Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1)

 
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Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1)
Genre(s)
Age Range
14+
Release Date
January 03, 2012
ISBN
978-0062072030
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WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.

DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.

Editor reviews

4 reviews
Overall rating
 
4.2
Plot
 
4.0(2)
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4.0(2)
Writing Style
 
4.5(2)
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Not just another dystopian tale
(Updated: February 13, 2012)
Overall rating
 
4.3
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
I admit I almost passed this book over thinking it would be yet another dystopian tale. I took my copy to Starbucks to read while son was in school. Let's just say I ended up in the coffee shop for a few hours as I couldn't put this story down!

Aria lives in Reverie, a secure, domed world, where a Smarteye can take her to a virtual reality. This is a patch that is worn over the eye and can take the user anywhere he or she wants to go. The user can smell, see, feel, and even taste in these worlds. Aria has been taught that anything outside of Reverie would mean instant death. She fears leaving the safety of her world as she knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland are slim.

When tragedy hits, she finds herself banished from the only world she's known. A strange Outsider named Perry shows up and even though they fear and hate each other, they know have to put these prejudices aside if they want to survive.

I really loved this story. One main character of this story has to be the worlds of Reverie and the outer wastelands. The author paints a vivid description of the harsh landscape along with the dreaded Aether winds that destroy everything in their path. The contrasts of Aria's and Perry's world are extreme at the start but slowly we find they're not that much different after all.

Aria is a strong heroine who struggles to make sense of the truth of what is outside her former home. Perry is not really that different from her with his own hatreds of those who live inside the dome. Their forced relationship is tense and guarded at the beginning but slowly, once they learn they have to rely on each other to survive, that's when the chemistry starts to heat up. And heat up it does.

Another thing that I enjoyed had to be the whole concept of what happens to the brain if you only rely on living in a virtual reality.

Well-written futuristic tale with it's own unique twist. This is book one of a trilogy though I felt it could have very easily ended here.

Good Points
1. Great world building
2. Dual point of view that works
3. Intriguing premise that isn't the typical dystopian tale
4. Well-written
5. Great chemistry
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Enjoyable read.
Overall rating
 
4.0
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Aria lives in a world full of endless possibilities. In the blink of an eye she can go anywhere, do anything, with anyone, the only drawback? None of it is real. The reality that Aria and the rest of the Dwellers living in the enclosed city of Reverie experience is a virtual one but it's the only kind she's known for the past 17 years.

When her mother's work takes her to the Bliss pod and she goes missing Aria devises a plan, using an illegal outing with friends as an attempt to gain information from Soren, son of the head Consul. She's convinced he knows something about her mother's whereabouts and hopes she'll be able to get him to share what he knows. Soren has others plans for Aria and as a result the outing goes horribly wrong ending with Aria being accused of a crime she didn't commit and her subsequent banishment into The Death Shop where danger lurks everywhere. Dwellers don't live long in The Death Shop because their bodies aren't genetically able to withstand the climates, the lack of food available or worse, the Savages that live there.

Peregrine, or Perry, is an Outsider, a Savage, who lives in what's left of the world, where they know hunger, pain; where they feel things because it's real. He's also familiar with the electrified storms, known as the Aether, that plague the skies, raining fire and scorching the earth and everything in it's path. He's part of the Tide, his brother Vale being the Blood Lord and while they used to be close, things haven't been the same since Vale's wife died.

Perry spends most of his time with his nephew, Talon, Vale's 7yr old son, and imagining how things would be different if he were the Blood Lord. He believes he could do so much good for his people if only given the chance. He has a rare gift, being able to scent people's emotions, and tempers and his gift comes in handy when hunting too. As tensions begin to rise between he and Vale, Perry considers leaving for good, thinking it the best way to keep everyone safe, but when Talon is abducted by Dwellers, Perry will do whatever it takes to get his nephew back, even if it means pairing up with someone like Aria.

Aria and Perry reluctantly agree to work together to help him find a way to Talon and she to her mother. Their journey will take them through some of the most dangerous territories left and they'll be forced to rely on each other's strengths to survive. Their prejudices against one another are strong and threaten to derail their efforts many times. He sees her as small and weak with her dark hair and pale skin, not built for his world. She views him as a beast with his wild blond hair, feral green eyes and his body that's covered in markings.

