Monday, January 16, 2012

Review: Under the Never Sky


Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Source: ARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):
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. 

Flash Review:
This was one of the very first titles that I received from NetGalley. I’ve been a big fan of dystopian fiction for a while now; I’ve been a sci-fi fan for as long as I can remember. I really enjoyed Under the Never Sky. It took me a few pages to get into the story and become comfortable with the world that Veronica Rossi had created. This is true of most any dystopian novel. Once I got a handle on the world, I was hooked. I particularly enjoyed how each chapter was from a different point of view. Rossi did a wonderful job of developing the characters of Aria and Perry, and developing their narrative voice. Aria’s character in particular is incredibly dynamic. I’m looking forward to the second book and seeing how Aria and Perry continue to develop, as well as where Rossi takes the story. This is a book that I will gladly recommend to my students who enjoyed The Hunger Games.