Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Published by HarperCollins
Publish Date: January 3, 2012
374 Pages
Source: Audio – Library, Book – ARC/Galley
Since she’d been on the outside, she’d survived an Aether storm, she’d had a knife held to her throat, and she’d seen men murdered. This was worse.
Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland – known as The Death Shop – are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She’s been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He’s wild – a savage – and her only hope of staying alive.
A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile – everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria’s help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky. -(summary from Goodreads)
My Thoughts: I spent last week re-reading Veronica Rossi’s Under the Never Sky in anticipation for the release of the second book in the series, Through the Ever Night. I chose to re-read this book both in print and in audio and good golly, this was a delicious decision.
I absolutely loved this WORLD the first time I read it.
When I read Under the Never Sky a year ago, I remember being a little bit confused in the first few chapters of the story. Veronica Rossi takes the first few chapters to set up her world – she begins by explaining what is happening at exactly that moment in Reverie, which is Aria’s home. I think I was confused because I didn’t really have a concept of the world before I threw myself into the action that was beginning right away, in Chapter One. After a few chapters, however, I began to get my bearings and I could picture Reverie as Aria described it. The world began to take shape and it began making sense to me.
I loved these CHARACTERS the first time I read this book.
I’m crazy about these characters now.
I love a wonderful, developed, colorful cast and Under the Never Sky has exactly that. There are three characters that stand out to me as favorites: main characters Aria and Perry, of course, and Roar. Aria and Perry both have great character development throughout the book because they have preconceived ideas about each other based on where they come from and what they’ve always been taught by their elders. Spending time together challenges these ideas. After some times of tension, their walls eventually fall and their relationship begins to slowly change – this is when and how they experience growth as individuals and friends.
Roar is one of those characters that could potentially be seen as an important secondary character, but he’s also enough of a favorite of mine that I toss him up in with Aria and Perry. He’s fun. He is pivotal to the shift in plot. Roar is easy to form a connection with because he has a story. Oh, Roar’s story! Roar and Perry have a connection, a certain something-in-common, and it runs deep.
All of the characters – the good ones and the bad ones – are great. There is action in the book, certainly. But this book is character-driven for sure, which is totally fine by me.
For those of you that have read the book, I loved the boy Cinder the first time, but this time I wanted to leap into the story and just hug him (and also high-five him). What a great, great character.
I know. Hard to believe, but non-cliffhanger endings can totally be done. They can! We have a beautiful one right here.
When I finished this re-read, I just stood there. Yes, stood, because by that point, I couldn’t sit. (I’m weird.) I just needed to breathe and just take in the end of the story again, for the second time, and just love it for a minute.
Hooray for re-reads right before the next book in the series is released!
In all senses of the word, this was a very successful re-read for Asheley.
After loving this book so much the first time, my love for it has only intensified the second time around and I’m only more anxious to read Through the Ever Night when it releases in January 2013. The perspective of the audiobook narrator enhanced my perception of the stellar world-building and characterization, and as always, I hung on nearly every word.
While I continued to love the characters and the world-building, I think I could appreciate the relationship between Aria and Perry on an even deeper level after hearing someone else read it to me. Perhaps the first time, I inhaled the book and may have missed teeny-tiny details? Or maybe hearing simple things like the tone and pitch of the reader as she read the inner thoughts and dialogue of Aria and Perry as they grew closer – I mean, just, WOW. It was like a lightbulb coming on for me. It wasn’t only the relationship between these two main characters, either – I think I could appreciate the relationships between both Aria and Perry with all of the other characters: Roar, Marron, Cinder, Vale, Consul Hess, all of them. I wrote several statements beginning with “I had forgotten…” and “I didn’t realize…” on my notes for this re-read.
That moment when a re-read causes you to see a book that you love on a different/deeper level? That’s called a SCORE.
I was a little bit nervous about choosing to listen to the story via audiobook while reading along in print. I do this with almost all of my re-reads but I get very attached to my favorite audiobook narrators. Listening to new readers is like breaking in new denim blue jeans or a new pair of shoes – I fully expect it to take a little bit of getting used to. Particularly with books that have alternating points-of-view, the narration is absolutely KEY to making or breaking the story – and with female narrators, sometimes they do not always read male character very well.
The audiobook format of Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi is published by Harper Audio and is 9 hours, 39 minutes, Unabridged.
Fantastic Characterization
Excellent World-Building
Character-Driven Plot
Alternating POV’s
Romance: The slow burn of slow burns. No triangle.
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Are you curious about ROAR AND LIV,
the new novella by Veronia Rossi?
You can read my thoughts on it HERE.
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Are you as excited as I am for
Throught the Ever Night?
I've read it and agree. I'll have to reread it before the release of the sequel next month. Love that there's not that much longer to wait now, yay!
Hi Katja!
Me too! I'm SO READY for Through the Ever Night! I love this story so much and am really anxious to see where Veronica Rossi takes it. I'm seeing great things from the people that have already read it! Hope you get a chance to re-read it too. It was even better than then first time x 10000. 🙂
I really need to get around to this. I always buy books and they just sit around. this one I've had collecting digital dust on my kindle. I'm all about characters though, so your review is promising.
I read a review months and months ago, and it mentioned something about the girls periods smelling like flowers. I forever nick named this the period book. I'm interested to see what all that shizz is about. lol.
hope you are doing well! 🙂
April, I'm the SAME WAY you are. I buy books all the time and don't get to them right away. I have a ton like that. THIS ONE, though. I just love it. The characters are super great AND super fun, plus the world-building is really neat. PLUS the whole "Never Sky" aka the Aether is really fascinating.
