Under The Never Sky - Book Review

Under the Never Sky

Veronica Rossi

YA Dystopian

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.

Review:

I have been on a real dystopian kick lately and I can honestly say that ‘Under the Never Sky’ was fantastic! The first of an up-coming trilogy, both the writing and plot line were amazing to the point that it’s easily ranked into the top three of my favourite dystopians, (the others being ‘Delirium’ and ‘The Hunger Games’ if you’re wondering) it was simply just that good.

 Told from the dual perspectives of both Aria and Perry, the book explores a post-apocalyptic world where the privileged ‘Dwellers’ live in protective domes, experiencing the world through a series of virtual realms where they are kept safe from all physical dangers and disease. Yet on the other end of the scale are the Savages, the people who live beyond the domes in the outside world, gathering together in tribes where every day is a fight for survival.

Aria has lived her entire life within the domes and for her, life couldn’t be more perfect. Then her mother goes missing and suddenly, Aria finds herself exiled into the outside world, punished for a crime she didn’t commit. It is here she meets Perry, a savage outsider with an unusually heightened sense of smell. And so with Perry in search of his nephew and Aria looking for her mother, together they form an uneasy partnership and set out on a journey that will question everything they think they know about their worlds… and about each other.

As a main character Aria was amazing. After living such a sheltered life her struggle to adapt to the outside world was moving, especially as she did her best to put on a brave face and become self-sufficient, despite being scared out her mind. Also Perry was a fantastic male lead. Powerful and so utterly masculine, he is a lethal hunter who keeps his warmth and kindness hidden behind a tough exterior.

Also the romance between the two of them was just breath taking to read. Their attraction to each other developed gradually as they learnt to trust one another, slowly proving that their original perceptions of one another were wrong and that beneath the surface, both were more than their ‘Savage’ and ‘Dweller’ labels suggested.

So overall I thought this book was absolutely fantastic! Although it took a few chapters for me to truly get into it, the story soon had me swept away. And with some questions left unanswered, I really can’t wait to see what else this trilogy is going to bring. Just Brilliant, 4 ½ stars!