.
The worldbuilding in this book was fascinating, but not entirely clear. There is something called the Unity, and then some sort of devastating apocalypse that drives people underground into the Pods and then seals them into that kind of lifestyle. Apparently, the Pod people (hah!) moved in to escape the storms caused by the Aether, but we are never really told what the Aether is. Also, how did the Outsiders survive this apocalyptic event, if the Dwellers ran away in fear of their lives in the first place? However, these questions are not as annoying as they could be. Rossi manages to give you a feel of the world without dumping all the details. You get the feeling that she's holding off on some good stuff to populate the second book, but not in a mean I-want-to-sell-more-books way, but more in a I-don't-want-to-infodump way.
I really liked the way she builds Perry and Aria's characters. Perry, in a shocking turn of events, doesn't immediately appeal to Aria. In fact, she finds him sinister and sort of disturbing, due to his unnaturally long canines. Perry, in turn, finds Aria outright disgusting in the beginning, with her artificial breeding and her aroma of rot. It takes a lot of adjustment for them to begin to even see each other as people, rather than a means to an end. Even when Perry begins to admire her, it's more because of her unflinching courage and goodness than the fact that she starts to smell better.
There's a lot happening in this book that I don't want to give away, cumulating in a plot twist that blew my mind, but it never seems too busy, if you know what I mean. Rossi holds the reins of the story expertly right through to the very end, and none of the storylines go galloping away into the mists. You are perfectly aware of what is happening and what is left to happen.
This is not a deeply nuanced book, but it's a lot of fun to read. I wavered between four and five stars on this one, but I gave it the five because I enjoyed it so much. It was a quick, fast-paced read that gave me all the right vibes, and I really needed that after the disappointment of
Hallowed. I hope you guys will give this book a chance, because even if you don't love it like I did, I'm fairly sure you'll like it, and that's a pretty good point in it's favor, yes?
There's always something so compelling about a book with a tantalizing title. Under The Never Sky first caught my attention because the title seemed so... fanciful somehow. I've been out of the loop for a while now, so I hadn't even heard of this book, but when HarperCollins put me on auto-approve, I took a chance and requested. And I'm really glad I did.
First things first, this is not strictly a dystopian novel. Nitpicky, I know, but while it is post-apocalyptic fiction, it doesn't fit into my parameters of what a dystopian should be. In fact, this works way, way better as science fantasy than any other genre. Except for some throwaway references to the Earth we know, Rossi has built a full-scaled, beautifully rendered sci-fi/fantasy world that could have been self-contained.
Aria is a Dweller, a girl who grew up in virtual Realms her whole life, sheltered by the Pods, living her life through the make-believe worlds she accesses through her Smarteye, the eyepatch that lets her tap into her virtual reality. But her fantasy life takes a 180-degree turn when her mother goes missing and she becomes involved in a crazy escapade in the real world. It is there that she first encounters Peregrine, a Savage from the outside, the world they call The Death Shop, where reality is harsh, disease-ridden and dangerous. When Aria is falsely accused of doing something treasonous and cast out into the Death Shop, she has no-one but her wits and Perry to fall back on. These two complete strangers from opposite worlds enter into an uneasy partnership to rescue the people most beloved to them, finding through their journey that the things they never questioned before need to be examined after all.
I loved this book. It was everything I expected Blood Red Road to be, and wasn't. The narrative is told from dual perspectives, so we get a clear picture of both Perry and Aria's lives, their prejudices, their beliefs, their emotions. The lives of this hugely mismatched couple has been so different, they might as well be living on different planets. Rossi does a beautiful job drawing them onto common ground, first through extenuating circumstances and mutual need, and then through a deeper understanding of the other person's perspectives, down to a level of personal growth that eventually makes them respect and understand each other better.
The worldbuilding in this book was fascinating, but not entirely clear. There is something called the Unity, and then some sort of devastating apocalypse that drives people underground into the Pods and then seals them into that kind of lifestyle. Apparently, the Pod people (hah!) moved in to escape the storms caused by the Aether, but we are never really told what the Aether is. Also, how did the Outsiders survive this apocalyptic event, if the Dwellers ran away in fear of their lives in the first place? However, these questions are not as annoying as they could be. Rossi manages to give you a feel of the world without dumping all the details. You get the feeling that she's holding off on some good stuff to populate the second book, but not in a mean I-want-to-sell-more-books way, but more in a I-don't-want-to-infodump way.
I really liked the way she builds Perry and Aria's characters. Perry, in a shocking turn of events, doesn't immediately appeal to Aria. In fact, she finds him sinister and sort of disturbing, due to his unnaturally long canines. Perry, in turn, finds Aria outright disgusting in the beginning, with her artificial breeding and her aroma of rot. It takes a lot of adjustment for them to begin to even see each other as people, rather than a means to an end. Even when Perry begins to admire her, it's more because of her unflinching courage and goodness than the fact that she starts to smell better.
There's a lot happening in this book that I don't want to give away, cumulating in a plot twist that blew my mind, but it never seems too busy, if you know what I mean. Rossi holds the reins of the story expertly right through to the very end, and none of the storylines go galloping away into the mists. You are perfectly aware of what is happening and what is left to happen.
This is not a deeply nuanced book, but it's a lot of fun to read. I wavered between four and five stars on this one, but I gave it the five because I enjoyed it so much. It was a quick, fast-paced read that gave me all the right vibes, and I really needed that after the disappointment of
Hallowed. I hope you guys will give this book a chance, because even if you don't love it like I did, I'm fairly sure you'll like it, and that's a pretty good point in it's favor, yes?
January 8, 2013
He jerked when she traced the shape of the wings on his skin, a groan sliding out of him. Perry silently cursed himself. He couldn't have sounded more savage if he'd tried.
4.5 stars. I fell so in love with this book that I scrapped my original thought to do a rolling montage of a girl walking in combat boots with her hair blowing in the wind while the theme song of The Young And The Restless played in the background. I realized that I just wanted to talk about the damn book without being sarcastic or witty for a change. Yes, I had this entire scene playing out in my head because of that damn soap opera book cover (which, btw, is actually a cool looking cover).
Surprisingly enough, just about every single thing which would normally make me rant, jeer and shake my head was present in this book. There was serious pining, prose bordering on purple, crazy names, more romance than needed for sci-fi, a few hazy world building details, etc. etc. Yet, I found that this author had the talent to pull it all off in such a way that I didn't mind hearing 20 times how Aria had the scent of violets (imagine that!). Ms. Rossi has got the flair. Not the "spirit fingers" type of flair, but she has that certain "something" when it comes to her writing which makes me want to be dropped down into the middle of this crappy dystopic world and spend time with Aria, Perry and Roar - simply because I want to be in the presence of such dynamic personalities.
The writing style was third person rotating PoV's. Now that's something you don't see every day. Usually, third person flows in and out among the characters without hard edged distinctions. In this tale, the main characters got separate chapters, yet the perspective stayed focused on the atmosphere around the characters instead of a first person account. I was surprised at how much I FELT, given the writing style. I could relate to what Aria and Perry were thinking and feeling, even without the use of "I" in the story. My stomach was doing flip-flops at certain crucial points in the book. In a good way!
The world was complex, yet still had a few gaps that needed to be filled in. Hopefully, we'll get more answers in the next couple of books about the world structure and genetic twists (this science almost feels like magic). Truth be told, it took me over a week to get through the first 25% of the book. The first few chapters were pretty darn confusing. The slow start is the one and ONLY reason why I had to stick with 4.5 stars because the second half of the book was 5 stars all the way. Once I met Perry and started to see who he was as a person, I found myself falling hard and fast. Even though most of my review will focus on the characters and feelings, I should add that there was a healthy does of adventure, survival, world politics, techie stuff (virtual reality), etc. in this book. It wasn't all swoony fluff.
This is probably a girlier form of sci-fi. Normally, I prefer to keep my romance isolated to other genres because I want to see more of the techie side of sci-fi. With this book, the romance was the draw. And this time, was I not only okay with it, but I was completely absorbed in it. A story like Aria and Perry's is rare. I devoured every moment of their interaction because it was absolutely beautiful.
While I am happy that the world and story was interesting and engaging, I will let you read someone else's review if you want a book summary. The racial/genetic talents were exciting to read about and I liked how the characters started out as enemies before finding solace in one another. It amused me to no end that Perry's first impression of Aria was that she (literally) stunk because of where she'd come from. We'll be here all night if I tell you everything I liked about the story, so I'm going to end this review with the main reason why I will be gushing about this book : the characters.
Peregrine (Perry) - I have kids who have watched Phineas and Ferb, so it was hard not to think of Perry the Platypus when seeing the name Perry. This character has to be one of my new favorite male characters. He's tough, protective, and strong...yet still managed to be one of the nicest guys I'd seen after we got past his standoffish exterior. I adore characters with multiple layers.
His hair looked like it had never seen a brush. Snarled blonde ropes, all uneven in length and color, coiling in every direction. As he'd spoken, she could've sworn she'd glimpsed canines that were slightly too long and canine. But nothing was more hideous than his eyes. The Savage's eyes were bright green but also reflective, like the eerie gaze of a nocturnal animal.
He didn't have a clue what book he'd chosen. He couldn't read. Had never learned. He walked out of the cave before she could see that and call him a stupid Savage.
He smiled. It was the lion grin she'd only seen a few times. Sweet and engaging, with a hint of shyness. It showed a whole part of him she didn't know.
Peregrine or Perry? She didn't know what to call him. Perry made her shoes from book covers and taught her how to find berries. Peregrine had tattoos and flashing green eyes. He twirled a knife without fear of cutting himself and put arrows through people's necks.
Aria - She's got some attitude, but still falls into a very acceptable version of normal. She isn't badass for no apparent reason, nor is she a complete dumb girl who needs to be rescued non-stop. And at least the reason for her being named Aria made more sense than what I've seen in other stories (America Singer comes to mind).
Roar - I want me a Roar. I'm kicking myself now for not reading his prequel with Liv first. This will have to be fixed asap because I loved Roar almost as much as Perry. His playful and good-natured cockiness balanced Perry's serious nature perfectly.
Up close, she saw the gleam in Roar's gaze. He had a prince's looks but a pirate's eyes.
"Seers are good at looking, and good-looking, but before you start wondering, no, I'm not a Seer. Just lucky."
Sigh. I have nothing else to say. I will be having a serious book fantasy about these characters and world over the next few days while anxiously awaiting my chance to dig into book 2 of this series.
Of warmth and calluses. Soft and hard together. She absorbed the beauty of him and his world. Of every moment over the past days. All of it, filling her up like the first breath she'd ever taken. And never had she loved life more.
Oh, and HOLY CRAP to that ending, btw. :p
January 14, 2016
Actual rating: 4.5/5 Peregrine stars
Under the Never Sky is the book one in this series and before you start it, I strongly suggest you read its novella, Roar and Liv first so that you can have better understanding about what happened to Liv in this book.