The more time they spend together, the more their preconceived differences are challenged as they slowly discover they have more in common than they realized. Along the way they both experience changes neither expected or knew they needed in their lives. Aria discovers what it means to live in the "real", marveling at real rocks, animals, and even real food. Perry learns what it's like to have someone believe in him, to see that he's good and capable of leading his tribe. When their friendship blossoms into an unlikely love, they'll test the boundaries of their kinds as well as all who live under the never sky.

I really enjoyed this book! Rossi does an excellent job of describing both Aria and Perry's worlds, painting vivid pictures that engage all of the readers senses. She also explains how the world ended up in it's current state, through our lack of care, instead of leaving us guessing like many dystopians do.

The characters are well developed and the romance between Aria and Perry is a believable one, growing slowly through trials and time spent trying to understand one another. It's a bittersweet love filled with moments of humor, passion and heartache.

This is the first in a trilogy and while it's always a bit frustrating to have to wait for the next book (patience is not my strong suit) this first one ends in a good place. It leaves just enough unanswered questions to keep your interest while tying up a few lose ends.
Good Points
Characters are well developed, the romance is believable and the world descriptions are vivid and engaging. The story also depicts how prejudices can prevent people from seeing their commonalities at first but after taking the time to get to know someone, we're really not that different.
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23 reviews
 
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0%
Overall rating
 
4.4
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4.4(23)
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4.4(23)
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4.3(23)
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A truly captivating novel that has me reaching for next installment immediately!
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
The world of Under the Never Sky is very different with energy storms and part of the remaining population living in enclosed domes and the other part in the wilderness.

Aria and Perry were both equally interesting and very different characters. With Aria living a sheltered life inside the dome while Perry lived the gritty life outside it. It was really great seeing them come together and it had me wondering about whether they would be able to get along and survive together or not. This made it exciting and with a really interesting plot, it was no wonder I had a had time putting it down!

A truly captivating novel that has me reaching for next installment immediately!
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Good
(Updated: November 15, 2014)
Overall rating
 
3.3
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
3.0
Writing Style
 
3.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Characters: Aria was a really good lead for this book, she started the book very naive and even kind of... Dumb in certain situations, but I really enjoyed reading her grow, she isn't the kind of character that commit the same mistake twice. On the other front we have Perry, he was definitely a different character, coming from a tribe with different costumes & values was interesting to see his way of thinking - also about the POV's I really enjoyed them, and the funny thing is that their voices aren't particularly different but their personalities are, kind of hard to explain but basically it was easy to differ their POV's. Others characters also deserve a say like Roar (which is my fave 'cause he makes me laugh
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Just brilliant.
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
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N/A
Oh man – I got sucked into this one fast.

First of all, I am not really a big dystopian reader (DESPITE the fact that most of the books I have been reading lately of the YA genre fall into that category). In Rossi’s novel, I found many great stories tossed together – snipets of DUNE, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, THE MATRIX – really, quite an impressive mix. Even on occasion, I found a bit of LORD OF THE FLIES.

UTNS is told from the perspective of the two main characters in alternating chapters: Aria and Perry. Aria is a Dweller who lives in the protected domes of Reverie, though not for long. She gets tossed out into the wasteland that has become of the world, scorched into a dead landscape by the relentless, brutal Ether sky. Aria’s world within the dome is a sterile environment of perfection and its inhabitants live within fabricated, virtual realms that they connect with through devices that attach over one eye. Think Star Trek Borg on the Holodeck (yeah – look it up).

Perry on the other hand, is an Outsider – considered a savage by the Dwellers. True, some of the Outsiders are not so nice (the cannibals aren’t very pleasant) but they are real people living in a non-virtual, dangerous world. They are rough and rugged, compared to the Dwellers who seem downright fragile by comparison.

Aria and Perry’s worlds collide and an uneasy trust is formed between the two – both need something only the other can provide. Hidden mysteries, interesting characters, and dark secrets are revealed as they trek across the land (known as “the death shop”) and attempt to survive. Through their journey they find more than trust with each other – they find a passionate bond.

