Veronica Rossi

Under the Never Sky

Aleks

Monicap

THIRD TIME I READ THIS-- I still loved it. What can I say? It's a damn good book.

Let’s just take a moment and say thank you for this beautiful book.
*Bows head for a moment of silence*
Okay, now we get to the good stuff:

Point 1. Perry is no platypus. He is way to freaking AWESOME. I just love him.

Point 2. Aria’s name is pretty ironic. For those of you who, unlike me, don’t have a hobby involving knowing the meanings of several names, let’s take a moment and review: the name Aria means song. Now, three guesses as to what the character Aria is talented at. 
If you guessed singing, you would be correct.

Point 3. Talon is the cutest little bundle of boy ever.

Point 4. Everyone knows the trademark of Dystopic books it the totalitarian government, where everything is strictly regimented so that everyone is perfectly ‘equal’ which leads to the eventual fall if said society.
Despite this book being dystopic, that trademark plot point is largely missing from this book, as they spend most of their time ‘outside’. 
It was actually quite a refreshing change.

Point 5. One might think words like Scire and Blood Lord would be strange to someone who mostly reads about vampires and werewolves. This is true. But there actually are a couple of people in my life that I expect to use words like that.
What kind of nerds do I know that I expect them to say things like Scire and Blood Lord? Well, my brothers, of course.

Point 6. Yes. They kiss. It’s actually really sweet.

Point 7. Now, the people in this book are strange, to say the least. At least every other person we meet on the outside has some power (Extreme senses, i.e. sight, smell, hearing). Nearly everyone we know from the inside (which, admittedly, are few) has DLS. Degenerative Limbic Syndrome. It seems that people have stopped using their Limbic system (if you don’t know what that is, take psychology. It’s actually a cool class) and, in doing so, it has degenerated. So now, people’s instincts are all off, resulting in widespread psychopathy, example: Soren.

Yeah. This book was stinking good.

Can sooo not wait to read the next one.

Oh, yes, before I forget: this book is told in third person.


Previous times read: 
August 2012
December 2012

Mel 

It took me a while to get into this book but I ended up really enjoying this one.
It’s set in a post apocalyptic world and kind of feels like a reverse Pocahontas. For some reason, it was really hard for me to picture this world in my head and how it all looked like. I wish there was a bit more world building as I still even now feel very confused about how this world works.
I loved Perry and thought he was the sweetest. I loved learning about his world and his family dynamic. I also really enjoyed Aria as a character and Roar, Cinder and Marron. 
I’m interested to see what happens in the next book because there’s still a lot we don’t know!

Mark-Olivier

It is a reread. I remembered really liking this serie when it first came out around 2012. 
Now that I have reread it… I can understand younger me but it doesn’t deserve a super-freaking 5 stars as I would have said at that time. 
It is cringe. Perry and Arya being “enemy” than not so much after just a little while. 
Except that, the story was good. I liked how there were two worlds in one : outside and the reverie. How they had to start understanding each other. <spoiler> also, I really liked how Arya was changing and adapting to her environment. Slowly, we see her being more an outsider. It was really cool” </spoiler>
The first book was good. Roar and Arya were funny. The development was good. 
It wasn’t a 5 stars because the book screamed “2010 dystopia”. Even if it was an era to remember, it was cringey and “under the never sky” didn’t escape from it

"Aria and Perry, two teens from radically different societies--one highly advanced, the other primitive--hate being dependent on one another until they overcome their prejudices and fall in love, knowing they can't stay together"--

Under the never sky

Natasha Musa

I quite like this book cause it was such an easy read. I liked the characters, the storyline, the dystopian setting and thought the pacing was alright. It's been a while since I read young adult fiction and this was a good book to restart my YA reading habit. Hands down my favorite character is definitely Roar and absolutely love Perry and Aria's chemistry. Am picking up the second book tomorrow.

Leah Patton

I wasn't sure about this book but by the end I found myself thinking about it and reminiscing and it gave me that warm feeling right in my heart!

Flavia Louise

3.75 stars
Because it needed some time to get interesting and because I am not fully hooked (yet).

