Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (Under the Never Sky #1)

Title: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Published: January 3^rd, 2012 by Harper Collins

Source: Puchased for Audible

Format: Audio book narrated by Bernadette Dunne Flagler

Group age: Young adult

Genre: Dystopian

Challenge(s): 2013 Dystopian

Grade rate: A

WORLDS KEPT THEM APART. DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER. Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim. Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive. If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers. 

My Review

I’ve had an amazing luck with my reading choices lately, I haven’t graded a book below “B” for a while now and this one is no different.  My only question is: why did I wait this long to read it?  Under the Never Sky is SO INCREDIBLY GOOD!

I have to confess that I picked this book from the library months ago and after reading the first chapters, I called it quits.  I wasn’t interested in the characters and the story was so strange and that initial chapters were kind of scary.  After so many blogger raved about this series, I decided to give it another try.  I’m glad I did!  I really enjoyed the audio book and it made the “reading” more entertaining for me. 

Besides the characters, I think what I loved the most was the world that Rossi constructed.  I like that the current generation know why the world is different now and how things used to be before the Aether storms. The survivors also preserved their technology, which is often not the case in dystopia.  I loved the new concepts, such as Dwellers and Outsiders and the evolution and de-evolution of each of them.  It was a fascinating world and I hope to visit again soon.

The characterization, as I mentioned above was outstanding.  The story is told in the third person, from alternating POVs, form Perry and Aria’s perspectives.  I really enjoyed this style as it allows me a better insight of the characters and their surroundings.  Aria is 17 and she has lived in a domed city all of her life, visiting virtual places and having whatever she needs at hand’s reach.  On the opposite side Peregrine (Perry) is an Outsider and brother to the Blood Lord of his clan.  These two unlikely characters meet and unite out of necessity; they each need to find someone and also their survival depends on it.  I simply loved brave and pragmatic Aria.  I would not have been able to walk all that distance with blisters on my feet for sure!  Perry is so brave, so tough, loyal and just plain awesome.  I am glad that their ‘liking’ for each other came gradually instead of being instant. The character I loved the most after our protagonists was Roar (I can’t wait to meet Liv!)

The writing is brilliant and although I found the plot to be a bit slow at first, I understand that the world-building was necessary for the reader to understand this new world.  The plot itself is full of twists and turns too, I did not see any of it coming ;) I cannot wait to read Through the Ever Night, book two in the series, which I already got for my Kindle.

About the cover:  Love it!!  It portraits Aria and an Aether storm in the background.

Have you read this series?  Do you love it?  Why or why not?

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