**Setting**
Unlike the novella, this time the story was told in the third-person POV, and alternated between Perry and Aria's viewpoints. There were two kinds of people living on Earth, the Dwellers and the Outsiders. The former were called "Moles" by the Outsiders and the latter "Savages." In fact, the Dwellers were sophisticatedly created by some scientists and thus, they were perfect in everything; on the contrary, the Outsiders were made naturally but some of them possessed specific abilities like clairvoyance or audile.
**Characters**(I'll make this as short as possible because it's not my point here.)
As I mentioned above, there were two main characters in this book, Perry and Aria. Perry was a tall, muscular, and also has rare abilities among the Outsiders. And there was Aria, a Dweller whose life went totally wrong from an accident. What's special about her was her unbelievably amazing voice, the angelic, falcon soprano. Besides them, there were Vale(Perry's older brother, the Blood Lord), Talon(Vale's son), Cinder(an amazing boy with supernaturally awesome skill), Roar, and some others.
**Plot**
The story started with the end of the novella and it was primarily about Perry andhis girl, Aria's adventure when they met in the woods. In the beginning, because of their different races, they sort of despised each other a lot. Not knowing what Perry was capable of, Aria didn't think twice before showing her emotions or thoughts when she was around him, and that was how he realized that a part of him was really curious about this "Mole."
Go get her, Perry! When would you stop denying your feeling, buddy?
Before he got interested in her, we all know that she was a Dweller, someone who was carefully created(like a test tube baby, imo), so basically everything about her was perfect and flawless compared to the Outsiders. Unfortunately, she wasn't made for living in the wild. With the time flowed, she started to feel unease; her body could barely tolerate the stimulus in the outside world, and she was dying. However, she was so much stronger(and awesome) than she thought, as an unexpected truth revealed by her mother, Lumina, a scientist from her hometown, how miraculously her body worked made sense, umm...though the transformation seemed weird.
Huh, I don't know which one is more shocking, the fact that Aria knew nothing about her own physiological function, or that Perry could actually smell something so private like that. Or both.
Speaking of weirdness, there were other departments that happened magically in the Realms. Just imagine living in your imagination all the time and all you have to do is daydreaming and then everything you wish will come true. How great the life will be! For example, here was a heated discussion that I enjoyed a lot. *winks winks*
Aw, Perry, don't tell me you aren't curious about it. I won't believe you, Scire or not.
The bond between them grew stronger and so did their inner connection. both of them had someone to miss, and something to mourn over, there was no doubt the sparks shone brighter and brighter day after day. Their moments became sweeter and more romantic, making me swoon and blush the entire time.
The pure love between them seemed extremely beautiful and peaceful. This is what love should be like all the time, isn't it?
Wait a sec, this is just the beginning!
Ahhh, I love this sweet moment of theirs so, so, so much! Sometimes I was pretty amazed by how Perry struggled to conceal his true feeling for Aria and vice versa. There were always some subtle changes between them, tiny enough to be unnoticed. And later, they would suddenly get emotional when it came to each other under different circumstances. That's kind of pure perfection for me, too.
Although she'd been searching for her mom since the beginning when she said she had to go to the Bliss to do some research, I knew what'd happen in the end. But knowing it beforehand was a lot different from seeing it for myself.
Eventually, she found what she was looking for and he did have a clue about that person's whereabouts, but it hadn't finished yet. Throughout the whole story, I've been wondered about the meaning behind the characters' names. Like Peregrine for Perry, Roar for roar, Cinder for cinder, or Aria for aria. Every single name had its own origin and I think the author did a good job in naming them. I could find the relation among them and mostly they were perfectly matched. I'll take Aria for instance,
As for the ending, that was exactly the reason I decided to give this book a half more star in my rating! Just when I thought it would end like that and planned on closing the book, the very last paragraph in the last chapter almost moved me to tears! That scene was seriously beautiful, and touching. It was an implicit paragraph but we all know what it meant obviously. That's the power of words, and it's also the first time I'm deeply touched by them.
**What I loved**
Another particular reason I like this book is because there was a quote from Perry that reminded me of Raffe from Susan Ee's Penryn & the End of Days series. It's one of my all-time favorite series as well so the feeling of deja vu definitely gave this book some bonus points!
Similar one for Raffe and Penryn: ()
See what I mean?! It just made me love this book even more!
Most important of all, what I enjoy most about Veronica Rossi's writing style is that she did a fantastic job in depicting everything in details. For example, I really appreciated the way Perry made many delicate observations throughout the story, from the moment he met Aria to how he scented every little trail on either an object or even abstract emotion. In the beginning, I didn't pay lots of attention to these subtle descriptions, but the deeper I got into the story, the more obvious I realized. It was like the first time I noticed how a seemingly ordinary feeling could turn out to be a natural beauty, the kind that I didn't even know existed. The realization made me speechless and I think it's one of the best reasons why you should read this book.
**Everything is fine except a small defect**
The minus of 0.5 star for this book is that I think the story lacked some necessary emotions. Just because the littlest things were described colorfully doesn't mean the emotional expressions were the same. What I'm saying is that I could picture those details about either the atmosphere around the main characters or the surrounding environment precisely, but I kept feeling incomplete. For me, the exaggerating emotions are the most indispensable essences in a story, but sadly, I couldn't relate to their intensity when they experienced an emotional wreck here. If there were more descriptions on how the characters truly felt, it would absolutely get a solid 5 stars from me, or even more!
**Critical thinking**
The last and most special aspect I want to share with you is the true meaning of this book from my point of view. This book is not just a story; it's more like the reality in life. For example, because the Dwellers lived in their own world, completely isolated from the outside one and they could simply do anything, or go anywhere by thinking and picturing it, and then the next second they were right there. The place they belonged to was just a virtual Realm and thus in my opinion, the concept is very similar to our so-called "ivory tower". People staying in their own little world and knowing nothing about what happen around them in reality are exactly the Dwellers here so that's why they can't survive by themselves once they are out of their box. Also, since they don't have to learn anything "real", they have no idea about what it's like being in the woods, fighting for their life, experiencing intimacy, or putting themselves into others' shoes. Hence, the fact that Aria was forced to live with the "savages" is what I appreciate most in this story. It seems to teach us a lesson about how to gain courage, strength, and never be afraid of the inevitable through her experiences and perhaps,you'll be lucky enough to find your Prince Charming during the process. Anyway, all I'm saying is that it's really rare to realize something more than a story in this type of books and I hope you can read it whole-heartedly to capture the profounder meaning on your own.
**In conclusion**
I highly recommend this series to all of you because of the above reasons and I can't wait to see what you guys think about it soon!
Under the Never Sky is the book one in this series and before you start it, I strongly suggest you read its novella, Roar and Liv first so that you can have better understanding about what happened to Liv in this book.
**Setting**
Unlike the novella, this time the story was told in the third-person POV, and alternated between Perry and Aria's viewpoints. There were two kinds of people living on Earth, the Dwellers and the Outsiders. The former were called "Moles" by the Outsiders and the latter "Savages." In fact, the Dwellers were sophisticatedly created by some scientists and thus, they were perfect in everything; on the contrary, the Outsiders were made naturally but some of them possessed specific abilities like clairvoyance or audile.
**Characters**(I'll make this as short as possible because it's not my point here.)
As I mentioned above, there were two main characters in this book, Perry and Aria. Perry was a tall, muscular, and also has rare abilities among the Outsiders. And there was Aria, a Dweller whose life went totally wrong from an accident. What's special about her was her unbelievably amazing voice, the angelic, falcon soprano. Besides them, there were Vale(Perry's older brother, the Blood Lord), Talon(Vale's son), Cinder(an amazing boy with supernaturally awesome skill), Roar, and some others.
**Plot**
The story started with the end of the novella and it was primarily about Perry and
“Perry stepped out as soon as the elevator doors parted. “Are you coming?”
“Fall off your own roof, Perry,” he said as the door slid closed.
Go get her, Perry! When would you stop denying your feeling, buddy?
Before he got interested in her, we all know that she was a Dweller, someone who was carefully created(like a test tube baby, imo), so basically everything about her was perfect and flawless compared to the Outsiders. Unfortunately, she wasn't made for living in the wild. With the time flowed, she started to feel unease; her body could barely tolerate the stimulus in the outside world, and she was dying. However, she was so much stronger(and awesome) than she thought, as an unexpected truth revealed by her mother, Lumina, a scientist from her hometown, how miraculously her body worked made sense, umm...though the transformation seemed weird.
“Aria, what’s wrong?”
She stood, moving slow and defeated. “I’m dying. I’m bleeding.”
Perry’s gaze traveled down her body.
“It’s not my feet.”
Perry closed his eyes and inhaled. Her scent had changed. The rancy Dweller musk was almost gone. Her skin breathed a new scent into the air, faint but unmistakable. For the first time since he’d known her, her flesh smelled like something he recognized, feminine and sweet.
He smelled violets.
He took a step back, swearing silently as it hit him. “You’re not dying. . . . You really don’t know?”
“I don’t know anything anymore.”
Perry looked down at the ground and drew another breath, no doubt in his mind.
“Aria . . . it’s your first blood.”
Huh, I don't know which one is more shocking, the fact that Aria knew nothing about her own physiological function, or that Perry could actually smell something so private like that. Or both.
Speaking of weirdness, there were other departments that happened magically in the Realms. Just imagine living in your imagination all the time and all you have to do is daydreaming and then everything you wish will come true. How great the life will be! For example, here was a heated discussion that I enjoyed a lot. *winks winks*
“Roar leaned across the table and smiled at her seductively, his dark hair falling into his eyes. “When you say everything happens in the Realms, do you mean everything?”
Aria laughed nervously. “Yes. Especially that. There are no risks in the Realms.”
Roar’s smile widened. “You simply think it and it happens? And it actually feels real?”
“Why are we talking about this?”
“I need a Smarteye,” he said.
Perry rolled his eyes. “There’s no way it’s the same.”
Aw, Perry, don't tell me you aren't curious about it. I won't believe you, Scire or not.
The bond between them grew stronger and so did their inner connection. both of them had someone to miss, and something to mourn over, there was no doubt the sparks shone brighter and brighter day after day. Their moments became sweeter and more romantic, making me swoon and blush the entire time.
They reached for each other then like some force had pulled their hands together. Aria looked at their fingers as they laced together, bringing her the sensation of his touch. Of warmth and calluses. Soft and hard together. She absorbed the terror and beauty of him and his world. Of every moment over the past days. All of it, filling her up like the first breath she’d ever taken. And never had she loved life more.
The pure love between them seemed extremely beautiful and peaceful. This is what love should be like all the time, isn't it?
Wait a sec, this is just the beginning!
“Aria rolled up onto her toes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. The soft warmth of his mouth sent a wave of fire through her. Perry froze, then his arms tightened around her ribs as he deepened their kiss. They molded together, fitted against each other with stunning perfection.”
