Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi: Review

Title: Under The Never Sky
Author: Veronica Rossi
Publisher: Atom
Buy This Book: Book Depository


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.


The basics: When Aria sneaks into an off limits part of the pod with friends, she is only looking for information about her mother and why she is missing. But a fire quickly spreads, killing all but Soren, the son of the Director of Security and Aria, who only survives with the help of an Outsider. Aria is blamed for the fire and is forced to leave the pod, where she is certain to die thanks to savage Outsiders and the dangerous Aether sky. But she is discovered by Perry, the Outsider who helped her escape the fire, who needs her help to get his nephew back. Together they must make their way to Bliss, the pod where Aria hopes to find her mother alive and well and where they can bargain for Perry's nephew back.

First I want to start by talking about how much I adore the characters in this book. I recently read a two part series where I didn't feel like I knew any of the characters, and felt no connection to them. It was so nice to read a book where I felt like I got to know all the characters, however important or unimportant they were to the story. Aria was a brilliant character, I loved watching her change over time as she struggled with the outside world and how it affected her. She really grows as a character, at first she's so scared and unsure of the world around her but she grows stronger over time and tries to learn to take care of herself.

Perry, to me, was an amazing male lead and I think I fell for him myself. He is a rarity on the Outside, having two Senses when most only have one. He is a Seer, which means he has keener sight than your average person, and he's also a Scire, which means he can scent peoples tempers, how they are feeling. He's a really complex character, he's angry, hurting and not happy to have to bring Aria with him. But, on the other hand, when he's around those he likes he becomes a completely different person.

Even secondary characters were well developed and had me caring and loving them almost straight away. Roar, who's a friend of Perry's, was a character that I really loved and I hope we see more of him in book two. He was funny and witty and I found myself laughing at his jokes. Cinder, a boy who comes along with Roar, was also a character that I really came to care for and I want to see more of him in book two.

The romance in this was handled really well and I definitely found it believable. It was something that built up gradually and there is definitely no insta-love or pointless love triangles to be found in this. When Perry and Aria first find each other he thinks she stinks and she thinks he's a bloodthirsty 'savage' - not exactly insta-love material. But, trust me, the 'awwwww' factor really ramps up over time and I found myself smiling at these two. This is a romance that you can swoon at, in my opinion at least.

The pacing in this was brilliant and I never found myself bored or feeling like I wanted to skim any of it. It held my attention the whole time and made me want to keep reading well into the night. I found the writing was brilliant and the descriptions of the Aether were beautiful to me. A lot of the story is literally Aria and Perry walking together, and yet I was gripped the whole time and completely entertained.

I usually like to mention something that I disliked about the book, but I honestly have nothing to complain about. The writing and pacing was perfect for me, I kind of wanted the book to last forever. The romance was beautiful and I found myself awwing, smiling and swooning along with the characters. Every character, from one who's only in this for a chapter to the main characters, was well developed, felt like they had their own recognisable voice and I got to know them all. If I had to think of one thing, it would be how Perry can smell everything - like Aria's first period, is it just me or is that really weird and totally unromantic? To add a cherry on top of all the awesomeness that was this book, the ending was uplifting, hopeful and leaves it open for the sequel, that I hope will be just as amazing as the first.


I have the wonderful people of the blogosphere to thank for this wonderful read. I'd avoided it for so long because of the ugly original UK cover, but also because I thought I had tried it before and didn't like it - I was wrong, by the way, it was a completely different book! It was absolutely incredible and I loved every minute of reading it. I will be moving straight on to book two!

5/5 Stars

I can't fault it. The story is solid, the writing is beautiful, I adored the characters.

Plus, Aria and Perry: