Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

April 16, 2014shortstack930 Book Reviews 2 Comments

“We all have the potential to do terrible things. But we also have the potential to overcome our mistakes.”

Perry and Aria have to figure out a way to save the Dwellers and the rest of Perry’s tribe by bringing them into the Still Blue. However, now that Sable and Hess have teamed up, it seems almost impossible that Aria and Perry will be able to save their people. First, they must rescue Cinder, because he is the only one that can help them get to the Still Blue, even though it means sacrificing himself to save them all.

I really enjoyed this series overall. Aria and Perry have grown so much since the first book, both individually and as a couple. They finally have learned how they best complement each other, and that they cannot stop the other from fighting alongside them. Their relationship allows them to help the Dwellers and the Outsiders see past their differences and help each other to survive.

One of my favorite things about this series is Roar and Aria’s relationship. This was so well done by Rossi–Aria and Roar are able to have a very close friendship without it being at all romantic or love triangle-y. The two of them have a great relationship and after the loss of Liv it is even more important that Roar have someone like Aria by his side.

The ending to this series was somewhat predictable, but I like the way it was executed. Once again, the dual narration worked well, especially towards the end. I really loved how strong Aria has become, especially outside of her home, and how she has truly become part of both the Dwellers and the Outsiders.

Overall, Into the Still Blue was a great ending to the series! I’m sad that this series had to end, and while the ending was somewhat predictable, I enjoyed the way it was done.

Into the Still Blue was released on January 28, 2014.

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

January 17, 2013shortstack930 Book Reviews 2 Comments

“Love is a rebellious bird that nobody can tame.”

In this sequel to Under the Never Sky, Aria and Perry finally meet again after being apart for months. Both face difficult situations–Perry has taken over as Blood Lord of the Tides and Aria is tasked with finding the Still Blue in order to bargain for Talon’s freedom. Aria is still trying to figure out where she belongs in the world outside of Reverie, but when she goes back to the Tides with Perry she feels more out of place than ever. With an increase in the frequency of Aether storms, Aria realizes that the only way to save both the Tides and Perry’s nephew is to find the Still Blue on her own.

I was a big fan of the first book in this series but I can honestly say that Through the Ever Night was even better! Aria and Perry each face an entirely different situation in this book that not only tests their strength but also tests their belief in each other. The dual narrative worked especially well in this book because Aria and Perry were apart for about 90% of it. It was interesting to see the completely different things they were going through but how it affected each of them in similar ways. Both are dealing with loss–Aria is still trying to get over the loss of her mother and Perry is trying to get over his brother’s death by his own hand. They are also both dealing with doubts they have about their relationship. Aria finds it hard to believe that with all of the differences between them that they will ever be able to really be together, and Perry doubts Aria’s belief in him after she leaves him behind to go in search of the Still Blue.

I really loved how everything was far from perfect when Perry became leader of the Tides. It was very realistic of any change of government–Perry faces a lot of dissension among the Tides, especially once he brings Aria into the picture. Many members of the tribe still believe that Perry’s brother made a better leader and deliberately go against any ideas that Perry comes up with. He has to do a lot to prove himself to the tribe before he earns their trust. This really makes Perry grow up even more than he already has and he realizes that he has an entire tribe depending on him to save them.

One of my favorite characters is definitely Roar and I was really glad that we learned much more about him in this book. He accompanies Aria on her journey north because he is still in search of Liv. We learn more about his and Liv’s relationship along the way and it becomes evident what an extremely loyal person he is, not only to Liv and Perry but to Aria as well.

Overall, Through the Ever Night was an amazing sequel with fantastic character development, incredible world building, and an ending that left me eagerly anticipating the next book!

Through the Ever Night was released on January 8, 2013 and is the second book in the Under the Never Sky series. The third book, Into the Still Blue, is expected to be released in 2014.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

January 9, 2013shortstack930 Book Reviews 4 Comments

“She knew how to put one foot in front of the other even when every step hurt. And she knew there was pain in the journey, but there was also great beauty. She’d seen it standing on rooftops and in green eyes and in the smallest, ugliest rock.”

Aria has spent her whole life in a city inside a dome called Reverie. People are unable to survive outside the dome because of the Aether, energy that has filled the sky and created a wasteland. When Aria’s mother goes missing, she decides to do everything that she can to find her. When she begins to become a problem, she is taken outside of the dome and left to die. However, she is saved by an outsider named Perry, who is trying to rescue his nephew Talon. He suspects that Aria may be able to help him find Talon, so he agrees to help her find answers about her mother.

