Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1)

I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. At first, I wasn't feeling it. Immediately, there were a lot of terms introduced that had to do with the world and I had no idea what any of them meant. The first
few chapters were a little ehhh for me. I know that a lot of people were immediately swept away by the beginning, but I had a hard time keeping up. After that, though, it was a pretty good ride. The worldbuilding may not have been the most original. The plot may not have been the most exhilarating. But underneath that there was brilliant writing that seriously sucked me deep into the world of Aria and Perry.


When I discovered that the narration was third person I was upset. When I discovered it was third person and it alternated between Perry and Aria I was even more upset. Generally, I don't like those types of books, but this one really worked well. It switched at all the right places - not too often, not too scarcely - and really helped readers get to know both of the characters. In the end, it was used to tie together the story lines and conflicts, not just to add action.

My favorite part of this book would be the romance between Perry and Aria. Not because I'm a romance freak, though that has something to do with it. But I think more YA romances should be like theirs. It progressed slowly and naturally, giving readers time to really root for their relationship. After 100 pages, Perry still hadn't told Aria his name. I love love loveddd how it took time for them to trust one another. It got to the point that the first time they kissed, my stomach was in knots because I was so excited! And then, here's the best part: Even though they fell in love, they maintained their individual goals and aspirations.

The character development was absolutely phenomenal, in my opinion. All of the characters grew tremendously, but especially Perry and Aria. Aria started out clueless about the real world. She's lived her entire life in the Realms where everything is generated. She doesn't know real pain and she has never seen a real rock. Perry has trust and self-deprecation issues. He thinks that he really is a Savage, and he thinks that he is cursed and that everyone he loves is doomed, pretty much. These two characters change each other so so so much. At the end, Aria is tough and determined and just made of win. Perry knows what it is like to really love and he knows that he has to do what he has to do to care for his tribe. I can't say for certain who my favorite character was, though, because they were all pretty kickass.

As I said before, the world wasn't that original. The technology had pretty much all been done before, but I still really enjoyed reading about it and learning more about the Pods. I'd recommend this to those who enjoyed Scott Westerfeld's Uglies trilogy and Robin Wasserman's Cold Awakening trilogy.

I couldn't believe how addicted I became to this book. I was utterly absorbed in the words and the story. The writing was very vivid and the plot, while not entirely unique or mind-blowing was still interesting. The action was tense and heart-pounding, and the conclusion was wrapped up nicely while leaving a TON open for the next book. The ending was not necessarily a cliffhanger exactly, but it still left me anxious for the next installment.

This was the last book I read in 2011 and I think it was a fabulous finale. This is a debut that I think true dystopian-lovers will really enjoy.

What to say about Under the Never Sky - a fast-paced novel that nearly knocked me off my feet...well...

I really want to say "where have you been all my life," but since the book just came out this month it would be kind of inappropriate. So I'll stick with this:

I simply adore this book. I have been waiting rather impatiently for an original ya book that sucks the life out of me because it is so good. And yes, maybe my days being a demanding whiny reader gave me bad karma. But I must have been doing something right because I read Under the Never Sky. The majority of the characters were multi-demensional and I fell in love with both POV's: Peregrine and Aria. The world is vast - half futuristic and the other half archaic. Most of the time I could picture everything, and in places I couldn't I allowed my imagination to fill in the gaps. I pictured a "Game of Thrones" type of world in the Outsider territory, but that was just my take.

My favorite part of this book had to be Peregrine. While I was reading I had this biting feeling at the back of my head. It was like Peregrine reminded me of someone I couldn't put my finger on, but not in an unoriginal sort of way. Then, by the time I finished the book, I realized who it was. If you have ever seen BBC's Merlin then picture the Young King Arthur. Maybe not in looks, but in character Peregrine completely captures his soul. He's a very good warrior and extremely loyal, and sometimes that is his greatest weakness. As is with Peregrine.

Overall, this book was fantastic and I would suggest it to anyone who enjoys action with a little slice of romance. Now I'm hoping that my karma balance doesn't tilt for the worse. I have to go spray some of my karma spray (yes, I have some from a friend who gave it to me in the eighth grade. Don't laugh - it was all the rage in middle school).

I received the ARC of this book.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I opened UNDER THE NEVER SKY, just that I knew I wanted it because I kept hearing such fantastic things about it from the people at HarperCollins and anyone else who’d ever come in contact with it. Also, the cover wooed me. I love pretty covers.

I went in expecting to be wowed. And I was.

UNDER THE NEVER SKY has some of the most intriguing and unique post-apocalyptic and dystopian worldbuilding I’ve seen in a long time. Veronica Rossi created not one world, but two detailed worlds for her characters to explore, both with their benefits and dangers.

After the Unity and the Aether took over the sky, people built giant domes and retreated to the safety of the most advanced virtual reality you can imagine, so advanced it’s real — “Better than Real.” They spend their time fractioning between Realms of forests, medieval castles, grand opera houses, and anything else they can imagine.

The rest of humanity stayed outside under the Aether, broke up into tribes, and somehow began developing extra powerful senses, like the ability to smell emotions, or see impossibly far things, or hear animals moving beneath the ground.

After an accident and murders that weren’t her fault, Aria is exiled from her city and dropped into the wasteland beneath the Aether, where she meets Peregrine, who’s just left his tribe and looking for redemption.

Aria is searching for a way to clear her name and reach her mother. Perry needs to help his tribe. As unlikely as it seems, they can help each other.

One of the things I loved about UNDER THE NEVER SKY was how determined these characters were to succeed in spite of each other. Perry is a scarred-up and scary Savage who won’t tell her anything she needs to know. And Aria is a weak, snobby Dweller who doesn’t know the first thing about survival and will probably get them both killed. –At least that’s how they seem to each other.

Veronica switches between their points of view, and I love how we get a look at the world and characters from each pair of eyes. To Aria, the world outside the domes is terrifying and huge and so real. To Perry, it’s just life.

UNDER THE NEVER SKY left me with so many delicious questions. What is that little smidge of hope Veronica mentioned? And how did the Unity happen? I want to know more about the Marked and the problem in the domes. I can’t wait to read books two and three to learn more about this fascinating world.

This is a nice, solid debut from Ms. Rossi. I really enjoyed the intriguing premise, the world building, and the way the heroine moved from a sort of spectator in life to an active participant who found the courage to risk everything for those she loved. I didn't care for the hero for the first half of the book, but then he really grew on me. I also wanted the linger a bit longer in the end to really savor the romance and understand the conclusion. But those small things didn't take away from the overall effect. This is a good book and is worth reading.