Under The Never Sky: Number 1 in series Paperback – 8 Jan. 2013

I have to admit that I was a bit worried at first that this book would be a bit of a flop - we've all been exposed to so many dystopians recently that only the best really stand out. But fear not because "Under the never sky" is by far one of the best I've read!The story starts in Reverie, a protective dome housing a population of people. But this is no ordinary residence. In Reverie, what is seen to be useless parts of our genes has been eradicated leaving only the necessary features of our lives. No longer will our hair or nails grow, no longer do we dream, no longer do we feel pain, no longer do females have their "first blood" (now children are genetically engineered to be perfect) and no longer do we understand the true meaning of "real". Aria, our leading lady, knows nothing of the outside world. Within Reverie, using her smart-eye (almost like a computerised contact lense) she can go wherever she likes without even having to move by simply telling her smart-eye to take her to a different "Realm". A Realm is simply another area of the computerised world in which Aria and her friends can travel to and experience.But on the outside there are savages. Savages like Peregrine, "Perry". The outside world is subjected to Aether storms - powerful and destructive storms which have the potential to kill a person if they're in the "eye" of the Aether. But these storms have changed the savages. They have developed genetic mutations - now these are really interesting. Some characters, like "Auds",vhave especially good hearing. Others have the ability to smell for miles away; characters like Perry. These abilities would be pretty ordinary if not for the additional qualities they bring. Auds, just by touching a person, are able to hear what the person they touch is thinking whilst Perry, who has increased Scent, is able to smell a person's aura - enabling him to tell when someone is happy, sad, embarrassed and telling a lie. The question is - what happens when Aria is forced into the world of the savages?I absolutely loved that this is written in a split narrative - particularly with Perry's abilities as we get to see what he sees. The relationship between two VERY different people and VERY different worlds is really exciting and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out about their worlds. Aria and Perry are fantastic characters who really stayed with me even after the last page. They each have very clear personalities, which is particularly useful in a split narrative because you need to be able to differentiate between the two voices. I actually liked the "additional" characters, like Perry's nephew Talon and friend Roar just as much as the main characters. The relationship that develops between Aria and Perry, thankfully is not one which occurs quickly. It develops really beautifully over the course of the book and finally takes off towards the final quarter. I loved that it was gradual and I also liked the fact that Veronica Rossi shows that this kind of love is forbidden - you'll have to read it to find out why though!The best thing about this book though has to be it's uniqueness. The concept in itself is interesting but little things that are dotted throughout the book were just as intriguing. For example, Talon and Perry are "Rendered" to each other. What this means is, they are especially attuned to each others feelings; this is caused by sleeping in close proximity to a "Scire" like Perry. A Scire is simply someone with unique abilities as not everyone has them. As you can see just from that example, there are tons of ideas and concepts throughout the book that are really different and I just loved how they all linked together.I can't recommend this book enough and I'd recommend it to any age group. The only (small) negative I have is that the Aether concept wasn't particularly well explored. Although it was really well described and it was said that it was linked to the genetic mutations, I wanted to know a little about what caused it or it's effects. Despite this, I loved this book, it's characters and the world they live in. I can't wait to read the sequel "Through the Ever Night" which is released in February 2013! Also for those of you that are interested, the film rights have already been sold so hopefully it'll be on the big screen one day!If you buy one more dystopian this year, make sure it's this one! Hope this helps.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would from the write up!Plot:For me, this novel was a page turner that took just a day to read. I cared about both Aria and Perry, who each had a clear goal to achieve, even if life outside obstacles at them, in the form of horrific ordeals and unexpected friendships. Not once was there a scene where I thought - what's the point of this? Everything here has a point, whether to develop the relationships between characters or help the story line progress, and it all comes together so well.Dialogue: The conversations were infused with emotion that made Aria and Perry come alive. It was always clear who was speaking since everyone had a distinctive voice. Even if they joked around or said stuff to keep the reader in the loop, it was all so natural that I never once felt irritated with what was and wasn't being said.Characters:Aria and Perry are easy to relate to, because the story switches back and forth between their perspectives, each getting alternate chapters dedicated to them. I loved the character names, even though I felt a little ill when the very rare name I picked for a character in my work in progress appeared here. Noooooo! Lol, it's truly a lovely name, so I can understand someone else thought to use it, and no it's not Aria. The side characters were interesting, and Roar and Cinder arrived in the story at the perfect time.Writing Style:Given all of the above, I'd say Veronica Rossi's put together a fabulous novel, that kicks of a series I'm eager to read more about! My one and only criticism is that a wonderfully written scene of shared intimacy lacks the message of 'safe sex', where the only thought of the characters is pregnancy...yes, I know I'm ruining the romantic mood here, but I think in futuristic would where diseases are constantly evolving, it's not far-fetched to thinks some of these could be STDs

Absolutely amazing book, I read the whole thing in one day - I just couldn't stop reading.