Ahhh, I love this sweet moment of theirs so, so, so much! Sometimes I was pretty amazed by how Perry struggled to conceal his true feeling for Aria and vice versa. There were always some subtle changes between them, tiny enough to be unnoticed. And later, they would suddenly get emotional when it came to each other under different circumstances. That's kind of pure perfection for me, too.
Although she'd been searching for her mom since the beginning when she said she had to go to the Bliss to do some research, I knew what'd happen in the end. But knowing it beforehand was a lot different from seeing it for myself.
Eventually, she found what she was looking for and he did have a clue about that person's whereabouts, but it hadn't finished yet. Throughout the whole story, I've been wondered about the meaning behind the characters' names. Like Peregrine for Perry, Roar for roar, Cinder for cinder, or Aria for aria. Every single name had its own origin and I think the author did a good job in naming them. I could find the relation among them and mostly they were perfectly matched. I'll take Aria for instance,
“She bent close to her mother’s face. Quietly she sang the Tosca aria, her voice warbling and breaking, but she knew it didn’t matter. She’d promised Lumina this aria—their aria—so she sang.”I personally think her name told us pretty much about herself, who she really was, or what she was able to do. Aside from this aria(the way she sang and the song belonged only to her dearest mother and her), another possible reason for her name was the astounding fact that she was And that just left the readers to explore or reveal something they've never thought about.
As for the ending, that was exactly the reason I decided to give this book a half more star in my rating! Just when I thought it would end like that and planned on closing the book, the very last paragraph in the last chapter almost moved me to tears! That scene was seriously beautiful, and touching. It was an implicit paragraph but we all know what it meant obviously. That's the power of words, and it's also the first time I'm deeply touched by them.
**What I loved**
Another particular reason I like this book is because there was a quote from Perry that reminded me of Raffe from Susan Ee's Penryn & the End of Days series. It's one of my all-time favorite series as well so the feeling of deja vu definitely gave this book some bonus points!
“Rose.” Aria smiled. “She told me lots of things.”
He cringed. “She did? What did she say? No, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”
Similar one for Raffe and Penryn: ()
See what I mean?! It just made me love this book even more!
Most important of all, what I enjoy most about Veronica Rossi's writing style is that she did a fantastic job in depicting everything in details. For example, I really appreciated the way Perry made many delicate observations throughout the story, from the moment he met Aria to how he scented every little trail on either an object or even abstract emotion. In the beginning, I didn't pay lots of attention to these subtle descriptions, but the deeper I got into the story, the more obvious I realized. It was like the first time I noticed how a seemingly ordinary feeling could turn out to be a natural beauty, the kind that I didn't even know existed. The realization made me speechless and I think it's one of the best reasons why you should read this book.
**Everything is fine except a small defect**
The minus of 0.5 star for this book is that I think the story lacked some necessary emotions. Just because the littlest things were described colorfully doesn't mean the emotional expressions were the same. What I'm saying is that I could picture those details about either the atmosphere around the main characters or the surrounding environment precisely, but I kept feeling incomplete. For me, the exaggerating emotions are the most indispensable essences in a story, but sadly, I couldn't relate to their intensity when they experienced an emotional wreck here. If there were more descriptions on how the characters truly felt, it would absolutely get a solid 5 stars from me, or even more!
**Critical thinking**
The last and most special aspect I want to share with you is the true meaning of this book from my point of view. This book is not just a story; it's more like the reality in life. For example, because the Dwellers lived in their own world, completely isolated from the outside one and they could simply do anything, or go anywhere by thinking and picturing it, and then the next second they were right there. The place they belonged to was just a virtual Realm and thus in my opinion, the concept is very similar to our so-called "ivory tower". People staying in their own little world and knowing nothing about what happen around them in reality are exactly the Dwellers here so that's why they can't survive by themselves once they are out of their box. Also, since they don't have to learn anything "real", they have no idea about what it's like being in the woods, fighting for their life, experiencing intimacy, or putting themselves into others' shoes. Hence, the fact that Aria was forced to live with the "savages" is what I appreciate most in this story. It seems to teach us a lesson about how to gain courage, strength, and never be afraid of the inevitable through her experiences and perhaps,
**In conclusion**
I highly recommend this series to all of you because of the above reasons and I can't wait to see what you guys think about it soon!
December 24, 2011
However, maybe it is me since many other readers have no problems reading it AND clearly they enjoy it. So, don't let my inability to read this book stop you from giving it a try.
Yes I'm eating crow.
I was wrong!
Don't be shocked. It happens often. I know you can't believe it but yeah, I was wrong.
This turned out to be a good book with a bad, boring start. I ended up really, really liking it. I'll write more later (I'm sure you've heard that before but no, I gotta catch up on my reviews eventually).
December 2, 2018
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🦇 Read for the Unapologetic Romance Readers Halloween 2018 Reading Challenge for the category of: A post-apocalyptic romance 🦇
When it comes to genres with a lot of hype, like romance and YA, there's a bit of an "Emperor's new clothes" phenomenon in that some people just seem to get sucked up into all of the praise and excitement and end up rating the book higher because of how their experience of reading it ties into the crowd mentality. I also think that with some of the so-called "brainy" books, people mistake confusion for intricacy. How else to explain why so many people thought LOST was brilliant? (Sorry if you like LOST.)
UNDER THE NEVER SKY has a bit of both when it comes to these two phenomenons. It came hot on the coattails of THE HUNGER GAMES's dystopian popularity, and despite its incredibly shoddy world-building (which I'll be talking about shortly), people have been praising it for being complex. Um, maybe, but that doesn't necessarily mean good. A knot can be complex, but if your instructions were supposed to be a bow and you did a knot anyway, and nobody around you can untangle it, you didn't really do what you were told to do, and it defeats the purpose.
UNDER THE NEVER SKY is set in a post-apocalyptic world, on what I'm assuming is Earth. The sky is full of something called "Aether," which I'm guessing is a solar storm. I'm also guessing that being in such close proximity to these probably-radioactive (again, never explicitly spelled-out) rays forced humanity into hiding. The heroine, Aria, is one of these: her people are the Dwellers and they live in pods that shield them from the desert and the skies, and to keep from growing insanely bored they have retreated into virtual reality worlds called Realms for their entertainment.
On the other hand, you have Outsiders, or people who don't live in the pods and continue to forage in the ruins of humanity like hunter-gatherers. Dwellers derogatorily refer to them as Savages. They are tattooed, and a lot of them have X-Men-like powers, which I think they refer to as Scires. The hero, Perry, is one of these. He has two superpowers, the ability to smell "tempers," or emotions, and acute vision. If this sounds familiar, yeah, it's a bit like what happened in THE DARKEST MINDS, and I'm guessing it's because of radiation that humans ended up evolving like this, because what other explanation is there? The author certainly didn't provide insight into how humanity diverged, or why.
The story kicks off when a bunch of teens go out to be wild, as teens do, and Aria ends up taking the fall for the leader's son. She gets kicked out of her pod, and left to die in the desert. Here, she meets Perry, who saved her from death already. The way she treats him is pretty awful and until they suddenly decide they are in love, both of them basically hate each others' guts. Aria thinks he's a meanie savage and Perry thinks she's an over-entitled shit who is too stupid to live. I must admit, my sympathies lay more with Perry - especially when Aria plunges headfirst into a coven of cannibals.
I've read a lot of YA dystopian novels and I think UNDER THE NEVER SKY has more in common with the bad ones than the good ones. THE DARKEST MINDS and SHATTER ME also featured dumb-as-dirt heroines in dystopian/post-apoc worlds where humans suddenly developed super powers for no apparent reason, and in both of those books as well as this one, the lazy world-building ruined the story for me because the abundance of plotholes kept pulling me out of the story to ask, "WHY?" I also think that if you're going to write a post-apocalyptic novel, you need to answer the hows and whys of how the world was destroyed. This is a qualm I had about the Ritchie sisters' THE RAGING ONES, where both the timeline of the inciting event and the world-building are equally unclear. You can have post-apocalyptic novels where the end world has little in common with the original. I think one of the crowning examples of this is A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ, which is told in three parts, and features society rebuilding itself in the wake of a nuclear holocaust, first as hunter-gatherers, then as a Medieval society, and then, if I remember correctly, as a futuristic one. Margaret Atwood's MaddAdam trilogy is another example, where genetic and technologic manipulation have basically caused society to implode, warping the natural into the unnatural. But both of these books, which I liked incidentally, had solid answers for the hows and the whys.
UNDER THE NEVER SKY has some interesting ideas but fails to execute them properly. Too many things were left unanswered, and the story was not really all that different from other HUNGER GAMES copycats who wanted to create that same dystopian environment without adding the same amount of stakes, world-building, or character development. The result? A painful drag of a read.
2 stars
Shelved as 'never-to-read'
January 26, 2019I need to explain myself here.
I do not DNF because I do not like this book. I DNF because the Czech translation is absolutely horrible and I need to get the English version before I can continue.
So, let me tell you the long story short. In 2012, I was in a bookshop (as usual), and I saw this gorgeous book. Let's be honest, the sky on the cover is to die for. So, I bought it. And then in 2013 I bought the second book and in 2014 the last one. But, I never read it.
Until just recently, I thought that I would never read it. But because an amazing person recommended it to me, the first time I came to visit my parents, I decided to give it a chance.
I read only five chapters and let me tell you, the translation is offensive with how bad it is. I looked for an excerpt to read in English. The voice of the narrator sounds completely different, in English, it's way better. Plus, there so many grammatical mistakes and typos in the Czech translation! It just made me so angry. And let me tell if I see those than something is seriously wrong with the book!
Some sentences make no sense, things are wrong. When the book started, it was said that Echo and Bane are brothers but then, couple pages later it makes it sound like Echo and Bane are brothers of Soren.
I cannot bear it and let a poorly done translation destroy a potentially good book for me.
I do not DNF because I do not like this book. I DNF because the Czech translation is absolutely horrible and I need to get the English version before I can continue.
So, let me tell you the long story short. In 2012, I was in a bookshop (as usual), and I saw this gorgeous book. Let's be honest, the sky on the cover is to die for. So, I bought it. And then in 2013 I bought the second book and in 2014 the last one. But, I never read it.
Until just recently, I thought that I would never read it. But because an amazing person recommended it to me, the first time I came to visit my parents, I decided to give it a chance.
I read only five chapters and let me tell you, the translation is offensive with how bad it is. I looked for an excerpt to read in English. The voice of the narrator sounds completely different, in English, it's way better. Plus, there so many grammatical mistakes and typos in the Czech translation! It just made me so angry. And let me tell if I see those than something is seriously wrong with the book!
Some sentences make no sense, things are wrong. When the book started, it was said that Echo and Bane are brothers but then, couple pages later it makes it sound like Echo and Bane are brothers of Soren.