Maggie El Lethy

I liked it, reminded me of divergent if you liked that book than read this... Can't wait till I get my hands on the second book

Alexandra Mellas

Publication Date: February 7th, 2012
Publisher: Atom
ISBN: 1907411054 
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Romance/Dystopian/Adventure
Lootability: ***

In her debut novel for Young Adults, Veronica Rossi explores what it means to truly interact with the world around you after a lifetime of isolation within a virtual world. 
Aria has spent her life living within the small dome of Reverie, making things more beautiful and more exotic through the use of virtual reality and living in fear of the outside. Then her mother goes missing and Aria finds herself exiled from Reverie and relying on strange, uncouth Outsider Perry for help.

What I Liked: Aria and Perry were naturally antagonist in the beginning, seeing in each other everything they know to fear from the unknown world. But, with only a short time to get to know each other, Rossi creates a believable sequence of events that would make friends of anyone.
Rossi has tackled the idea of a world of virtual reality and gone straight to the crux of the issue: in a world where nothing is real, how can you tell the truth from the lies?

Characterwise, it was Perry's best friend Roar who was the easiest to like. He was open, friendly and loyal. He was also the only character who wasn't carrying a damaging amount of bitterness towards life's lot. 

What I Didn't Like: So, ummm, Aria, what's the deal with the domes, the Aether, the Unity, the Outsiders, and ummm, every other aspect of your world's history? I need some more to go on please!
I would, at least, like to know what the (regularly mentioned and never explained) Aether is and how it destroyed your world?

The plot progressed well enough but if you want to write a post-apocalyptic story, with some much potential, then I'm going to expect a little more world building from you.
Especially with so many options! Flammable gas clouds created by global warming, remenants of a nuclear war (which would explain the necessity of the Domes and the extra sensory mutations of the Outsiders), what about a radical change in the Earth's axis throwing us closer, or further away from the sun? A lethal, and visible, highly contagious disease? I wanted more!

Read More: http://raidingbookshelves.blogspot.co...

María Belén

I found this boring, it was sort of slow from the beginning and I really didn't care for the characters. It isn't a bad book, it just didn't do it for me.

laura

Very strong book loved both characters but i want more world building next book!

Lonneke

This was really suprising! I expected it to be a bit trashy since it came out during the time that thousand dystopias were being published because of the success of The Hunger Game, but it was really good. It definitely has some typical YA thropes, but they aren't badly executed so if you enjoy reading YA that shouldn't be a problem. I loved how Aria has grown in only 350 pages. It also felt like the author had a clear intent for where the story should go instead of there being a second/third book for sales without a real reasoning behind it so I can't wait to continue the series.

Reading this directly after A Torch Against the Night also made me realize I really enjoy stories where the main character(s) have to travel through (destroyed) lands to get somewhere. Might be a weird story plot to look for, but if people have recommendations hit me up :').

valentina 🕯️

Dear God, hacía tanto tiempo que una saga no me atrapaba que volverlo a sentir ha sido hermoso. Debo decir que no me esperaba esto de los libros, me esperaba algo mas romanticon y no tanta intriga en un solo libro. Aunque no me molestó la parte romantica (en realidad me encanto) me gusto aun mas que la autora no solo se centra en la relación de Perry y Aria sino que tambien empieza a explorar otros lados de la historia, lo cual me parece increible.

Este libro llamo mi antención porque, increiblemente, la autora y yo compartimos el mismo apellido y me dijo que tenia que leerlo en algun momento de mi vida, y bueno, este momento fue ahora. Adelantandome un poco ya empecé el segundo y debo decirlos que sigo amando los libros y no veo la hora de terminarlos pronto así que espero si no lo han hecho, animense a leerlos, de verdad que si valen la pena

Izzy

Lisa Collins

Guys! Hi! I finally read Under the Never Sky. I didn’t even try writing a normal review, but instead did it in list format because my thoughts aren’t gluing together. These aren’t in any particular order. Onward!

--Woah! I didn’t realize how much went down in this book. Reading it was super fun and entertaining, but it’s so easy to not pay attention to how much is actually going on. After I finished I looked back and was just flabbergasted at how much Aria and Perry had been through and how much time really did elapse. Oh man.