I have been meaning to read this book for the longest time and I’m glad that I finally was able to. Under the Never Sky is told in dual perspectives, alternating back and forth between Aria and Perry. Usually this type of narrative annoys me but in this book it worked because it allowed the reader to understand what both Aria and Perry were going through and how their situation affected each of them differently. Aria starts out being scared and unable to survive on her own but she is determined to do whatever she has to in order to find her mother, even if it means walking for miles with bleeding feet. Perry, at first, is annoyed with having to help her and how little she knows about surviving outside of the dome and he would rather be on his own. Throughout the book, however, they both undergo an amazing transformation and begin to understand what the other is going through. Aria learns how to survive and defend herself and Perry realizes that having feelings and caring for someone does not make him weak.

One of my favorite things about this book was that Aria was a talented singer. Her mother would have her sing arias for her in the Realms, which is sort of like a virtual reality that people in Reverie use to interact. As someone who also sings, I was able to relate to the feeling Aria had whenever she sang for people. I also really loved the way that the Aether caused people living outside the domes to develop enhanced senses. Some people could hear sounds that were miles away while others could see things from extreme distances. Perry’s enhanced ability of smell was very interesting also; he could tell who was near him just by their scent.

Overall, Under the Never Sky was an exciting read with great characters, romance, and even some science fiction elements. It was fantastic from start to finish and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Under the Never Sky was released January 3, 2012 and is the first book in a series. The second book, Through the Ever Night, was released yesterday, January 8, 2013 so you can guess what I’m reading now!!

Favorite Books of 2012

December 28, 2012shortstack930 Favorite Books 4 Comments

2012 was a fantastic year for YA, filled with a ton of debut novels and some really great sequels! It was so hard for me to pick favorites because I literally read over 100 books this year, but I did my best! Here are some of the best books I read this year:

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

I didn’t think the sequel would live up to the incredible book that was Divergent, but Insurgent was actually even better than the first book! I loved learning about the different factions and I liked that Tris and Four’s relationship wasn’t all sunshine and butterflies. I can’t wait until the final book is released!

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

This was the first John Green book I had ever read and it definitely turned me into a die hard fan. The story was so moving and the writing was phenomenal. I literally wept after reading this and would gladly do it again because this book was just that good.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

This book really surprised me and I am so glad I gave it a chance. It had a cast of fantastically written characters and an exciting quest to find a lost king that brings them all together. I absolutely loved this and can’t wait for the sequel!

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

I was so excited to return to the world of Graceling and I couldn’t wait to see how Bitterblue had grown to become queen. She is such a strong character and throughout the book grew into an even better queen. It was eerie to read about the destruction that still lingered after her father’s death and how the sick things that he did still affected people years after. I only wish this weren’t the final book because I would love to return to this world for just a bit longer!

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

I absolutely loved this retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. I loved how it was a retelling of a classic but had sci-fi elements mixed in. Elliot is such a strong character that single handedly runs her father’s estate and is willing to give up everything, including the man she loves, to save the estate and the people working there.

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Scarlet is a retelling of Robin Hood in which Robin Hood’s fellow thief Will Scarlet is actually a girl in disguise, hiding from her past. Scarlet is loyal to Robin Hood and fights as well as any man. I loved Scarlet’s stubbornness and strength and her interactions with the other thieves were hilarious. This was such a great story and I’m anxiously awaiting the sequel!

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

This sequel to Across the Universe was absolutely fantastic. Elder and Amy are left to deal with the aftermath of shutting down the Phydus and figuring out the truth behind their lives on the ship. Both characters grew so much in this book and their relationship evolved as they discovered more about both themselves and their role on Godspeed. The ending was a huge cliffhanger so I am very excited to read the sequel next month!

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

I am so glad that I finally was able to read this book! I loved Aria and Perry’s story and the whole idea behind the evolution of the senses was incredible. I can’t wait to see where Rossi takes this in Through the Ever Night!

Angelfall by Susan Ee

I was really apprehensive about this one because I figured it was another dumb romance featuring fallen angels but I was definitely wrong. Angelfall is in fact a post-apocalyptic story about angels that brought death and destruction to earth. I really enjoyed this book and I’m glad I gave it a chance!