I cannot bear it and let a poorly done translation destroy a potentially good book for me.
September 3, 2015
3 stars
“A world of nevers under a never sky.”
Well kiddies, I am in the minority again. While I enjoyed this book, it lacked the wow factor that I was expecting from it, especially since many of the ratings are 4 and 5 stars.
Under the Never Sky is about Aria, a Dweller, and Perry an Outsider. Both live in a dystopian world placed hundreds of years after our present. After a fatal incident brings Aria and Perry together, both of them are cast out from their groups and must battle to survive together. They harbor an extreme dislike for each other, but after working toward a common goal their feelings begin to change.
“If there was no fear, how could there be comfort? Or courage?”
What didn't work for me was the beginning. The whole set up was majorly confusing, and really boring. I almost dnf'd this book, but lots of people had said it picks up. While it did, I sort of never lost that tidbit of confusion throughout the rest of the book. I blame this on the world building. It was a great idea in concept, but sort of fell flat in development. Honestly, the world building was way too half-assed and the plot faded into the background for the majority of the book.
And then the ending felt too much like it ended purely to have 1 book become a trilogy. I think this could have been ended in 1 book, just another hundred pages longer or so. But that's just me.
I don't want to continue griping about this book. I did like it, I just didn't love it. The one thing I really liked? Perry. All of the point of views from his side were extremely interesting as he's a unique character which a special skill set. Perry pretty much saved the book for me.
“She absorbed the terror and beauty of him and his world. Of every moment over the past days. All of it, filling her up like the first breath she'd ever taken. And never had she loved life more.”
Would I recommend this? Yes, but only to those who like YA dystopia. For those willing to venture outside romance and such I would venture elsewhere.
“A world of nevers under a never sky.”
Well kiddies, I am in the minority again. While I enjoyed this book, it lacked the wow factor that I was expecting from it, especially since many of the ratings are 4 and 5 stars.
Under the Never Sky is about Aria, a Dweller, and Perry an Outsider. Both live in a dystopian world placed hundreds of years after our present. After a fatal incident brings Aria and Perry together, both of them are cast out from their groups and must battle to survive together. They harbor an extreme dislike for each other, but after working toward a common goal their feelings begin to change.
“If there was no fear, how could there be comfort? Or courage?”
What didn't work for me was the beginning. The whole set up was majorly confusing, and really boring. I almost dnf'd this book, but lots of people had said it picks up. While it did, I sort of never lost that tidbit of confusion throughout the rest of the book. I blame this on the world building. It was a great idea in concept, but sort of fell flat in development. Honestly, the world building was way too half-assed and the plot faded into the background for the majority of the book.
And then the ending felt too much like it ended purely to have 1 book become a trilogy. I think this could have been ended in 1 book, just another hundred pages longer or so. But that's just me.
I don't want to continue griping about this book. I did like it, I just didn't love it. The one thing I really liked? Perry. All of the point of views from his side were extremely interesting as he's a unique character which a special skill set. Perry pretty much saved the book for me.
“She absorbed the terror and beauty of him and his world. Of every moment over the past days. All of it, filling her up like the first breath she'd ever taken. And never had she loved life more.”
Would I recommend this? Yes, but only to those who like YA dystopia. For those willing to venture outside romance and such I would venture elsewhere.
July 18, 2020
Reread and still 5 stars!
Reread this because who doesn't want a wild boy , with a strong sense of smell, to fall in love with you, and think your essence smells like violets, and is content with smelling you all day. (okay, that sounded weird but its romantic in the book okay?)
initial read
Savage boy + tame girl love story 😍
A dystopian book without the cliche rebel plot and annoying mc 😍
Reread this because who doesn't want a wild boy , with a strong sense of smell, to fall in love with you, and think your essence smells like violets, and is content with smelling you all day. (okay, that sounded weird but its romantic in the book okay?)
initial read
Savage boy + tame girl love story 😍
A dystopian book without the cliche rebel plot and annoying mc 😍
March 6, 2017
Update March 06th
Back to regular price!
♥♥♥♥♥SPECIAL DEAL ALERT ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
February 28th!
Not for us Aussies because Harper Collins doesn't think we're an important market, :P but my American friends can buy this book at special price. 0.99 c
Go for it! This is a fun, very juvenile, don't-think-too-much-about-it-or-you'll-find-plotholes dystopian romance. It's been so long since I read it, but I remember liking it. I can't give info on safety, language and sex scenes because I can't remember much :)
Give it a chance!
Back to regular price!
♥♥♥♥♥SPECIAL DEAL ALERT ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
February 28th!
Not for us Aussies because Harper Collins doesn't think we're an important market, :P but my American friends can buy this book at special price. 0.99 c
Go for it! This is a fun, very juvenile, don't-think-too-much-about-it-or-you'll-find-plotholes dystopian romance. It's been so long since I read it, but I remember liking it. I can't give info on safety, language and sex scenes because I can't remember much :)
Give it a chance!
August 13, 2016
Yeah, that's right—5 stars, glitches! This book is massive champ. Sorry, I just had to find a way to use that Dweller slang somewhere in this review. Ha. Now that I got that out of my system let's get down to business.
Under the Never Sky is set in the future where the world is ravaged by Aether storms that strike the earth with fire. Humanity's forced to split into two different societies—the Dwellers and the Outsiders. The Dwellers live in dome Pods and people go about their daily business wearing a Smarteye—it's a device that allows them into a virtual reality (Realms) where everything is “Better than Real.” There's no fear, no stress, just a psuedo-life of doing whatever your heart desires. Want to become a mermaid and swim around? Go on ahead. Interested in the Medieval times? With a quick tap of a button you can be there. The Outsiders are just the opposite. They live off the land—think to more primitive times with hunters and gatherers—and are split into small tribes led by a Blood Lord. There's also something special about people who live out under the Aether. A few of them have enhanced Senses (smell, sight, sound), a sort of mutation from exposure. For example, someone with a smell Sense can scent if someone lies. Someone with a sight Sense can hear miles away.
Aria has lived all her life under a dome logged into the Realms. In an attempt to reach her mother (who she hasn't heard from in days) in another dome, Aria's caught breaking several rules that nearly bring down the whole Pod. As a result she gets banished to the outside world, left to die. Perry is an Outsider who's gifted with two Senses—sight and smell. Tension brews with his brother, the Blood Lord of their tribe, and it's to a point where he needs to leave or fight him for leadership. But then a fellow tribe member is kidnapped on his watch and he flees to get that person back. On his trip, he meets with Aria. Although they don't like each other, they decide it's in their best interest to help each other find their loved ones.
Before I really delve into my opinion on this book, I noticed how this novel shared similar elements to other sci-fi/dystopia novels I've read within the past year. Everything from Ready Player One, Enclave, Blood Red Road, and Across the Universe. There's a long journey by foot, search for a loved one, an addicting virtual reality, crazed mutated humans, false sense of utopia, enclosed societies, rumors of a safe haven—it's all here, but Veronica Rossi certainly makes her own mark with an exciting new approach and world.
The writing was simple, straightforward—it easily thrusts you into this world. And let me tell you the world building was striking and vivid. Majority of the novel takes place outside the Pods and for that I'm glad because I enjoyed going along with these characters and exploring the real. There's just something about adventure/journey books that spark my interest, especially one as engaging as this is. I loved reading about the characters trudging on to new places and meeting new people (by the way the minor characters are brilliant and captivating). It gave a fast-paced feel (hell, they run from cannibals and wolves, dodging any Aether falling from the sky). On a different note, I did find the justification for Pods and Realms fascinating as well. It's not entirely odd that part of society would revert to technology in order to keep the masses from going crazy. Today we are so immersed in it anyway, why not make it a permanent way of life. It was better left to explanation rather experiencing it through a character's eyes, though. Don't get me wrong, the Realms do sound interesting, but at the same time I feel like I'd get bored with it if that was the backdrop for the novel.
Under the Never Sky is written with a dual narrative which I appreciated so much. I think it gives a great insight to the main characters Aria and Perry and kept it fresh. I got quite invested in these two, also. With Aria, I was pleasantly surprised. I figured as someone who's been sheltered she'd be an annoying damsel in the distress the entire time, utterly useless. Nope. Not to say that she didn't have her stumbles and flaws, but she was determined and kept trekking on, no complaints on her physical pain—there was something admirable about that. I thought she went through a great transformation, if you think of how far she came from the first page to the last, evolving into who she was meant to be.
Perry, hands down, is one of my favorite male protagonists I've ever come across. He's a layered character with so much weighing on his shoulders. He's had a rougher life than Aria's seemingly pristine one, living with what some (his family) have said to be a blessing and a curse (those two Senses). I think his best trait was his innate compassion. He hated Aria, but even so, he protected her, he tended to her wounds. And not just with Aria, but with a few minor characters as well. He sort of sneaks up on you and steals your heart.
And the romance! It's so, so well developed. I think I would have punched this book in the gut if it had the characters instantly falling head over heels in love. There was a lot of animosity between Aria and Perry in the beginning. Understandable under their circumstances, a dislike based on ignorance and . But then there's a mutual agreement between them that slowly eases into a camaraderie and then into something more. It felt believable even though in reality it was only a few weeks. And with what they go through, I'm not at all surprised they formed a strong bond. This is a biggie, but I think their relationship is one of my favorites in the YA sci-fi/fantasy genre.
There was some well placed humor here and there. Also some great twists and secrets. I anticipated a few things but they were expanded into something that still surprised me.
This is such a well rounded, GOOD novel—the characters, the world, the relationships, the plot, the execution. I want to sing from the rooftops that I looove this book! Cookies for you if you get the reference. I even reread it right after (yep, you read that right—not something I normally do) and I stand by my initial reaction: this is an awesome book. I know it's early in the year, but I'm pretty sure it'll make my favorites of 2012 list.
*Reread 3/26/13. Still amazing.
*Reread 1/19/14.
Under the Never Sky is set in the future where the world is ravaged by Aether storms that strike the earth with fire. Humanity's forced to split into two different societies—the Dwellers and the Outsiders. The Dwellers live in dome Pods and people go about their daily business wearing a Smarteye—it's a device that allows them into a virtual reality (Realms) where everything is “Better than Real.” There's no fear, no stress, just a psuedo-life of doing whatever your heart desires. Want to become a mermaid and swim around? Go on ahead. Interested in the Medieval times? With a quick tap of a button you can be there. The Outsiders are just the opposite. They live off the land—think to more primitive times with hunters and gatherers—and are split into small tribes led by a Blood Lord. There's also something special about people who live out under the Aether. A few of them have enhanced Senses (smell, sight, sound), a sort of mutation from exposure. For example, someone with a smell Sense can scent if someone lies. Someone with a sight Sense can hear miles away.
