Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Title: Under the Never Sky
Author: Veronica Rossi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Age Group: Young Adult
Category:  Dystopian / Romance
Release date: January 3rd, 2012
Pages: 384 (ARC)
Rating: 5 out of 5
Source: Won
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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.

Under the Never Sky is the kind of book that will leave you begging for more.  With its surprising twists and incredibly determined characters, it's definitely a book you won't want to put down.  As many of you may know, I'm more of a contemporary romance kind of girl, but this story alone made me want to rethink my favorite genre.  Veronica Rossi did everything perfectly, from the description to the pace; the story was pleasing from start to finish.

Though I'm newer to the dystopian genre than many, there are some I've read that just take place in the future, but I loved that Under the Never Sky took place in a different world completely.  Aria's people reside in pods where they've managed to get rid of disease, pain, and even clothing stains.  Anything that has no use is destroyed, which is an interesting thought.  They grow up listening to the horror stories about the world beyond the pods, otherwise known as The Death Shop.  When Aria gets thrown into it, her hope for survival is slim, but with the help of Perry, Aria learns what it's like to struggle for the first time in her life.

Its very rare for one book to hold my interest in every single one of the chapters, but that's exactly what this book was able to do.  The excitement was constant.  One thing that I need to mention is Rossi's breathtaking example of romance.  Nothing was rushed and there were even times where I thought I'd never see a spark between Aria and Perry, but when things did start to develop, I even got a few butterflies in my stomach.  Sometimes slow is better and this story proves it.

Needless to say, this is one of my favorites (if not my number one) of the year.  The ideas of each of the outsiders having a certain heightened sense was awesome and the action that took place was jaw-dropping at certain points.  Under the Never Sky is romantic, heartbreaking, perfectly-paced, slightly morbid and highly recommended for anyone who loves to be wowed.