--I knew from the very beginning that the sky was basically made up of Aether (I mean, it’s called the “Never Sky” for a reason), but I didn’t realize the people in the story had special senses. Not special senses, technically, but significantly sharpened senses. It sort of came as a shock to me… but not a bad one. I feel like I should have known it, honestly. (Don’t worry. That sounds like it should be a spoiler, but it’s not.)


--Aria was not the annoying heroine that I thought she was going to be. I mean, a couple times I was like “Suck it up!”, but I was also fully aware that if I were put in those situations I probably wouldn’t suck it up either. Aria was a powerful character and I like that. I don’t mean powerful like “Oh, she can beat someone up!”… but more of a mental power. She just doesn’t give up. She has a lot of willpower. I like that a lot.


--I really liked Perry as well. It really stuck with me how vulnerable Perry was. On one hand he was this physically big, strong guy who could scare just about anyone out of their pants… on the other hand he was caring and self sacrificing and also completely unsure about life. Also, he cried at least twice in this book, which was refreshing. It proves that a character can be a badass and also not completely emotionless.


--Science! I love it when books use science to their advantage, and this one certainly did. I can’t really elaborate without spoiling it for people who haven’t read the book. Just… science.




(view spoiler)[--How did Aria know Perry can’t read? Like, was it something she just sort of picked up on? That’s all fine and dandy, I’m cool with that, but there wasn’t really an explanation. At the beginning Perry thought something about not wanting her to know he never learned to read and then later in the story Aria thought something about Perry not being able to read. But there was never any connecting thread. He never told her and she never had an Aha! moment. Unless I missed it? Someone let me know. (hide spoiler)]



So yeah. If it’s not obvious by my scattered review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading Under the Never Sky. It was kind of the full package as far as books go and I’m glad I read it finally. One bad thing is now I’m not really that pumped to read the next book. I want to, but I don’t feel any particular rush. Nevertheless, I definitely recommend this one. It deserves the hype. Let’s hope the rest of the series stands up to that.

Barbara Rosas

4.5 esta muy bien escrita y la historia es muy original pero aún así algo no me hizo estar colgada del libro.

estefania sanchez sanz

Actually this book has 348 pages not 448 in his italian version

Hannah

I kept thinking I would give it 4.5 stars because I thought that after Aria and Perry start to develop feelings for one another it was a little rushed, but the ending totally made up for it!

Siobhán

Blog Post: http://totallybookalicious.blogspot.c...

I had very high hopes for Under the Never Sky and sadly I was very disappointed. It started out great with an amazing action packed first couple of chapters but then I have no idea what happen it just slowed right down and left me really bored until about page 200 and the story picks up again.

Under the Never Sky is told from two POV, Aria and Perry and I think this is a big part of the disappointment for me. The two characters just didn't click so the POV change didn't flow well. Aria, Im not going to lie I didn't like her one bit. To me she comes across as selfish and whiny and I just wanted to slap her! And her relationship with Perry I just didn't get at all. Perry is actually very likable and I really enjoyed reading his chapters. He has a very interesting background that I would have liked to have learn more about. The relationship between him and Aria just felt forced. Would have been alot better if it was left out.

The world which this is set confused me alot. There wasn't enough world building for me to follow the story and how it was created. Even by the end of the book nothing was really explained and that really annoys me. There is so much going on the book that half of the time I didn't know what was going on and why certain aspects were even in because the seemed pointless to me like the Blood Lord thing with Perry I thought that was so boring and useless to storyline. What would have been fantastic was learning about how the Outsiders came about but that was another thing that was skimmed over.

However, as I said above I did start to like it around page 200. The story picks up and is quite fast paced that I did find myself wanted to know what will happen next and I really enjoyed it when Aria was learning to fight that was pretty interesting. I will no doubt read book 2 because the ending was good and finishes on a cliffhanger.

There is no doubt that Veroncia Rossi has quite an imagination and for a debut the book isn't that bad. There is a few aspect that I liked, like Perry and the end but it wasn't enough safe this book for me. However this is just my opinion I know alot of readers who adored this book so please give it ago and see for yourself. I hope you all enjoy it better than I did it

b.andherbooks

Set in a harsh world that may or may not be Earth, two different ways of life have evolved after the onset of some sort of natural disaster and/or revolution which is never fully explained. Some people live a life of total grayness except for their ability to 'escape' to different realms via a "Smart Eye" which is just a high tech version of virtual reality. They are too afraid (and not allowed) to leave their confined space as they are told they would die out in the open. Those who do not live in this dome are considered Outsiders, and they live like primitive tribes, hunting off the land, and fighting to the death for land, supremacy, and power all in a hostile environment not really conducive to human life.