Aria has lived all her life under a dome logged into the Realms. In an attempt to reach her mother (who she hasn't heard from in days) in another dome, Aria's caught breaking several rules that nearly bring down the whole Pod. As a result she gets banished to the outside world, left to die. Perry is an Outsider who's gifted with two Senses—sight and smell. Tension brews with his brother, the Blood Lord of their tribe, and it's to a point where he needs to leave or fight him for leadership. But then a fellow tribe member is kidnapped on his watch and he flees to get that person back. On his trip, he meets with Aria. Although they don't like each other, they decide it's in their best interest to help each other find their loved ones.
Before I really delve into my opinion on this book, I noticed how this novel shared similar elements to other sci-fi/dystopia novels I've read within the past year. Everything from Ready Player One, Enclave, Blood Red Road, and Across the Universe. There's a long journey by foot, search for a loved one, an addicting virtual reality, crazed mutated humans, false sense of utopia, enclosed societies, rumors of a safe haven—it's all here, but Veronica Rossi certainly makes her own mark with an exciting new approach and world.
The writing was simple, straightforward—it easily thrusts you into this world. And let me tell you the world building was striking and vivid. Majority of the novel takes place outside the Pods and for that I'm glad because I enjoyed going along with these characters and exploring the real. There's just something about adventure/journey books that spark my interest, especially one as engaging as this is. I loved reading about the characters trudging on to new places and meeting new people (by the way the minor characters are brilliant and captivating). It gave a fast-paced feel (hell, they run from cannibals and wolves, dodging any Aether falling from the sky). On a different note, I did find the justification for Pods and Realms fascinating as well. It's not entirely odd that part of society would revert to technology in order to keep the masses from going crazy. Today we are so immersed in it anyway, why not make it a permanent way of life. It was better left to explanation rather experiencing it through a character's eyes, though. Don't get me wrong, the Realms do sound interesting, but at the same time I feel like I'd get bored with it if that was the backdrop for the novel.
Under the Never Sky is written with a dual narrative which I appreciated so much. I think it gives a great insight to the main characters Aria and Perry and kept it fresh. I got quite invested in these two, also. With Aria, I was pleasantly surprised. I figured as someone who's been sheltered she'd be an annoying damsel in the distress the entire time, utterly useless. Nope. Not to say that she didn't have her stumbles and flaws, but she was determined and kept trekking on, no complaints on her physical pain—there was something admirable about that. I thought she went through a great transformation, if you think of how far she came from the first page to the last, evolving into who she was meant to be.
Perry, hands down, is one of my favorite male protagonists I've ever come across. He's a layered character with so much weighing on his shoulders. He's had a rougher life than Aria's seemingly pristine one, living with what some (his family) have said to be a blessing and a curse (those two Senses). I think his best trait was his innate compassion. He hated Aria, but even so, he protected her, he tended to her wounds. And not just with Aria, but with a few minor characters as well. He sort of sneaks up on you and steals your heart.
And the romance! It's so, so well developed. I think I would have punched this book in the gut if it had the characters instantly falling head over heels in love. There was a lot of animosity between Aria and Perry in the beginning. Understandable under their circumstances, a dislike based on ignorance and . But then there's a mutual agreement between them that slowly eases into a camaraderie and then into something more. It felt believable even though in reality it was only a few weeks. And with what they go through, I'm not at all surprised they formed a strong bond. This is a biggie, but I think their relationship is one of my favorites in the YA sci-fi/fantasy genre.
There was some well placed humor here and there. Also some great twists and secrets. I anticipated a few things but they were expanded into something that still surprised me.
This is such a well rounded, GOOD novel—the characters, the world, the relationships, the plot, the execution. I want to sing from the rooftops that I looove this book! Cookies for you if you get the reference. I even reread it right after (yep, you read that right—not something I normally do) and I stand by my initial reaction: this is an awesome book. I know it's early in the year, but I'm pretty sure it'll make my favorites of 2012 list.
*Reread 3/26/13. Still amazing.
*Reread 1/19/14.
February 5, 2019
After reading Riders I had to know what this trilogy is about.
I can’t remember the last time I’ve started a new dystopian trilogy. I’ve missed this genre.
2019 is my year Y'all! I'm finally reducing my tbr. Something I never thought I would be able to do.
To be honest I went into this book not expecting much and I was pleasantly surprised.
At the start of the book, I was bored and confused. There wasn't much information about the world and what was happening that I honestly thought I was going to hate it. But close to 60% things started to change.
The characters got better, the story more interesting, we got a better explanation of what was going on and the romance was starting to rise! And I'm a sucker for romance, so yeah.
Speaking of the romance, I liked their dynamic but didn't love it. I want more development and hope to get that in the course of the following books, that I will read because I bought the entire trilogy.
”She'd survived the outside. She'd survived the Aether and cannibals and wolves. She knew how to love now, and how to let go. Whatever came next, she would survive it, too”
I can’t remember the last time I’ve started a new dystopian trilogy. I’ve missed this genre.
2019 is my year Y'all! I'm finally reducing my tbr. Something I never thought I would be able to do.
To be honest I went into this book not expecting much and I was pleasantly surprised.
At the start of the book, I was bored and confused. There wasn't much information about the world and what was happening that I honestly thought I was going to hate it. But close to 60% things started to change.
The characters got better, the story more interesting, we got a better explanation of what was going on and the romance was starting to rise! And I'm a sucker for romance, so yeah.
Speaking of the romance, I liked their dynamic but didn't love it. I want more development and hope to get that in the course of the following books, that I will read because I bought the entire trilogy.
December 13, 2019
Eine super dystopie für Einsteiger in das Genre. Die Welt ist nicht allzu komplex und die Geschichte bezieht sich auf das wesentliche, wegen sie stellenweise nach meinem Empfinden etwas schmucklos wirkte. Aria und Perry sind ein süßes Gespann, ihre Empfindungen und Gedanken sind gut nachzuvollziehen. Ich werde auf jeden Fall weiterlesen, da das Ende schon etwas fies war :D
Read
February 20, 2015This review is also available on my blog, Qwerty
Lets recall how I decided to pick this one up, Rage Comic style!
Pffftt...this book just isn't for me. I made it up to 50% and then I couldn't go on anymore. Realizing just how many 4-5-stars ratings for this book, I decided not to rate it because I think the problem partly lies in me.
Patience. I don't haz it.
Aria and Perry both have a very unique and distinctive background with countless terms dedicated to describe their daily lives. Reverie, Realm, Bliss, Unity, Aud, Aether, Blood Lord, Mole, Outsider, Dweller, Tides *tries to catch a breath* Luster, Scire, Seer and etc.
The funny thing is, the author barely described the terms when they were first intoduced. I needed to come across each particular term two to three times before I finally understand what they mean.
*Just remembers to check the back of the book for glossary*
Owh, none! Bummer!
Hmm...looks like I have to shelve this under DNF for good.
The problem with terminology done, I still had problem making sense what was going on majority of the time. The writing and the word building was very...odd. It was as if Veronica Rossi left out bits and pieces here and there. Things seemed calm and normal, and suddenly boom!, we got major conflicts and suspense.
The characters while they are given names, they come and go. Some made an appearance for two pages max. I don't know about anyone else but for me personally, I prefer these unimportant secondary characters to not be given names, otherwise I'll try to commit the names into my memory in anticipation that they'll contribute more to the story.
So yeah, please don't hate me if you're a fan of this book. I have a very short winter break. So, I need to utilize my holiday for enjoyable reads only :D
Lets recall how I decided to pick this one up, Rage Comic style!
Pffftt...this book just isn't for me. I made it up to 50% and then I couldn't go on anymore. Realizing just how many 4-5-stars ratings for this book, I decided not to rate it because I think the problem partly lies in me.
Patience. I don't haz it.
Aria and Perry both have a very unique and distinctive background with countless terms dedicated to describe their daily lives. Reverie, Realm, Bliss, Unity, Aud, Aether, Blood Lord, Mole, Outsider, Dweller, Tides *tries to catch a breath* Luster, Scire, Seer and etc.
The funny thing is, the author barely described the terms when they were first intoduced. I needed to come across each particular term two to three times before I finally understand what they mean.
*Just remembers to check the back of the book for glossary*
Owh, none! Bummer!
Hmm...looks like I have to shelve this under DNF for good.
The problem with terminology done, I still had problem making sense what was going on majority of the time. The writing and the word building was very...odd. It was as if Veronica Rossi left out bits and pieces here and there. Things seemed calm and normal, and suddenly boom!, we got major conflicts and suspense.
The characters while they are given names, they come and go. Some made an appearance for two pages max. I don't know about anyone else but for me personally, I prefer these unimportant secondary characters to not be given names, otherwise I'll try to commit the names into my memory in anticipation that they'll contribute more to the story.
So yeah, please don't hate me if you're a fan of this book. I have a very short winter break. So, I need to utilize my holiday for enjoyable reads only :D
May 2, 2015
Wow.
I just─ I mean, like─ I can't even─
Wow.
<3
I just─ I mean, like─ I can't even─
Wow.
<3
June 20, 2017
6/19/2017: I really forgot just how much I loved this book and now I'm dying to reread the other books In the series.
Love love loved Aria and Perry and Roar. Loved the slow burn and the sweet moments. Loved the fighting and creepiness of some of the Outsiders. And loved the ending most of all.
Love love loved Aria and Perry and Roar. Loved the slow burn and the sweet moments. Loved the fighting and creepiness of some of the Outsiders. And loved the ending most of all.
April 30, 2013
I owe this book so much.
For several months, I’d been a horrendous reading slump - the kind where you have a pile of books to choose from and read, but you actively avoid them all and spend your free time stuffing your face with junk food and watching Netflix.
I’d received a lot of advise for the slump: read novellas, read comedy books, and watch more television (which was a really bad idea, because then I watched all eight seasons of SUPERNATURAL in a row).
But I decided to pick up UNDER THE NEVER SKY because it just seemed like something that would interest me.
And oh, gods, did it.
This book bitch-slapped me out of my slump and set me on a ridiculous path to read as many books as I’d missed out while on my little... vacation.
UNDER THE NEVER SKY takes place in a world where the city dwellers live in a community known as the Reverie, completely excluded from the dangerous outer wasteland, where cannibals feast and the land is swamped with Aether storms. Our protagonist, Aria, gets into a bit of a fight with some very important bastards and gets thrown out of the Reverie, left to fend for herself.
However, she’s not alone for long. ‘Savage’ Perry is on a quest to find someone, and Aria goes along with him to seek out answers and look for her missing mother.
I’m going to be perfectly honest: the beginning of UNDER THE NEVER SKY was no picnic. It was confusing and I had no idea what was going on. I didn’t understand what Aria meant by Pods and the Reverie and Smarteyes and Aether. Hell, I still didn’t even know what the words meant by page one hundred! I would’ve preferred info-dumping to the lack of information in the first half.
