ARC Revew: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Title: Under The Never Sky
Series: Debut!
Author: Veronica Rossi | Website
Available: Now
Genre: Dystopian
Reading Level: YA
Source: Vine










Description via Goodreads:


Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction. 

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions. 

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers a barbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY.


My thoughts:


Under the Never Sky is another up and coming dystopian release that seems to be building all kinds of hype. After my not so great experience with another dystopian title, that was also recently released and greatly hyped, I was worried Under the Never Sky would be another fail for me. I adore dystopian so I hoped this wouldn't be the case. Imagine my anxiety when after 50 pages I still wasn't enjoying this book (that was supposed to be so full of awesomeness) much at all. I just didn't get it. Where was this world they were living in? What was going on? What is a realm and why do they have them? To say the world was confusing would be a HUGE understatement. Then it clicked, and I spent the remainder of my time reading Under the Never Sky in complete and total love. I'm so glad I didn't toss this book on the DNF pile.

Under the Never Sky alternates between two points of view, Aria and Perry. * cue dreamy sighs and swooning * They don't really talk much about the why's or how's the world came to be in the shape it is because they don't know. Some of the human population also has abilities that I initially mistook as something a little more magical and fantasy appropriate because of the use of the word Seer. As I read, I discovered this was not magic and more likely the adaption of humans overtime due to the new and most definitely not improved environment they were forced to inhabit. At least that was my take. This combined with the confusing world and strange language is where my initial confusion and inability to really connect with the novel stemmed from. Thankfully once that was all cleared up I was left with nothing but smooth reading.

Other reviews I've read call Aria unlikeable. I didn't find this to be the case. I really enjoyed her. She finds herself forced out of the enclosed facility she calls home in order to cover-up some crazy behavior by one of the powerful resident's son. She is forced into the scary world nicknamed The Death Shop. It is there she meets Perry who will need her help to break into the home she was just exiled from. Perry isn't exactly the nicest guy to be around initially, but like Aria he is under a lot of stress and seems to think it is her fault. They find themselves on a dangerous journey across the devastated world they call home. She is overwhelmed with concern for her mother who left on a mission and hasn't made contact in an unusual amount of time. Girl has a lot on her mind!

Perry kind of encompasses an awesomeness that is difficult to put into words. He is the epitome of protective badass, and I might be in love. While reading it is hard to picture him as an 18-year-old boy. He has experienced so much loss and devastation. I loved that there was no insta-love between him and Aria. He actually commented on her offensive "Dweller" odor on more than one occasion. Even though he thought she smelled bad, I could see why they were perfect for each other from the start. Their romance is reason enough to pick up this book.

Under the Never Sky also contains a fascinating cast of secondary characters you won't want to miss. I won't go into detail on each, but will say they are beautifully unique and add a layer of depth to this complex world.

While I didn't love Under the Never Sky like I did The Hunger Games or Divergent, it is a solid read and one I think most dystopian fans will definitely enjoy. I did feel the introduction to Aria's world could have been better. The world and language took quite a bit of time to get used to and unfortunately distracted from my initial enjoyment.

Will I continue this series? Heck yeah! The ending sets us up perfectly for the next installment without leaving us hanging (too much). I'm sure I'll devour the next in the series much easier now that the world building that slowed down book one is out of the way. 


Parental POV : Under the Never Sky does contain violence and sexual situations. They also briefly talk about menstruation and fertility. Boys might find this is an ick factor. With that said, I felt Veronica Rossi handled both topics tastefully. Mega kudos for her!

My Rating: