Recommendation: Under the Never Sky

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Release: January 3, 2012

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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.

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I honesty didn't know what to really expect from Under the Never Sky. It's basically the story of two worlds colliding.

There is Aria, who lives within the safety of a "dome" that protects its residents from deadly Aether Storms. And because they are isolated from the outside world, they resort to "simulated realities. Aria, however, is exiled (for reasons that you should read about yourself). Supposedly alone, she is forced to work with the "Savage", Perry. She is searching for her mother and he is searching for his nephew. 

It's kinda of like Pocahontas with the roles reversed, with a twist of action and mystery.

What I loved about this book, though, was the rich world Rossi painted. The struggles that the two main characters go through kept me on the edge of my seat. I honestly don't like that it's labeled as "dystopian", though. Because it really isn't. Neither is it Sci-Fi, despite the use of advanced technologies (i.e. the smart eye and the simulated realities). 

This book also alternates between Perry and Aria's POV. I liked this change, although I admit I connected to Perry a bit more. Aria could have been fleshed out more, I think, but perhaps this will happen in the next two books. My major complaint with Under the Never Sky is the supposed "explanation" given at the end. I won't mention any spoilers, but being a Nursing Student, I found it to be a little far fetched. 

Overall, though, I definitely recommend this book! 

RATING: 4 SLICES