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

This was such a fantastically written book. It was such an original story about reincarnation and a world where souls are reincarnated multiple times into different bodies. Ana is a Newsoul, living her first life, and she is shunned by everyone else because when she was born, another soul died and was never reincarnated. This was such an amazing story and I could not put this one down!

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

I really loved this sequel to Delirium. Lena became such a strong character in this book and decided to fight back instead of hide. The cliffhanger at the end was SO MEAN and I am super excited to see what happens next!

The Selection by Kiera Cass

This is another book that surprised me. I could not put this one down! It was very Hunger Games-esque because America has to be part of a televised competition to be the prince’s bride in order to earn money for her family, who are poor. She is forced to leave behind the boy she loves and instead is expected to try and win the prince’s favor. The ending of this book was great and I hope the sequel is just as good!

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

I initially was skeptical about this once I heard it was about vampires, but this is so much different than any other vampire story. Kagawa reinvents vampires in The Immortal Rules and I really loved the completely different direction she went in. This book was a really pleasant surprise!

Defiance by C.J. Redwine

This book mixed fantasy, paranormal, and sci-fi elements to create an incredible story. Rachel is another strong heroine, determined to find her father, and Logan is quite possibly one of my favorite characters ever! He’s extremely intelligent and has a logical way of thinking but is also an excellent fighter. This was a really great one!

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

I loved reading about Celaena, a female assassin that is able to take down nearly every man that crosses her path. She gets chosen to compete to be the king’s new assassin and has to defeat man after man all while trying to figure out who keeps brutally murdering the contestants in the middle of the night. This book had a little bit of everything and I definitely could not put it down!

So 2012 has definitely been a great year! What books were your favorites this year? What are you looking forward to reading in 2013?

January 2013 Preview

December 21, 2012shortstack930 Previews 3 Comments

2013 is definitely going to start off with a bang for YA lit! I am declaring 2013 The Year of Sequels because nearly every book that I am eagerly anticipating for next year is a sequel to something I read in 2012, The Year of Debuts. I had hoped that next year I would finally be able to start reading the 60 or so books that I own but have yet to read but upon seeing the multitude of upcoming releases for 2013 I think this will be almost impossible. There are simply too many books being released that I absolutely MUST read first!!

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

I literally just started reading Under the Never Sky and even though I’m only about thirty pages in, I’m already hooked! I waited much longer than most to read this book but the good news is that I have less time to wait before the sequel is released! The even better news is that it is released the same day I am leaving for vacation, so I now have the perfect book to read on the airplane!

Release date: January 8, 2013

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

This is the final book in the Across the Universe trilogy and I cannot even begin to say how excited I am to read this! Across the Universe was a stunning book about a space station in the middle of the universe and its sequel, A Million Suns was even better. I can’t wait to read the conclusion to Elder and Amy’s story!

Release date: January 15, 2013

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

I’ve been a follower of Lenore’s blog for awhile now and I am very excited that her book has been published! Level 2 is the first book in The Memory Chronicles and is a story about a girl in the afterlife who spends her time reliving her memories from Earth. When she discovers that there might be a way to return to her old life and the boy she loves, she finds herself stuck in the middle of a rebellion. This sounds like a really interesting story and I can’t wait to read it!

Release date: January 15, 2013

Asunder by Jodi Meadows

Incarnate was one of my all time favorite books of 2012 and one of the most original stories I’ve ever read. The whole concept of reincarnation over and over again was fascinating and I can’t wait to see how Ana’s story continues.

Release date: January 29, 2013

Prodigy by Marie Lu

Legend has been on my to read list for a very long time and I have heard a lot of great things about both Legend and its sequel, Prodigy. The series is a dystopian featuring a strong female protagonist, so I’m sure I will love it. I will definitely have to read both very soon!

Release date: January 29, 2013

The Prey by Andrew Fukuda

This book is the sequel to The Hunt, which is another one of my favorites from 2012. The Hunt was a completely different take on vampires and even though I thought I was over the whole vampire craze, I absolutely LOVED it. I can’t wait to see what happens next in The Prey.

Release date: January 29, 2013

So it looks like a very exciting start to 2013! What releases are you looking forward to in the new year?

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Tag Archives: under the never sky series

Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Favorite Books of 2012

January 2013 Preview