Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi - Juhina

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

Author: Veronica Rossi

Publication date: January 3, 2012

Publisher: HarperCollins

Genre(s): Young Adult (Dystopian/Post Apocalyptic)

Challenges: Dystopian, Debut

Source: Own
Format: Paperback

Pages: 260

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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

Under the Never Sky was a definite surprise! I got into it with mixed reviews from bloggers I follow, and 50 pages in I was leaning towards the "didn't really like it" group of readers. However I kept on reading and after page 90, the excitement kicked in, the stakes got higher for both the main characters, and they finally meet face to face and have to help each other in order to achieve what they want. I truly loved every page of Under the Never Sky after I finally settled into it and started enjoying it. It was thrilling, had very likable secondary characters, plot was unique for another dystopian/post apocalyptic and I have to say that I highly enjoyed Veronica Rossi's debut! This book is told from two POVs, while I usually have mixed feelings regarding this method of storytelling, I really enjoyed it in UtNS. 

We have Aria, the sheltered (literally) girl in Reverie. However there are also things in the Outside, also known as The Death Shop. Savages known as Outsiders, destructive energy storms called Aethers. She gets kicked out of Reverie because she witnessed something an influential man's son did and ended up taking the fall for him and getting kicked out. However on the other side of things, we have Perry, the brother of a lord, he has many conflicts with his elder brother but held on just for his nephew. When his nephew gets kidnapped by people from Reverie, he goes on a quest to rescue him and this is where he meets Aria. I loved the interactions between Perry and Aria. At the beginning they both hated each other but had mutual goals, getting into Reverie. However over time and through many obstacles like mask wearing cannibals and Aethers, they grew closer. I loved the progress of the trust and then friendship and then romance. It is a nice break from insta-love and sudden realizations of love in so many YA books. 

I also loved how it was action filled, the plot didn't lose its purpose or get sidetracked by the romance. Veronica Rossi did an amazing job at creating this dystopian/post apocalyptic world that kicked off and amped its excitement and kept me on my toes even after the initial slow start. The ending, while it wasn't gasp worthy, wasn't predictable and I enjoyed how Veronica didn't try to shock the readers by the usual elaborate cliff hanger that has plagued all the dystopian YA novels nowadays. The ending did its job with leaving me wanting more, but not pulling my hair from frustration. Under the Never Sky was a solid and a five star worthy debut for me and I can not wait to read more from Veronica Rossi and to get my hands on the sequel of UtNS! 

5 musical notes!