But slowly, you began to unravel the meaning behind the words, and that’s when the world building got awesome. It was like someone had wiped and cleaned my finger-print ridden classes soon as I figured it all out.
I KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON AND IT WAS EPIC
The world Rossi had created for her characters was richly imaginative. The science fiction was so engrossing, but the outskirts, outside the enclosed city, was even better. I couldn’t put the book down.
I literally considered skipping math class to hide out in the bathroom and continue reading.
but the bathroom is full of weave and dirty toilet paper and weird moth bugs so I was just like FORGET IT I'LL RUIN THE BOOK'S COVER
The characters all had these realistic backstories and personalities. I didn't like Aria at all for the first half of the book, but as soon as she got her shit together, I really started to appreciate her. Perry I loved as soon as I met him - he was kind of a badass awkward penguin that I couldn't help but adore.
And Roar.
ROAR, YOU GUYS.
okay, so a gif of my baby Castiel exploding probably wasn't my best move ever, but still
There was no insta-love in Perry and Aria's romance, though there was a bit of romantic tension after they became friends. Their relationship was so adorable and realistic, and equal. Perry snapped at Aria when she was being a bitch, Aria called out Perry when he was being aunknowing jerk, and it was all well and good. There were also hysterical moments in their relationship, like when Aria thinks she's dying because she got her period, and Perry is the one who tells her that she's menstruating.
I was crying from laughing so hard.
Roar's relationship with Aria was fantastic, too, because even though he was a flirt, they were just friends, and they both knew it. Roar was in love with someone else, and I'm thankful Rossi didn't pull the dreaded love-triangle card on us.
I loved Rossi's writing. It was pretty and easy to read, going along with the intense world-building perfectly. UNDER THE NEVER SKY is indeed written in third-person with both Aria and Perry's points of view - but their voices were so varying and unique I never had to worry about mixing them up.
Veronica Rossi got me out of a damn slump with this amazing read, and I have her to thank for many months to come.
Also, I blame her for tearing my throats to shreds.
I honest-to-goodness screamed and snorted and squealed my way through this lovely work, and while my throat didn't enjoy the ride, I sure did.
DAMMIT MORIARTY WHAT ARE YOU DOING BACK IN MY REVIEWS
Find this review and more at my blog:
For several months, I’d been a horrendous reading slump - the kind where you have a pile of books to choose from and read, but you actively avoid them all and spend your free time stuffing your face with junk food and watching Netflix.
I’d received a lot of advise for the slump: read novellas, read comedy books, and watch more television (which was a really bad idea, because then I watched all eight seasons of SUPERNATURAL in a row).
But I decided to pick up UNDER THE NEVER SKY because it just seemed like something that would interest me.
And oh, gods, did it.
This book bitch-slapped me out of my slump and set me on a ridiculous path to read as many books as I’d missed out while on my little... vacation.
UNDER THE NEVER SKY takes place in a world where the city dwellers live in a community known as the Reverie, completely excluded from the dangerous outer wasteland, where cannibals feast and the land is swamped with Aether storms. Our protagonist, Aria, gets into a bit of a fight with some very important bastards and gets thrown out of the Reverie, left to fend for herself.
However, she’s not alone for long. ‘Savage’ Perry is on a quest to find someone, and Aria goes along with him to seek out answers and look for her missing mother.
I’m going to be perfectly honest: the beginning of UNDER THE NEVER SKY was no picnic. It was confusing and I had no idea what was going on. I didn’t understand what Aria meant by Pods and the Reverie and Smarteyes and Aether. Hell, I still didn’t even know what the words meant by page one hundred! I would’ve preferred info-dumping to the lack of information in the first half.
But slowly, you began to unravel the meaning behind the words, and that’s when the world building got awesome. It was like someone had wiped and cleaned my finger-print ridden classes soon as I figured it all out.
I KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON AND IT WAS EPIC
The world Rossi had created for her characters was richly imaginative. The science fiction was so engrossing, but the outskirts, outside the enclosed city, was even better. I couldn’t put the book down.
I literally considered skipping math class to hide out in the bathroom and continue reading.
The characters all had these realistic backstories and personalities. I didn't like Aria at all for the first half of the book, but as soon as she got her shit together, I really started to appreciate her. Perry I loved as soon as I met him - he was kind of a badass awkward penguin that I couldn't help but adore.
And Roar.
ROAR, YOU GUYS.
There was no insta-love in Perry and Aria's romance, though there was a bit of romantic tension after they became friends. Their relationship was so adorable and realistic, and equal. Perry snapped at Aria when she was being a bitch, Aria called out Perry when he was being a
I was crying from laughing so hard.
Roar's relationship with Aria was fantastic, too, because even though he was a flirt, they were just friends, and they both knew it. Roar was in love with someone else, and I'm thankful Rossi didn't pull the dreaded love-triangle card on us.
I loved Rossi's writing. It was pretty and easy to read, going along with the intense world-building perfectly. UNDER THE NEVER SKY is indeed written in third-person with both Aria and Perry's points of view - but their voices were so varying and unique I never had to worry about mixing them up.
Veronica Rossi got me out of a damn slump with this amazing read, and I have her to thank for many months to come.
Also, I blame her for tearing my throats to shreds.
I honest-to-goodness screamed and snorted and squealed my way through this lovely work, and while my throat didn't enjoy the ride, I sure did.
Find this review and more at my blog:
January 23, 2012
This kind of review never fails to bring out my shifty, shyster side. (Yes, I certainly do have one).
I tend to think of my reviews for this genre as shoddily assembled, incoherent rambles. And I use the word “genre” there without a modifier because if you take a peek at my shelves for this book, you’ll see that I have absolutely no idea where to put it. That’s right, I probably couldn’t tell the difference between speculative and sci-fi if they walked up to me on the street and punched me in the face.
Let’s just say, I’m out of my comfort zone here. So I do my best to distract people from my complete lack of knowledge with a barrage of emotional response and long tangents.
Look, over there! Adverbs!! *runs away*
Whenever I get the chance to read an entire book in one sitting, I inevitably emerge from it feeling a little drunk and disoriented. Surfacing too quickly after being submerged in a foreign fictional world, I find myself in a bit of a daze, squinting at my flatmate like I can’t remember who she is and having to be reminded to “use my words”.
I loved the experience of being in the world Veronica Rossi has created in Under the Never Sky. She drops the reader in with little in the way of backstory or explanation, to an extent leaving them to stumble around blind and gradually get a feel for the place. But for me, this wasn’t a frustrating experience. It was intriguing - I needed to know more, to push on, to search out answers in the text. And the detail that Rossi does provide is fascinating. She’s taken some familiar concepts and put her own unique slant on them, pushing together two very different worlds to create a setting of extremes.
I’m poorly equipped to examine the technical strengths and weaknesses of Rossi’s worldbuilding, as I’ve already admitted upfront this genre is not exactly my strong point. However from a lay perspective (so to speak), the world of Under the Never Sky reminds me a little of Blood Red Road. Not in that the settings are strikingly similar, but in the sense that both are rich with atmosphere and a curious blend of familiar and strange. The Outside, or the Death Shop, is definitely better realised than Reverie, but that’s probably attributable to the simple fact that the majority of the story takes place there.
Possibly the greatest weakness I found with Under the Never Sky was its opening, and I fear that the first few chapters may struggle to hold the attention of some readers, if not lose them altogether. It wasn’t the loud, punchy, gripping opening I was expecting. The book gets going at more of a saunter than a sprint, and keeps this relatively sedate pace for some time. When the story really hits its stride, it’s good, but the slower build up isn’t going to win over everyone.
On the other hand, the characters are so well developed and carefully crafted that they’re more than up to the task of carrying this story. Both Aria and Perry have the substance that I’ve found lacking in some comparable novels. While I didn’t find both immediately compelling (read: it took me a while to like Aria), they are both strong characters and their interactions felt believable. However, I do want to mention that
Perry’s story and motivations in particular came across loud and clear, probably why I felt invested in him as a character almost straight away.
Add to this the fact there’s more on offer here subject-wise than romance-masquerading-as-dystopia, namely: loyalty, trust, respect, family and visits from “Aunt Irma”, and it’s an entertaining read with some depth.
This could be the read-a-thon high speaking, which I’m yet to come down from, but at the end of the day this book is just a lot of fun to read, and one of the stronger contenders in the recent field of YA sci-fi/post-apoc/dystop that I’ve read. Although, having just made such a big song and dance (er, disclaimer) over how little I have to substantiate my opinion, take that as you will.
As for me, I regret nothing!
I tend to think of my reviews for this genre as shoddily assembled, incoherent rambles. And I use the word “genre” there without a modifier because if you take a peek at my shelves for this book, you’ll see that I have absolutely no idea where to put it. That’s right, I probably couldn’t tell the difference between speculative and sci-fi if they walked up to me on the street and punched me in the face.
Let’s just say, I’m out of my comfort zone here. So I do my best to distract people from my complete lack of knowledge with a barrage of emotional response and long tangents.
Look, over there! Adverbs!! *runs away*
Whenever I get the chance to read an entire book in one sitting, I inevitably emerge from it feeling a little drunk and disoriented. Surfacing too quickly after being submerged in a foreign fictional world, I find myself in a bit of a daze, squinting at my flatmate like I can’t remember who she is and having to be reminded to “use my words”.
I loved the experience of being in the world Veronica Rossi has created in Under the Never Sky. She drops the reader in with little in the way of backstory or explanation, to an extent leaving them to stumble around blind and gradually get a feel for the place. But for me, this wasn’t a frustrating experience. It was intriguing - I needed to know more, to push on, to search out answers in the text. And the detail that Rossi does provide is fascinating. She’s taken some familiar concepts and put her own unique slant on them, pushing together two very different worlds to create a setting of extremes.
I’m poorly equipped to examine the technical strengths and weaknesses of Rossi’s worldbuilding, as I’ve already admitted upfront this genre is not exactly my strong point. However from a lay perspective (so to speak), the world of Under the Never Sky reminds me a little of Blood Red Road. Not in that the settings are strikingly similar, but in the sense that both are rich with atmosphere and a curious blend of familiar and strange. The Outside, or the Death Shop, is definitely better realised than Reverie, but that’s probably attributable to the simple fact that the majority of the story takes place there.
Possibly the greatest weakness I found with Under the Never Sky was its opening, and I fear that the first few chapters may struggle to hold the attention of some readers, if not lose them altogether. It wasn’t the loud, punchy, gripping opening I was expecting. The book gets going at more of a saunter than a sprint, and keeps this relatively sedate pace for some time. When the story really hits its stride, it’s good, but the slower build up isn’t going to win over everyone.
On the other hand, the characters are so well developed and carefully crafted that they’re more than up to the task of carrying this story. Both Aria and Perry have the substance that I’ve found lacking in some comparable novels. While I didn’t find both immediately compelling (read: it took me a while to like Aria), they are both strong characters and their interactions felt believable. However, I do want to mention that
Perry’s story and motivations in particular came across loud and clear, probably why I felt invested in him as a character almost straight away.
