Monday, July 23, 2012

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi





Reading Hammock’s Rating:
3.5 out of 5
Category:
Fiction
Fiction Genre:
Dystopian
Title:
Under the Never Sky
Author:

Veronica Rossi (@V_Rossibooks)


ISBN-10:
006207203X`
ISBN-13:
978-0062072030
Publication Date:
January 2012
Publisher:
HarperCollins
Format:
Hardback| Paperback | Digital | Audio




Synopsis:

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.

In her enthralling debut, Veronica Rossi sends readers on an unforgettable adventure set in a world brimming with harshness and beauty.

My Review:

While I thought that “Under the Never Sky” was a refreshing take on the popular dystopian genre, the plot needed to be enhanced by more intricate descriptions of the world.

For example, the “Aether storms,” that play a significant part in the novel, were never clearly described.  This lack of description made it hard for me to imagine the dystopian world.  The crafting of a unique world is one of the most distinguishing aspects of the dystopian genre and I felt like I was missing out on this while reading “Under the Never Sky”. 

Although Rossi does not describe the world in enough detail, the characters are strongly anchored by dimensional qualities.  Rossi eases the reader into becoming familiar with the characters by showing their human emotions.  This humanity is what makes the characters relatable.  As a result of these human features, the reader is able to hold onto something familiar in the characters, which live in a foreign and unknown world to those reading the novel. 

I believe that a sequel to “Under the Never Sky” has the potential of being a great read.  This is because Rossi has the opportunity to expand her world, while maintaining a fast paced plot.  Rossi would have the ability to enhance the sequel because the readers are already familiar with the main characters.  If Rossi decides to write a sequel to “Under the Never Sky” she can give the readers information in piecemeal, eliminating the potential of confusing her readers.  In a sequel to “Under the Never Sky” Rossi would be able to craft a well-rounded series that continues the first story fluidly because she kept the reader wanting more in the first novel.

I would recommend that you test out “Under the Never Sky” tentatively to see if you like it.  I am in a neutral position on this novel and would only advise against trying out “Under the Never Sky” if you do not typically enjoy dystopian novels.