The world-building for Under the Never Sky was promising and while the two main characters who each come from these opposing worlds had a genuine chemistry the story line was rushed and under-explained. Much is left to the imagination. What is this mystical Aether that makes the sky roil and creates enormous storms, lightening strikes, and chaos? When, if not necessarily how, did it come into being? What divided humanity so? 

The female lead, Aria, is part of an intriguing mystery leading to the death of some of her friends, the disappearance of her mother, and why certain members of her society seem to be going crazy. Part of this mystery leads her to be cast out of her world, and into the harsh world of Peregrine, the male lead who also has his own struggles to overcome. Their interplay is at times amusing and sweet as they both learn to adjust to one another, but I found ARia's transformation into a outdoorsy wonder woman a bit quick.

I may gie the second book a shot, we'll see!

Lynn Braden

I had heard so many good things about Under the Never Sky prior to reading it, that my expectations may have been too high. It was a very good story that kept me interested, but never really grabbed me as I hoped it would. In the story, Aria is forced from the protection of the"pod" where she lives when a group of boys start a fire that kills them all except Aria. Once she is "Outside," Aria confronts "savages" with finely tuned senses that have learned to survive the storms of the Aether. At first she is repulsed, but one called Peregrine saves her life on more than one occasion, and Aria starts to gain an understanding of life "Outside" through her interactions with Perry. Trouble brews when Perry kills a group of cannibals that are trying to hurt Aria. The revenge the cannibals seek puts Perry and everyone he knows at risk. 
There is an underlying geopolitical undercurrent in this story and themes that ask moral questions such as, "How much harm do we do to ourselves when we make life so easy that we take away things like challenges and goals?".
Overall this book was very well written with enough action, excitement, and mystery to keep readers interested, but for me, it missed the mark due to the lack of emotional connection between characters.

Find this review and more at kimberlyfaye reads.

As I’ve mentioned a couple other times, I’m going back and re-reading some of my favorite books. I started the project as a refresher to prepare for the release of a couple long-awaited sequels, but decided to keep it up because, well, I just love some of these books so much. I’ve been “reading” them via audiobook because it gives me a different experience of the book — and it tremendously helps my daily commute. Under the Never Sky was the 7th book I read for this project. And while I enjoyed this book enough the first time for it to make this illustrious list, I have to say I didn’t have a full appreciation of it the first time, for whatever reason. (I think it might have been dystopian burnout.) Under the Never Sky was amazing.

  
    “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.”
  

Aria is forced from her world in Reverie and into the outside world, the Death Shop. She meets an Outsider named Peregrine who hates her kind, but is drawn to her, inexplicably. She considers him to be a savage, and while she’s scared of him, she knows she will have to rely on him to keep her safe. But, Aria wasn’t as helpless as she sounds. She was sheltered, but strong. Her time in the outside world with Perry helped bring it out in her. Used to spending time in simulated realms, she did have a sense of adventure. She was just a little in over her head here. She and Perry form an unlikely alliance, which ultimately grows into more as time goes on.

  
    “And in life, at least 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.”
  

I feel like there’s little that I can say about the actual book without giving anything away. The plot was unique, action-filled and intense. As Aria and Perry fight their way through the Death Shop, coming across a string of dangerous characters and perilous situations, I was on the edge of my seat. The world that Veronica Rossi created for this book was phenomenal and engrossing. I felt like I was right there with Aria and Perry as they battled for survival.

  
    “He kissed her slowly. Everything went slowly so he could follow her temper, and search into her eyes. When they joined, her scent was brave and strong and certain. Perry took it into himself, breathing her breath, feeling what she felt. He’d never known anything as right.”
  