Essa série me surpreendeu.Uma distopia com elementos de fantasia e ficção científica, um universo muito bem desenvolvido e ótimos personagens.A escrita e o desenvolvimento do livro é simplesmente VICIANTE. Não consegui parar de ler e acabei fazendo uma maratona terminando os 3 livros da série em 4 dias.Tem um grande foco no romance, então não recomendo para quem não gosta de muito romance na história. Mas ,a boa notícia, é que NÃO temos aqui nenhum triângulo amoroso ( palmas para Veronica Rossi).Não recomendo a compra do paperback. Foi a única coisa que me arrependi. A qualidade é fraquíssima. Com pouco manuseio o livro já parece gasto. Folhas e capa de péssimas qualidade. Melhor comprar o de capa dura ou a versão em português que tem muito mais qualidade.

This book was just sooo good! I loved the who world and the world development, the idea of aether storms and everything is just so unique! I think Aria is one of my top favorite heroines. I really loved her. This series actually has a lot of really amazing characters that I've grown attached to. I loved this book so much, one of my favorite dystopians!

I was curious, very curious about this book but never seemed to be able to pick it up. Then I seen it was on sale for the Kindle for 2.99 and I just couldn't pass it up. Then once I started it, I literally had a very hard time putting it down. It was so easy to get lost in this very different world where the sky has these fire storms almost everyday, as well as these different people who are blessed with these amazing gifts based upon their dominant sense.When I first got started with Under the Never Sky, my mind kept drifting back to Greek gods and goddesses; but I am not sure why. There are a few things that would point it that way, for example, there is a place called The Delphi, that seems like a shrine in its sense too.But I am still not sure if it is based loosely on mythos or not. Maybe you can figure it out and let me know.The action is pretty non stop. It begins with action and is pretty much going throughout the book. I really loved the plot of this book. Yes, it is a love story; but it so much more than that too. It is about loving your family, your neighbors, and your land enough to want something better for yourself. To believe in yourself. Even when no one else does.Now, let's talk about the characters. It was impossible not to fall in love with these guys. They are funny, harsh, romantic, blunt, and most importantly, interestingly real. Besides the different powers some of them had, I could actually see some of these people out about in society now. Well at least I wish I could call some of them my friends.Like Roar. Okay so I usually talk about the main HEA first, but nope not this time. I just had to talk about Roar first. He is what you would call a supporting character. But he is much more too. Roar is the one guy every girl wishes were their big brother (I know I do). No matter what, Roar is the one guy that will do everything in his power to take care of you, whether you are girlfriend, sister, mom, or hot Dweller chick.Okay now I can talk about the protagonists now.Aria, is a Dweller who basically lives in these pod like structures that have all kinds of cool (and scary) technology that allows them to do a lot of imaginary things. For example, they have this SmartEye device that goes over one of their eyes, almost like contact lenses, and it allows them to communicate, visit all these different places; basically be the Internet. We see through Aria's eyes that they are so dependent upon this technology that when they lose it for a little while everything goes completely nuts.I like Aria. She doesn't complain too much; isn't a whiny character like I have read with a lot of in other books. Aria is smart, beautiful, and willing to survive, even if she doesn't know how.Then there is Perry. He actually has this really cool, beautiful name but I will save that one for you to read.Perry is tough but fragile as well. And trust me, we all like a guy that can kick ass but also understands the beauty and love in things. I think what drew me to Perry at first, was the kindness and love he has for his nephew, Talon. Perry loves him like a father, and would risk his very existence on him. Perry is a great friend, a handsome man, and someone that loves his people very much. Actually, I think he cares for all people, as long as they are a decent and fair kind of folk.These two, Aria & Perry, together are very interesting and very funny to read as they get to know each other through the good and the bad. Probably one of my favorite things about this novel is how these two protagonists got to know each other, instead of instantly being in love. In fact, I liked the idea that they couldn't stand each other, but through closeness they learned to be friends. That one aspect made their relationship even more realistic, even in a fantasy type world.The plot lines flow so fluidly through this story that is so easy to get caught up in the beauty of the writing, the beauty of the world as well as the frightening power behind it, and the awesome fighters that Aria and Perry become to save each other.There is a lot of plot twists that I didn't see coming but totally hooked me in right away. Not to mention the upstanding job the author did of the world building and the explanations of the different sense based powers. Very, very well!It was refreshing to find these characters that are up against so much: a terrible antagonist who is heartless, a sky that can kill from its storms, and clans that are demented; and yet our protagonists can still find the beauty in the killer sky, the calmness in the smells and sounds surrounding them, and the love in the smallest gestures too. The people in Under the Never Sky are resilient which gives us all hope for the future.This is five hearts all the way!

uno degli YA migliori che io abbia letto... l'attesa dell'uscita degli altri 2 libri sarà faticosa e terribilmente lunga per me, temo.