REVIEW: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1)  by Veronica Rossi
Publication Date: January 3, 2012
Publisher: Harper Collins
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

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.

For some reason nothing about this book really drew me in initially. The cover seemed blah, the synopsis was just ok and the author didn't "sell" it to me when I met her at a signing…but after all of that I still felt compelled to read it when my good friend Jenn at Books and Swoons recommended it to me several times.

So read it I did and of course LOVED it because I love every book that she recommends to me, and now I’m left wondering why it took me soooooo long!?!?!??!?!!?

This book is categorized as a dystopian, but I think it’s got a bit of fantasy in there too so not entirely sure how I would label it just yet. We start off learning about the two the types of people in the world, one being the “Dwellers” that live in pods to protect themselves from the outside world of death and destruction and the other is the “outsiders” where there are tribes that have learned to live among the storms and destruction that occur. This world seems more of the dystopian type. I think the fantasy comes in when we discover that the Aether storms created certain mutations that gave some people “powers.” These powers are pretty much just extremely strong senses, Audiles can hear really well, Scires can smell tempers, and Seers can see extremely far and/or in the dark.

The MC’s were truly a great team in this book. We have Aria, the “Dweller” that lives in the main pod called Reverie. Then we have Peregrine aka Perry who is an “outsider” that was “twice gifted” as being a scire and a seer. Then the supporting characters come along starting with Talon, Perrys’ favorite and only nephew, who was taken by the Dwellers for reasons not fully known until the end of the book (no spoilery waters here folks :o)) and Vale, Perry’s brother and Blood Lord of the Tides. WISH there was more I could say about HIM but I could never form the words without giving everything away so for now I leave you with this: He is so shady!!!!!

Then of course we have Roar, who is Perrys’ best friend and in love with his sister Liv and my favorite, Cinder, the kid with the deadliest power of all. He can control the Aether through his blood. Pretty deadly when you realize that he doesn't even remember doing it!

Now to my favorite part, the swoons!!!

Perry, though a really tough guy, is also such a sweetheart! He saved Aria’s life MORE than once and even did it while he disliked her for “causing the Dwellers to take Talon by saving her.” I love that he fell in love with Aria and I love even more that it wasn't over night! Many books have love stories that happen way too fast, like why did you JUST meet and are already in LOVE!??!?! So yea, big plus to Ms. Rossi for her perfect timing in the love aspect of the story.

Now I would be remiss to not mention that this book is NOT A ROMANCE novel!!! Many people see it for the harsh world that it is. I, however, can pretty much find a love story in anything because that’s what I generally look for. So while this book is not really a love story, there IS a little something going on there.

The only thing I DIDN'T like about the book was the ending. And there was nothing bad about it, honestly. I just wish there was one last quote to finish it. It felt like there should have been a quote, but I’m sure whatever it lacked in this book will be overflowing in the next!