Under the Never Sky

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Release Date ~ 1/3/12
Publisher ~ HarperTeen
Format ~ Egalley
Source ~ Netgalley
Rating ~ 4/5
Summary: 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.

My review: Under the Never Sky blew me away. In the beginning, at least. For the first 100 pages it was all nonstop action that had me engaged and on the edge of my seat! But then... it slowed down. Drastically, and what do you know, a romance between Aria and the outsider started! Surprise, surprise, it's not like we've ever seen that happen in dystopian novels, oh no! But seriously, I don't mind forbidden romance, but this has just gotten old! 
    The world development in Under the Never Sky was a-maz-ing! This book had one of the best worlds I've ever read, and since I read a ton of dystopian, that's pretty high praise! I loved the concept of the realms, it reminded me sorta like those virtual world game thingies online, but much more sophisticated, and well, awesome. 
    I thought the transformations that happened to Aria and Perry were both really nice, and unlike many book's (transformation) was actually believable! It was really nice to see them change throughout the story.
    I thought Rossi's writing style was missing something, it just was a little choppy and lacked elegance. She had a wonderful plot line, but her writing needs to improve to keep readers entertained and enjoyed! 

  Overall, Under the Never Sky was a very good dystopian debut, did it need a teeny bit more, yes... did it satisfy me? Yes!

4/5

Cover Comments: I love this cover. The model looks so determined!