Add to this the fact there’s more on offer here subject-wise than romance-masquerading-as-dystopia, namely: loyalty, trust, respect, family and visits from “Aunt Irma”, and it’s an entertaining read with some depth.
This could be the read-a-thon high speaking, which I’m yet to come down from, but at the end of the day this book is just a lot of fun to read, and one of the stronger contenders in the recent field of YA sci-fi/post-apoc/dystop that I’ve read. Although, having just made such a big song and dance (er, disclaimer) over how little I have to substantiate my opinion, take that as you will.
As for me, I regret nothing!
January 14, 2015
During the first few chapters of this book, I was tempted to violate my sacred rule in reading books (finishing a book once I started it). The backdrop of the story seems so alien to me and I felt like I will be reading another measly done dystopian trilogy. But wait, after reading the first few chapters. I have proven myself wrong. Under the Never Sky is an original dystopian novel and is a very strong foundation to a trilogy. So, for fans of dystopian series, this series is a must read.
October 2, 2019
4.25 delighted ★★★★✩
⤐ Overall.
Having added this to my to-read shelf probably a lifetime ago, I still didn't bother checking the synopsis when I started reading this like a week ago for my book club. I just dived in head first, no safety net, no nothing. It was totally worth it, though!
This book is very well planned out, telling a story set in the US of the future. Veronica clearly took care of thinking her book through, and both the plot development and the writing style very much agreed with me. The only criticism I can bring to the table is the fact that up until the end of the book I was still wishing for a tad more world-building.
Be ready for a teenage-angst filled book with lots of smouldering glances and just the right mixture of romance and adventure.
⤐ What’s happening.
Aria knows something is wrong. Her mother is in Bliss, a faraway research unit of Reverie, the remainder of modern civilization - full of technological wonders with a terrible downside. People may look perfect, genetically modified according to their maker's wishes, but sanity is slowly crumbling apart.
Aria has to experience this first hand. Trying to get a hold of her mother, she follows the risky undertaking of a fellow teenage boy who turns into a cruel monster the minute they leave the safety of their controlled environment. Only with the help of Perry does she survive the catastrophe that follows. Her relief lasts a short while, however, when the leaders of her community drop her off in the wilderness and leave her to die. Except Aria doesn't die.
Perry is at constant war with his short-sighted brother and his primal need to take over as the leader of his tribe. When his nephew is taken by the Dwellers - the flawless humans dependent on technology - all he can think of is getting him back. An opportunity to do so arises when Perry crosses paths with the girl he saved from the exploding pod.
Despite their harsh feelings towards each other they strike a deal: Perry will get Aria to Bliss so she can find her mother and she will help him get back Talon. Barely even able to look at each other in the beginning, it still doesn't take long for both of them to leave behind their prejudices and their reservations towards each other.
_____________________
Writing quality + easy of reading = 4*
pace = 5*
plot development = 4*
characters = 4*
enjoyability =5 *
insightfulness = 3*
This book is for you if…ya dystopian novels with fantasy elements and an enemies-to-lovers-trope are just the thing to get you going. It reminded me a bit of Divergent - but not quite as good - and can be described as a better version of Breathe. Should you give this a try I'd advise you to have the sequel at hand.
⤐ Overall.
Having added this to my to-read shelf probably a lifetime ago, I still didn't bother checking the synopsis when I started reading this like a week ago for my book club. I just dived in head first, no safety net, no nothing. It was totally worth it, though!
This book is very well planned out, telling a story set in the US of the future. Veronica clearly took care of thinking her book through, and both the plot development and the writing style very much agreed with me. The only criticism I can bring to the table is the fact that up until the end of the book I was still wishing for a tad more world-building.
Be ready for a teenage-angst filled book with lots of smouldering glances and just the right mixture of romance and adventure.
"if there was no fear, how could there be comfort? or courage?"
⤐ What’s happening.
Aria knows something is wrong. Her mother is in Bliss, a faraway research unit of Reverie, the remainder of modern civilization - full of technological wonders with a terrible downside. People may look perfect, genetically modified according to their maker's wishes, but sanity is slowly crumbling apart.
Aria has to experience this first hand. Trying to get a hold of her mother, she follows the risky undertaking of a fellow teenage boy who turns into a cruel monster the minute they leave the safety of their controlled environment. Only with the help of Perry does she survive the catastrophe that follows. Her relief lasts a short while, however, when the leaders of her community drop her off in the wilderness and leave her to die. Except Aria doesn't die.
Perry is at constant war with his short-sighted brother and his primal need to take over as the leader of his tribe. When his nephew is taken by the Dwellers - the flawless humans dependent on technology - all he can think of is getting him back. An opportunity to do so arises when Perry crosses paths with the girl he saved from the exploding pod.
Despite their harsh feelings towards each other they strike a deal: Perry will get Aria to Bliss so she can find her mother and she will help him get back Talon. Barely even able to look at each other in the beginning, it still doesn't take long for both of them to leave behind their prejudices and their reservations towards each other.
_____________________
Writing quality + easy of reading = 4*
pace = 5*
plot development = 4*
characters = 4*
enjoyability =5 *
insightfulness = 3*
January 3, 2019
I think if I had read this book a couple of years ago, it might’ve become an immediate favourite, because there is a magical kind of innocence to it. With that being said, my current review is probably still going to be biased, (since I never write my reviews on time), and having continued the series, my heart is now bursting with love for these characters.
Admittedly, it took some time getting used to the world, because the author throws you right into the midst of the action with hardly more than a few introductory sentences. There were pros and cons to this – pro in the sense that we avoided the dreaded info dump, and con because we basically lost our training wheels before learning the ropes. But once I got past the weird names and unfamiliar terminology, it was easy to immerse myself in the story.
Under the Never Sky follows a journey-type plotline in a post-apocalyptic setting, and I loved the dual POV between Aria and Perry, which provided an interesting contrasting dynamic. Aria is a Dweller, raised within the walls of a scientifically-engineered dome where 90% of her lifeis (was?) essentially incorporeal. On the other hand, Perry is an Outsider, living among “savages” in real, unprotected wasteland. Neither voice overpowered the other, and I enjoyed both perspectives equally. Despite being third-person, the writing managed to capture the emotions of the characters just as effectively as first-person narration. Plus, I have a particular weakness for enemies-to-lovers from divergent societies, which makes for some amusing banter.
The story was linear and not overly complex, and the worldbuilding took a backseat to character development. I didn’t mind the fact that some technicalities were glossed over – although context was only vaguely implied, the understated plot allowed me to engage with the journey in a more intimate way, by focusing on smaller-scale concepts such as survival, relationships and humanity. The general premise was fascinating enough to keep me hooked – I liked the integration of mutated Senses, and the Aether acted as a credible yet straightforward threat in the post-apocalyptic world; in light of everything, the title is actually very poetic. There are some elements I’m still confused about – even in the following books, the significance of rendering is never properly explained?? And I had a bit of trouble reconciling the Realms with reality; considering the Dwellers spent a majority of their lives fractioning into virtual spaces, it didn’t seem all that feasible in a practical sense. But I loved the irony of Better than Real, which subverted the deceptive utopia and presented an unnerving view of technology + artificial perfection.
The writing itself was unembellished, opting for a more candid method of storytelling. In fact, the first quarter or so of the book was quite blocky / choppy, though the flow improved significantly once we got into the meat of the plot. I noticed some awkwardly phrased lines, but they were few and far between, and there were plenty of heartwarming quotes to compensate. Undoubtedly, the characters made the story; I actually grew to love them so much within a short period of time. I appreciated their multidimensionality – Aria wasn’t the (typically-favoured) badass female lead, but her flaws left room for realistic character development, and her tenacity was admirable.
Perry hid a cinnamon-roll heart beneath his hard exterior, which made the romance SO sweet, and almost kind of coy. 🙃 Not gonna lie though, the whole violets thing was a little weird and too caveman-esque for my liking, but props to the author for including a very relevant part of womanhood. Anyway, the initial slow-burn was well-executed, but then it escalated pretty quickly, which surprised me; I was expecting a more gradual flow into unconditional love, though I still rooted for the characters with all my heart. The romance was simple and beautiful, and it complemented the plot without unnecessarily detracting from the conflict. In the first book, it seems as though Perry places duty above relationships – as hinted by his attitude towards Roar and Liv – so I loved that the series exhibited his emotional growth, as well as Aria’s physical maturity. Speaking of Roar, he was the perfect addition to the trio, and I would clone him 600 times if someone gave me the option. All the side relationships were fleshed out nicely; Perry and Talon had the sweetest bond, which was later echoed in Perry’s subtle protectiveness over Cinder, and Aria and Roar developed their own distinct friendship.
The last few chapters were surprisingly dense, considering the main plot spanned over a week (?) – the month-long time skips could’ve substantiated half a novel. Aria’s was a little abrupt, and I would’ve liked to see her transition into a skilled fighter, instead of it being implied at the very end. But everything set up the necessary foundation for the sequel, and I enjoyed the change in mood and pace. Of course, I’d predicted , but it somehow still came as a shock when , despite the plot obviously heading in that direction.
Even now, I can’t decide which of the three books is my favourite, because each one captures such a different tone. But as a collective, the narrative + character progression were executed seamlessly, and I’m so glad I overcame my cover bias and (finally) decided to pick up this series, because it came as such a pleasant surprise.
-----
pre-review
i kind of miss these old-school YA books,cheesy covers and all, and since i seem to be in a fantasy slump, let's hope a dystopian can get me out of it. plus, i've good things about this so it better not disappoint :)))
it's been like three years since i've read a YA book published before 2012 (i think), and my nostalgic self is crying
Admittedly, it took some time getting used to the world, because the author throws you right into the midst of the action with hardly more than a few introductory sentences. There were pros and cons to this – pro in the sense that we avoided the dreaded info dump, and con because we basically lost our training wheels before learning the ropes. But once I got past the weird names and unfamiliar terminology, it was easy to immerse myself in the story.
Under the Never Sky follows a journey-type plotline in a post-apocalyptic setting, and I loved the dual POV between Aria and Perry, which provided an interesting contrasting dynamic. Aria is a Dweller, raised within the walls of a scientifically-engineered dome where 90% of her life
PERRY: “How old do you think I am, Dweller?”
ARIA: “I’m a little shaky on the fossil record, but I’d say fifty to sixty thousand years.” (lol)
The story was linear and not overly complex, and the worldbuilding took a backseat to character development. I didn’t mind the fact that some technicalities were glossed over – although context was only vaguely implied, the understated plot allowed me to engage with the journey in a more intimate way, by focusing on smaller-scale concepts such as survival, relationships and humanity. The general premise was fascinating enough to keep me hooked – I liked the integration of mutated Senses, and the Aether acted as a credible yet straightforward threat in the post-apocalyptic world; in light of everything, the title is actually very poetic. There are some elements I’m still confused about – even in the following books, the significance of rendering is never properly explained?? And I had a bit of trouble reconciling the Realms with reality; considering the Dwellers spent a majority of their lives fractioning into virtual spaces, it didn’t seem all that feasible in a practical sense. But I loved the irony of Better than Real, which subverted the deceptive utopia and presented an unnerving view of technology + artificial perfection.