Aria and Perry’s relationship progresses from apprehension to interest to … more… smoothly. There’s no insta-love here. If anything, they actually spend a lot of time fighting against their initial impressions and prejudices of the other, before accepting the other for what they were and recognizing their strengths. They fought against the inevitable for quite awhile, neither willing to make the first move. When they finally admitted the depth of their feelings for the other, I thought their relationship was beautiful and natural. They worked so well together, complementing each other perfectly. I fell more than a little in love with Perry myself.

  
    “Your voice sounds like a midnight fire. All warm and worn in and golden. I could listen to you talk forever.” 
“I could never do that”. 
She laughed at him. He brought his lips to her ear. 
“Your scent is like violets early in spring,” he whispered. Then he laughed at himself because though it was true, he sounded like the worst kind of fool.
  

There’s so much right about this book. From the world-building to the action, the dialogue to the character development, it was everything I want in a book in this genre. It was a total adventure. The book was told in alternating perspectives between Aria and Perry. The execution was perfect. Each character had a clear voice and I never found myself confused as to whose chapter I was reading. I loved that we got a glimpse inside each character’s head. While I really Aria and found myself identifying with her and thought Perry to be completely swoon-worthy, the secondary characters can’t be easily forgotten. Roar was intense and charming. I can’t wait to get more of his story. Cinder was mysterious and a puzzle. I think he will play a huge part in this series and I can’t wait to find out.

  
    “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.”
  

Aria grew tremendously in this novel. She was a little prissy and sheltered when the book started. She learned and accepted truths about herself and her background. Thanks to Perry, she learned what real adventure – and love – was. Perry grew in his own ways. He opened up emotionally. His transformation from the “savage” we were introduced in the early part of the book was huge. I can't wait to continue their journey in the sequel.

Celia Adams

So I was inspired to reread this book by COVID-19. Something about a girl who lived her entire life in doors to avoid the danger of the outside world sorta jus resonated with me in quarantine. And I'm delighted to say say some 8 or so years after my first read, I still LOVE this book. There is peak dystopian-trend energy here. Aria is one of my favorite YA heroines because even though she's vulnerable and naive, she's also determined and she learns to be capable. WE LOVE GROWTH. Speaking of growth, another thing I love is the pacing and natural flow to the relationship between her and Perry. Enemies-to-reluctant allies-to-lovers. What's not to love about it? Plus all the side characters are great, the journey is well-dome, and the writing is perfectly enticing. If you all will excuse me, I have to go find someone to sell me hardbacks in the original cover styles to match my salvaged copy.

 Bruna Acioly Leão

I honestly couldn’t find anything wrong with this book. Nothing that bothered me enough to knock down any stars. Not that it was completely perfect or the most amazing book I have ever read. But it was perfect for what it was, which is YA romance/sci-fi/dystopia. 

I got so engrossed reading it, I couldn’t really stop to make notes, so I just marked a couple of beautiful passages that I liked. The book has a very visual writing style - very translatable to movie sort of thing. I could visualize everything that was happening, even with the complex world. And it’s definitely a very complex and cool world. I had a hard time understanding how exactly our world would have become this world they live in, but that wasn’t a bad thing. Just something I’m hoping to see explored in the other books.

For me the book was interesting and fast-paced from the very beginning, even when I wasn’t really understanding what the hell that world was about. But once you get into the mindset of how it all works, it gets even better.

The plot is very open, that are a lot of different things that the characters are trying to achieve and a lot of different antagonists they come across. And the characters! Both Aria and Perry have such great character development throughout the book and you get to see their progress and how they make each other grow. Which is another reason why their romance is so great. The other reason is that it is hot. I like romance. I read books for the romance. And if a romance is hot, I’m going to be all over that ship. 

Another thing I really like is switching POVs. When done well, like in this book it works great, both for the action and the romance development.

This book is certainly a new favorite of the year and I can’t wait to continue on with the series!

Lacey

I cannot believe I waited this long to read Under the Never Sky! This was absolutely fantastic. I loved the changing POVs between Aria and Perry. Even though I enjoyed this so much, the beginning was a bit slow for me, but other than that, I just loved this book. There is non-stop action, which I love and the romance was the perfect kind where they slowly fall in love with each other. GAH I just adored this book. And Perry. But mostly Perry.

Under the Never Sky

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