Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1) by Veronica Rossi
Synopsis (Goodreads):

Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers abarbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY.

My Thoughts: I've been in the hugest dystopian/post-apocalyptic frame of mind and this book absolutely rocked my socks off. The world is fascinating -- both Aria's fabricated existence and Perry's very real, very deadly way of life. The characters intrigued me and following along as Aria has to learn to adjust to the world outside her pod kept me hooked.

Aria and Perry seem like such an unlikely couple on the surface. She's a city girl, he's a country boy. More or less. His abilities and his family have kept him separate from most of his tribe -- meaning that he's not great at communicating. He doesn't want the burden of a girl who has no survival skills but he can't leave her behind. Aria's just a useless piece of baggage at first. Through no fault of her own, I must say. Her life inside the pod is all about the fun and frivolity of the Realms and she's been taught that you can't survive outside. Yet, she learns. She pushes herself and she manages to keep up with Perry because he's really her only hope at first. As they get to know one another, the dynamic shifts and THINGS HAPPEN.

I really hope that we get some answers in future books as to how the world reached this state where electrical storms scorch the skies and can wipe out whole communities. I want to see what drove the Dwellers into the pods. How did the Outsiders survive? I have ALL THESE QUESTIONS!

I finished this book a few days ago and I'm still thinking about it. I think I'm smitten with Perry's silence and Aria's fortitude in the face of overwhelming odds. And I, you know, have all those questions. WANT MOAR, PLEASE!

Books in this series
0.5. Roar and Liv
1. Under the Never Sky - Hardcover | Kindle
2. Through the Ever Night
3. Into the Still Blue

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