Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Release Date: 3rd January, 2012

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 376pgs

The Story

Exiled from her safe home in the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria finds herself in the outer wastelands known as the Death Shop. If the cannibals don't get her, the violet energy storms will. There she meets a savage, an Outsider named Perry - wild, dangerous - who is her only chance of survival.

But Perry needs Aria, too, and they are forced into an unlikely alliance that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

The Review

With all the huge hype surrounding Veronica Rossi's debut novel UNDER THE NEVER SKY, it's very hard not to go out and buy it immediately, especially when your favourite blogger friends (you know who you are) WANT you to read it and see for yourself what they're talking about! After some umm-ing and ahh-ing, I finally bought myself a copy of the book and dove straight into the action. The hype wasn't wrong - not in the slightest way. With a strong and likable mix of dystopian elements, interesting and new technologies not seen before in the young adult genre, mesmerizing adventures in the deserts, UNDER THE NEVER SKY will sure not disappoint readers!

UNDER THE NEVER SKY is told in two perspectives of Aria and Perry, two teenagers set apart from two very different worlds, and it was also told in a third POV which I love reading lately. For Aria, she lives in a place - one where she's spent her entire life in - called Reverie, a closed off world away from the outside one, where lands have fallen victim to the Aether storms, a form of strange lightning storms that have destroyed everything in its path. After being falsely accused of a crime she did not mean to committ, Aria is banished from Reverie and left stranded to fend for herself on the outside of her world. With so little survive skills on her side, Aria must try and stay alive for herself, and for her mother that she fears is missing. Perry on the other side, unlike Aria, is one of the many members of a Tribe and he has spent his entire life in the Outside world. Gifted with the ability of super smelling senses (yes it's sad but true) and seeing more than what the human eye can see, he is among the most elite of people within his community and one of the most respected as well. But as Fate turns into the unexpected, leading these two teens to finally meet in the most strangest of all circumstances, everything changes for better and for worse.

At first I wasn't entirely sure what to think about Aria's character. Being a little confused by her world at the beginning of the novel, Aria tended to be a little headstrong and naive at times, more than I would've liked. However, as the story slowly progresses and becomes something much more than I originally anticipated, she soon became a very strong young woman, gave into her own and became someone you could and would admire. From a naive character to one learning about the outside world far from her own - where things are all about the survivor of the fittest involving cut-throat tribal members who like to throw knives around and not needing technology to dictate their lives - Aria managed pretty well for someone with no idea of their culture. Surprisingly too well, I thought. Then, of course, there's the one and only, Perry. He alone is mostly responsible for her change of heart.

Perry . . . Perry . . . Perry . . . He was a much tolerable character than Aria ever was. And a much more believable one at that. He's a sometimes-sexy-caveman (yes I just called him that but he is a caveman), he's sometimes-scary, he's sometimes-intimidating, and he's the kind of guy with the sometimes-sweet-complex personality, and I could completely understand why so many fans of this book loved Perry for what he is and what he stands for in his tribal community. His dedication alone is beautiful to read about and not to mention his not so much insta-love with Aria. But despite his perfections, the only thing I didn't seem attracted to was his 'smelling sensing' abilities. I don't know about you guys who loved him . . . but if I were to eventually fall in love with someone like Perry, I don't want a boy smelling me. Not offence but I'm not crack. I don't care if I smell like violets . . . it's just not acceptable. Moving past that, Perry was awesome and a non-fearless dude. He has my respect.

While I loved the book, another problem other than Perry's nice-to-smell-ya abilities, there was also a certain something that happened to Aria in the book. For those who've read this scene . . . you will know what I'm talking about here and I'm not the only one who thought it was strange. It was something that she wasn't told about (God knows why). Something about women's problems. Something that happens to every women every time of the month if you know what I mean (God knows why she didn't know this). When I read about it, I had to double check the paragraphs to see if that was what actually happen . . . and honestly . . . I didn't see the point of it. I didn't understand why Aria was never told about it. It was silly. Then back to Perry's smelling abilities . . . That. Was. So. Awkward. Anyway, when you look past those awkward moments within the book, you will fall in love with this book so much, along with its main and supporting casts. The supporting cast were great and I loved them all.

Overall UNDER THE NEVER SKY is an imaginative, interesting wild ride with plenty of great twists and turns that make you want want WANT to read more and more. And like every single reader I've come across, I too cannot wait to see what Rossi has installed for us next in the sequel! I'm sure anything she writes is bound to be EPIC!

The Rating

4/5 stars