“Imagine a world without fear. Was that possible? If there was no fear, how could there be comfort? Or courage?”
The writing itself was unembellished, opting for a more candid method of storytelling. In fact, the first quarter or so of the book was quite blocky / choppy, though the flow improved significantly once we got into the meat of the plot. I noticed some awkwardly phrased lines, but they were few and far between, and there were plenty of heartwarming quotes to compensate. Undoubtedly, the characters made the story; I actually grew to love them so much within a short period of time. I appreciated their multidimensionality – Aria wasn’t the (typically-favoured) badass female lead, but her flaws left room for realistic character development, and her tenacity was admirable.
“This wasn’t the Realms, where a thought delivered a result. But she also knew she’d given herself a better chance. And in life, at least in her new life, chances were the best she could hope for. They were like her rocks. Imperfect and surprising and maybe better in the long run than certainties. Chances, she thought, were life.”
Perry hid a cinnamon-roll heart beneath his hard exterior, which made the romance SO sweet, and almost kind of coy. 🙃 Not gonna lie though, the whole violets thing was a little weird and too caveman-esque for my liking, but props to the author for including a very relevant part of womanhood. Anyway, the initial slow-burn was well-executed, but then it escalated pretty quickly, which surprised me; I was expecting a more gradual flow into unconditional love, though I still rooted for the characters with all my heart. The romance was simple and beautiful, and it complemented the plot without unnecessarily detracting from the conflict. In the first book, it seems as though Perry places duty above relationships – as hinted by his attitude towards Roar and Liv – so I loved that the series exhibited his emotional growth, as well as Aria’s physical maturity. Speaking of Roar, he was the perfect addition to the trio, and I would clone him 600 times if someone gave me the option. All the side relationships were fleshed out nicely; Perry and Talon had the sweetest bond, which was later echoed in Perry’s subtle protectiveness over Cinder, and Aria and Roar developed their own distinct friendship.
The last few chapters were surprisingly dense, considering the main plot spanned over a week (?) – the month-long time skips could’ve substantiated half a novel. Aria’s was a little abrupt, and I would’ve liked to see her transition into a skilled fighter, instead of it being implied at the very end. But everything set up the necessary foundation for the sequel, and I enjoyed the change in mood and pace. Of course, I’d predicted , but it somehow still came as a shock when , despite the plot obviously heading in that direction.
Even now, I can’t decide which of the three books is my favourite, because each one captures such a different tone. But as a collective, the narrative + character progression were executed seamlessly, and I’m so glad I overcame my cover bias and (finally) decided to pick up this series, because it came as such a pleasant surprise.
-----
pre-review
i kind of miss these old-school YA books,
it's been like three years since i've read a YA book published before 2012 (i think), and my nostalgic self is crying
January 1, 2018
Sale Alert January Book Deal for $1.99 on Amazon
I like it when an author can write from various PoV and I never have to look back at the front of the chapter to remember who is speaking. I have read a few books where every character sounds the same in there chapters and I never experienced that in Rossi's writing.
This is a fun easy read. Rossi doesn't shove a bunch of background dialog about how thing became what they are you learn through the story and some things you figure out on your own. It took me a few chapters to get an idea forming in my head of how this world worked. It starts out in a slightly obscure place. But I kept my mind open and let the world form chapter by chapter and then I was hooked.
This is one of those few books I really liked both the main charactors. I think for a lot of people there feelings on the book will rest soley on do they like Perry and Aria. I very much did.
I enjoyed that not all of the mystery of what the Aether is was explained right away, it is this mysterious atmospheric shift that ebs and flows like the tides or the ocean. The storms of it are horrible and scorch the earth. The evolution of the people was interesting those on the outside evolved one way the those on the inside elvolved almost opposite possible because of the Aether.
The growth of Aria coming from the inside being cast out into the world of savages was great. It wasn't all at once she is a bad ass it took time for her muscles to change for her to learn how to get food for herself and grow into her 'real' life. It grows, you see her go from a soft Dweller to an Outsider or 1/2 Outsider. She is trying to find her place and learn as much as she can along the way. Perry seems harsh at the start but he clearly is a protector. His loyalty is like non other it is fierce and unwavering to those he gives it to. It was hard not to like him.
So if you like light romance with some scifi/adventure mixed in a slightly dystopic world this is the book for you.
I like it when an author can write from various PoV and I never have to look back at the front of the chapter to remember who is speaking. I have read a few books where every character sounds the same in there chapters and I never experienced that in Rossi's writing.
This is a fun easy read. Rossi doesn't shove a bunch of background dialog about how thing became what they are you learn through the story and some things you figure out on your own. It took me a few chapters to get an idea forming in my head of how this world worked. It starts out in a slightly obscure place. But I kept my mind open and let the world form chapter by chapter and then I was hooked.
This is one of those few books I really liked both the main charactors. I think for a lot of people there feelings on the book will rest soley on do they like Perry and Aria. I very much did.
I enjoyed that not all of the mystery of what the Aether is was explained right away, it is this mysterious atmospheric shift that ebs and flows like the tides or the ocean. The storms of it are horrible and scorch the earth. The evolution of the people was interesting those on the outside evolved one way the those on the inside elvolved almost opposite possible because of the Aether.
The growth of Aria coming from the inside being cast out into the world of savages was great. It wasn't all at once she is a bad ass it took time for her muscles to change for her to learn how to get food for herself and grow into her 'real' life. It grows, you see her go from a soft Dweller to an Outsider or 1/2 Outsider. She is trying to find her place and learn as much as she can along the way. Perry seems harsh at the start but he clearly is a protector. His loyalty is like non other it is fierce and unwavering to those he gives it to. It was hard not to like him.
So if you like light romance with some scifi/adventure mixed in a slightly dystopic world this is the book for you.
June 5, 2015
3.5
Well color me surprised.
I'm at a lost...like...seriously. Look, after those first few pages I expected this to be pure and utter shit. Abominable shit at that. I mean, seriously, that was an awful beginning. Atrocious! I had to push through. And I only did so because everyone loved this. Tons of friends kept saying it'd get better. I'll let you in on a little secret. I did not believe my friends. I had you all for liars cause I could not for the life of me get how in the world this could get better! But, oh did it get better. It got loads better. It got awesome!
Again I say, color me surprised!
These characters were freaking Amazing! While I was not a fan of Aria in the beginning because everyone in those first few pages were as flat as my ass, she managed to grow on me, heck by the end I was so rooting for her.
I think saying I adored Perry is too little for what I felt for him. I adored this character and all his choices from start to finish. I love what he brought to the story, his attitude toward Aria, his friendship with Roar, his love for Talon, and his feral need to fight, conquer, and lead.
Like I mentioned before, I didn't like her for the most part of the book. This woman annoyed the living bejesus outta me. But if there's something I can appreciate is character growth. And she had just that. The book didn't just showcase her incessant weakness or whining. No, she grew strong, she grew fierce and she grew powerful.
The Romance:
I think what I loved most was the fact that this was basically my favorite contemporary trope brought into the awesomeness that is a dystopian world.
Enemies to lovers.
Their hate and disgust slowly grew into acceptance for they needed each other to find their loved ones. Then that acceptance kindled a wary friendship which set fire to an amazing love.
World building:
Breathtakingly beautiful landscapes you can vividly imagine thanks to the author's writing. From the dry deserts to the evocative forests to the deserted homes to the aether storms. Lifelike details that brought this story alive.
Now this wasn't perfect.
⇨That beginning left a lot to be desired.
⇨Words that we won't ever find the meaning to: mega-regess, zap, champ, streaked, barmy, burr
⇨No backstory to why the world goes round
⇨There was a time it got too mushy
But in the end I'd read that beginning again just to experience the fun I had for the rest of the ride ❤
Well color me surprised.
I'm at a lost...like...seriously. Look, after those first few pages I expected this to be pure and utter shit. Abominable shit at that. I mean, seriously, that was an awful beginning. Atrocious! I had to push through. And I only did so because everyone loved this. Tons of friends kept saying it'd get better. I'll let you in on a little secret. I did not believe my friends. I had you all for liars cause I could not for the life of me get how in the world this could get better! But, oh did it get better. It got loads better. It got awesome!
Again I say, color me surprised!
These characters were freaking Amazing! While I was not a fan of Aria in the beginning because everyone in those first few pages were as flat as my ass, she managed to grow on me, heck by the end I was so rooting for her.
“Killing a man should be more different than killing a game. It was not.”
I think saying I adored Perry is too little for what I felt for him. I adored this character and all his choices from start to finish. I love what he brought to the story, his attitude toward Aria, his friendship with Roar, his love for Talon, and his feral need to fight, conquer, and lead.
“She knew how to put one foot in front of the other even when every step hurt. And she knew there was pain in the journey, but there was also great beauty.”
Like I mentioned before, I didn't like her for the most part of the book. This woman annoyed the living bejesus outta me. But if there's something I can appreciate is character growth. And she had just that. The book didn't just showcase her incessant weakness or whining. No, she grew strong, she grew fierce and she grew powerful.
“And in life, at least in her new life, chances were the best she could hope for. They were like her rocks. Imperfect and surprising and maybe better in the long run than certainties.”
The Romance:
“She found it curious and frightening that she could deeply dislike someone she didn’t even know. It wasn’t her. At least, it wasn’t how she used to be.”
I think what I loved most was the fact that this was basically my favorite contemporary trope brought into the awesomeness that is a dystopian world.
Enemies to lovers.
“She looked up. “A world of nevers under a never sky.”
She fit in well then, he thought. A girl who never shut up.”
Their hate and disgust slowly grew into acceptance for they needed each other to find their loved ones. Then that acceptance kindled a wary friendship which set fire to an amazing love.
“That was my first kiss," she said. "My first real one."
He brought his head close, resting his forehead on hers. Blond waves fell around her face, soft against her cheeks. His chest rose and fell as he drew in a breath. "Felt like the first real one for me, too.”
World building:
Breathtakingly beautiful landscapes you can vividly imagine thanks to the author's writing. From the dry deserts to the evocative forests to the deserted homes to the aether storms. Lifelike details that brought this story alive.
Now this wasn't perfect.
⇨That beginning left a lot to be desired.
⇨Words that we won't ever find the meaning to: mega-regess, zap, champ, streaked, barmy, burr
⇨No backstory to why the world goes round
⇨There was a time it got too mushy
But in the end I'd read that beginning again just to experience the fun I had for the rest of the ride ❤
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