Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
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. Fiery Aether storms, survivors who live in domes and spend all their time in virtual reality, and outsider tribes with superhuman senses (some of which follow a cannibalistic lifestyle)....yup, conditions are perfect for an exciting and harrowing dystopian adventure. The hype machine has been whirring ferociously for this book for nearly a year (we’ve been contributing to it in the newsletter), so I had stratospheric expectations for Under the Never Sky going in to reading it. I always have my “Can it really be that good?” pants on in these buzzy scenarios, waiting to pick the story and its characters apart like a post-apocalyptic scavenger. A chapter or so into Under the Never Sky, I very quickly gave up and had to change into my “Yikes, they weren't lyin'! Wait, how much do I have left to savor? Oh noes, only 300 pages! Must. Read. Slower” pants. Post-apocalyptic/dystopians are crowding YA bookshelves now, so when I say this book is a phenomenal standout from the pack, it is a MUCH bigger complement than it would have been even a year ago. And given how rich and layered Veronica Rossi’s world-building is—and her addictive, no-nonsense, adrenaline-heavy writing style—I have no doubt she will move even further from the pack as we get to read her sequels. 5 Reasons Under the Never Sky Stands Out on My Dystopian-Heavy Bookshelf
1. The fantastic, complex world under the never sky Rossi proves with this book that she is a masterful world-builder. The story is set in some future version of Earth, in a time referred to as post-Unity (when survivors unified together and took shelter in protective pods after the threat from great storms proved too much). Aether churns in the sky, producing devastating storms that scorch the Earth and anything else they touch. It’s no surprise that the people who live in pods refer to the outside world as “The Death Shop.” Beyond the unnatural weather, the “savages” on the outside are just as dangerous to travelers, with roving bands of cannibals and tribes doing nearly anything for survival, even turning on each other. The rules of this world are set up seamlessly for the reader via a dual narration structure that never feels forced or clunky. We alternate hearing the perspectives of Aria, a sheltered pod-dweller who spends the majority of her waking hours in virtual Realms she accesses through an eyepiece called a Smarteye; and Perry, an outsider who belongs to the Tides, a tribe led by his brother Vale. You’re either in a pod or in the Death Shop in this world, and at times it seems neither is a safe place to be. I love the idea of the Realms being a place where any space or experience can be accessed. It's easy to understand how disorienting the simple act of removing the Smarteye could be for Aria. It’s truly horrifying for her to be forced to experience the real world, and leave the “Better Than Real” Realms behind. But the effects on the pod-dwellers of living a risk-free life in the Realms turn out to be pretty horrifying, too.
2. Perry, a hero who more than overcomes his name. Ok, the first and only negative thing I will say about Perry is that I spent several chapters giggling at his name. It’s short for Peregrine, and at first, it just did not live up to this masculine, wild & savvy hunter-gatherer I was envisioning; rather I expect a name like that to be attached to a hobbit who’s wondering when he’s going to get to stop for elevensies. HOWEVER, very soon Perry’s character became so large in my mind, it sort of absorbed the name, digested it, and spit it out again into a word that is now synonymous with “hulking badass man beast.” So, from now on, if I read/watch Lord of the Rings, seeing Pippin Took referred to as “Peregrin” is going to be as laughable as hearing him referred to as “Hercules.” Beyond being capable of the impressive feat of transforming a silly name into a badass one, Perry is a fascinating character. At the beginning of the book, he’s so fierce and rough that he inspires fear, not just in other characters, but in the reader. Supporting characters evoke a wide range of extreme emotions in him—from undying affection to murderous rage—so I was a bit nervous about how he would react to each person he encounters (what's it gonna be, Perry? affectionately ruffling this person's hair, or slitting their throat?). It’s hard to find fault with him in the long run, since he’s a product of his harsh environment, and his roughness makes him an adept survivor. In spite of his mercurial emotions, Perry does grow a lot in this book, faced with being dispersed from his tribe and with having to travel with and care for Aria. By the end of the book, Perry had carved a serious place out in my heart. I love Aria, Talon, and Roar too, but now, with the dilution of several other books clouding my memory, when I think back to this story and the characters, Perry and his plight are still as vivid as if I’d just turned the last page.
3. Genre-bending powers The presence of the Aether has mutated the DNA of many people who live outside the pods, so that they have heightened paranormal senses, which have become highly valuable traits to the tribes. I was reminded of one of my favorite books, Graceling by Kristen Cashore, in that the story felt both futuristic and also a bit like ancient fantasy. In the same way people who are Graced have to be wary of each other, and are naturally elevated and utilized by those who don’t possess unnatural powers, those who are Marked—the Scires, Seers, and Audiles—have advantages that make them natural leaders, and also natural targets for challengers.
4. Totally believable romance among the ruins There is no better antidote to insta-love fatigue than a good old-fashioned Darcy style “hated you before I liked you before I loved you” romance storyline. Perry and Aria are positively repulsed by each other in the beginning, and neither make any effort to hide it, each referring to the other with their own unflattering slang words: “Savage” and “Mole.” The only reason they suffer each other’s company is mutual need. The book is long enough that their gradual, mutual respect for one another builds nicely into something more, but it never feels forced, and never gets to be too saccharine. While there is some serious steam and romance, they are each surprisingly mature about their future together; there are no “I’d rather die than be without you” declarations.
5. Skillful, understated writing Veronica Rossi has perfected the Suzanne Collins style of writing that makes every scene urgent, emotionally-charged, and suspenseful, without being overly flowery. From the very beginning Aria is thrust into a dangerous situation and it feels all-encompassing and inescapable. It’s difficult to take breaks from the book, because the momentum of the story never stops, even during the quieter plot moments. That sort of writing takes a lot of control and finesse that the reader doesn’t notice—sort of like seeing a beautiful painting but not seeing the brushstrokes—so kudos to her for accomplishing that.
Under the Never Sky is a post-apocalyptic novel that transends the more cookie-cutter offerings of the genre, with breakneck pace, unforgettable characters, and a pulse-pounding romance. Click here to hear Veronica discuss the world of Under the Never Sky: Thanks to Harper Teen for providing us with an ARC!
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11 Comments
Reader Comments (11)
Great review! I just ordered my copy. I can't wait for it to get here! :)
I've heard good things about this book too. So funny about the Perry thing, that's what I was thinking when I first read the synopsis on Goodreads. :) Thanks for the review
I read this too and loved it!
I have this book on my Kindle, I'm going to read it this weekend! I can't wait.
Haha! I knew you'd love it woman! I never noticed the LOTR name connection until you just said it. Your right though, this Perry overtakes pippin.
I love this review! It's so clear how closely you read it, and how immersed you were in the world. Your Perry analysis made me snort with laughter!
deyamn, i've heard so many people loving this book i guess i have to finally check it out...lol...
the powers part sounds cool. i freaking love graceling. can't wait for bitterblue too!
Great review! I'm waiting for Amazon to deliver it already. And it's in my TBR. Can't wait until this weekend....stupid school. I hope it gets here by then.
wow sounds like i need to give this one a try!
I just picked this book up at B&N last night (I had to ask for it, I couldn't find it anywhere, which kind of shows you how much b&n sucks). I'm really loving it so far! Perry is definitely my favorite character too, so far anyway. Thanks for the recomendation!
bwahaha Perry Took! Love this