Monday, January 16, 2012

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi


Ahhh... finally, I got to read this book. I’ve had the ARC for awhile, but I was waiting until January 1st to start reading it so it would qualify for the 2012 Debut Author Challenge. I knew I was going to love it and boy, was I right.

“Under the Never Sky” is a dystopian with a very sci fi feel or is it a sci fi with dystopian scenery? Heck if I know, but whatever it is - it rocks. In this world, the Earth is falling apart and the land is being ravaged by these “aether storms” that tear apart the landscape and make it difficult to survive. Apparently, generations ago, a part of the population decided to leave the struggle and live in a giant dome structure that would protect them from the storms. To keep from going stir crazy in a confined, bland space, they use a virtual reality technology that keeps them hooked up together and able to go and do anything they want. Aria, our leading lady, finds out the hard way that this way of life can have complications though. When her mom goes missing, she knows she has to do whatever it takes to find her. Unfortunately, she messes with the wrong people and finds herself fighting for her survival in a world she’s only heard horror stories about and with a man, a wild man, who isn’t at all like she expected.

I really enjoyed this one... I don’t dish out 5 stars lightly on Goodreads.com, but I was tempted. This book meshes a lot of my favorite things - sci-fi, action, romance (and good ol’ slow building romance, not INSTA-LOVE), self-discovery, strong female character (who wasn’t INSTASTRONG either), dystopian setting (I love it when the stakes are ridiculously high!), etc. It’s sci fi though for people who wouldn’t necessarily love sci fi. I am trying desperately not to spoil you here, but there are different environments at play and not all of them are virtual, okay?

I know some other reviewers didn’t enjoy the romance aspect because it didn’t make them tingle, but I liked that. Not that I don’t like a good tingly romance, but sometimes, romance grounded in reality is a lot more enjoyable. Romance isn’t all anguish or passion with tingly, fiery intensity. (I am so into the word tingly today.) For a sci fi dystopian who’sawhat’sit, this book is so grounded in reality. I love that. Way to go, Ms. Rossi for making this book feel so real. It is so nice to feel instantly connected to characters and really feel for them when they’re going through this “out of this world” experience. To me, that’s a sign of an amazing writer.

Congratulations Ms. Rossi on your awesome debut. I cannot wait to see what you have for us in book 2!

I received a digital ARC from the publisher for review. This book was the first of many debuts I'll be reading this year as part of the Debut Author Challenge hosted by "The Story Siren". This book is published by HarperCollins and hit shelves this month. Pick up your copy today!

7 comments:

  1. Great review! I'm seeing way to much "instaromance" lately too. I'm getting a little annoyed with the 'I was drawn to him for no reason' romance.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks! I totally agree. It drives me crazy. Sometimes if there is another juicy anguish there, it's fun, but not for every single book. After awhile I find myself saying "REALLY!?" aloud. That's never a good sign. ;o)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great review! I also loved how there was no insta-romance in this book. =)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I agree, I would rather have a romance that's a lot more realistic than over-the-top! I can't wait to read this book!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great review. I also enjoyed that we got to know both of them individually; I didn't think the romance was slow-building at all; I mean, once they're into each other they go from O to 60 pretty fast. One big bonus: no love triangle ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Kara, I look forward to hearing your thoughts! :)

    TeenLitRocks - True true, but the slow friendship built the foundation for that quick transition. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I seriously loved this book. And agree, the romance was perfect.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...