YES. Violets. Haha. I actually had forgotten that part until the re-read and then I was cooking dinner when that part played on the audiobook and I busted out laughing. ALTHOUGH, it really isn't a funny part. It's kind of sweet (in an odd way) because…well, you'll have to trust me and see why. I KNOW I've made you all WHAT ON EARTH WHAT IS SWEET ABOUT THAT??? Maybe that'll make you read it sooner?
I hope you're doing well too April. I read your tweets and you crack me up. Love it.
First this:
"When I finished this re-read, I just stood there. Yes, stood, because by that point, I couldn't sit. (I'm weird.) I just needed to breathe and just take in the end of the story again, for the second time, and just love it for a minute."
And that, right there, is why I love you so much, Asheley:) That statement just made me smile as I read it.
And then there was this:
"That moment when a re-read causes you to see a book that you love on a different/deeper level? That's called a SCORE."
Yep. That is exactly how I felt re-reading SUNSHINE last month:)
Ok, I own UNDER THE NEVER SKY, got it on sale a month or two back, but haven't yet read it. (I KNOW!) I hear so many wonderful things and you know who I am most anxious to meet? ROAR. Because EVERY SINGLE review I read mentions how great he is. I tend to fall hard for secondary characters (HELLO, Kenji Kishimoto…) And I know there is also a novella out there based on him too so that is even more of a bonus.
I am definitely going to pick this up and soon, because I want to have it and the novella read before bk. 2 releases next year:)
Love this review. It serves as a good reminder to get my rear in gear and read this book!
YAY! I love that you and I understand each other with all the feelings about the books and the reading and stuff. I don't feel silly at all because YOU GET IT.
And you will LOVE Roar. And the novella is all about him. I read it and while it isn't exactly like Destroy Me, it is so very ROAR that I just loved it. He's such a fantastic character. These are books that I want to hug frequently. This re-read is one of my favorite bookish things I've done this year. I'm serious. Also, participating in the re-read through EpicReads/Pitch Dark Books, I won Through the Ever Night, so YAY for that! I'm really excited to read it when it comes.
Lauren and I both really loved this one, so I hope you love it too whenever you get around to it.
Um, hello. I love your review of your re-read. I think I need to reread this, too.
Re-reads FTW! Forever and always. I want to squeeze re-reads and snuggle them in a blanket while I'm eating the world's best chili and watching football. I love them THAT MUCH.
THIS ONE. Do it if you get the chance.
Oh gosh, I have yet to read this book – even though I've had it since JANUARY. Everyone keeps saying I'm going to love it, so I really hope I get to it before the New Year!
Oh gracious, I love it so much. These characters, this world. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in a couple of weeks!!
I love this book. And everything you say about it. And you are awesome. That is all.
I love it too. And you are more awesome.
Can't wait til we can read the next one, right? YAY.
Why have I not read this book yet? I don't understand it. 🙁 I love characters! And perfect endings! And audiobooks with fantastic narrators! I will be bold and tell you I will for sure be rectifying this oversight. 🙂
JESS. Remedy this problem. Read this book STAT. It is so good. And the next one is SO CLOSE to being released.
Be bold and read it! Soon.
AAAHHH! I am SO glad you loved this one! It was amazing and I read the sequel already and it is SO GOOD! Seriously, I love these characters! I love their depth, their romance, and the way they change and grow and have so much depth. Plus, it's a huge plus point that there's no cliffhanger. I can assure you that the second novel also has no cliffhanger ending, so that's definitely a positive to look out for amongst the rest of the pure AWESOME that is TtEN! 🙂 Amazing review, Asheley, and I hope you enjoy the sequel when it comes out in a matter of weeks! 😀
I'm so glad to hear you loved the next book! I can't wait to read my copy when it gets here. Everything you say, YES. And honestly, I appreciated it all the first time, but I appreciated it so much more on the re-read. I'm just so much more in love with this series at this point and I didn't realize it was even possible. 🙂
Would you believe that I've had a copy sitting on my shelf since the book came out…and I still haven't read it? ARGH. I don't know why I put off reading the books that everyone loves (ahem, Daughter of Smoke and Bone). Anyway, clearly I need to read this. I think it's the fantasy-lover in me, but I looove some great world-building and this one sounds unique. Great review, Asheley!
Oh gosh my love for this book is just ridiculous! Pull this one off of your shelf and give it a go!
Okay. Must do soon! 😉
Like you, I was really confused in the beginning of this book. In fact, I think it took me more than a few chapters to get my bearings. I hadn't realized it had such a science fiction feel and had a hard time adjusting to all the new terms. Rossi definitely throws you right into the action! That being said, I definitely ended up LOVING this book! SO MUCH. Aria, Perry and Roar are incredible characters.
I want to reread this one at some point because I know I'll love it even more. Now that I've read book two and feel like I understand the world better I think I'll be able to fully enjoy the first part of the book even more 🙂
On the re-read, it was certainly easier to find my bearings in the beginning, but I remember that odd clunkiness of figuring out the world. But it is so worth it, isn't it? I can't believe I still haven't read TTEN. I think since I couldn't get to it before Pitch Dark I'm just waiting for the hype and buzz to settle down a little bit because I KNOW I JUST KNOW that I'm going to love it based on how much I've loved UTNS twice.