Great storytelling, vivid prose. Can’t wait for the next installment!
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Doesn't Stand Out
Overall rating
 
2.3
Plot
 
3.0
Characters
 
2.0
Writing Style
 
2.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
I was slightly disappointed in this book. Perhaps it’s because there’s been so much hype surrounding it and I set it up in my head as this amazing read, but it fell short. It was good and enjoyable, but I was expecting beautiful prose and a wonderful plot filled with unforeseeable turns, and what I read just wasn’t that. However, this is a good, just not wonderful, book. I really liked the following aspects:

The characters, Aria specifically. They were easy to relate to and had strong motivations and desires that prompted their actions. Their actions never seemed forced or unrealistic. I like Aria’s growth through the book, how she realizes she can survive in the world outside. Perry was a intriguing character as well. I didn’t like him as much as I thought I would, but he was a well-written character.
The plot was fairly interesting. I was involved and the story and the characters. I liked the addition of the strong senses and the cannibal tribes, which were rightly terrifying.
The little bit of the book that took place inside the pods. This was so interesting, and what I wanted more of! I want to know about these pods. How did they come to be? What exactly has happened that force a society to live in these pods? We get a little bit of this, with the explanation that the Aether storms drove humans inside, but I wanted more, and I ate up every word where I did get to explore this world.
The Aether storms. The description of them leaves quite a bit up to the imagination, but in my mind they are incredibly beautiful and incredibly beautiful. I like the addition of these massive lightening-type energy storms.
Like I said, I did really enjoy these aspects of the book, but there were just a few things I couldn’t overlook. I’m not convinced of the romance yet. I like both characters individually, and while I do applaud the rather mutual romance that’s going on here, I just haven’t bought it yet. I’ll probably read the future books and I hope it’ll grow on me, but so far the romance is a no-go. And my biggest disappointment with this book, which takes it from a potential 4 star down to a 3 star review is the world. There is so much interesting things that could be explored in this world that’s been built, and I want to know it all. The whole concept of smarteyes and the pods and the storms just left me wanting more, but not necessarily in a good way. This had the potential to be an insanely interesting story based on the unique world alone, and I feel it just kind of fell flat for me, because instead of the world we get a much narrower story.

Final Impression: Decently good, but not great. Interesting enough that I do empathize with the main characters and will finish the series, but not enough that I feel the need to excitedly converse about this book with others. The writing is good, but I want more of the world. 2/5 stars.
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Rossi Writes Like a Pro! Loved every moment.
Overall rating
 
4.7
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
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N/A
Steph’s Review:
After I finished Under the Never Sky, the first thing I thought was “Is Veronica Rossi really a debut author?”. This book is just so refined and well-written that I could not believe this was her first published novel, because her story is told like a complete pro! It was completely engrossing first page to last and I loved her concepts about Dwellers and Outsiders!

First we have Aria, the Dweller. After an environmental crisis, groups of people banded together to form isolated, self-sustaining pods (cities). They are trying to avoid the Aether, a true mystery, but is like electricity in the air. If you’re unlucky and get caught in an Aether storm, there wouldn’t be a trace left of you. After Aria and her group of friends break one of the upheld rules of Reverie, their pod, Aria is burdened with the blame and she is casted out from the protection of her city. She was trying to find clues about her missing mother, but now she might not have hope of even accomplishing that.

Then we have Perry, the Outsider. He is the brother of Vale, the leader of the Tides clan, and is considered “cursed” since birth. When he’s hunting with Talon, Dweller aircrafts come and whisk Talon away, right under Perry’s crooked nose. Of course Perry has to take the blame for this even though there was nothing he could do, so he runs away from the Tides to escape the condescension from everyone in the tribe.

These two were never supposed to meet, but they were both harshly thrown out of the only places they knew. And really, they do have some things in common. Aria is looking for her mother, and Perry is looking for Talon. This leads to an uneasy alliance between them, but they are willing to help each other to get what they want.

I wasn’t expecting Under the Never Sky to be so engrossing. I thought it would be just some mediocre dystopic novel, but that was not at all the case. I absolutely fell in love with both the characters and world that Rossi created here. Aria is such a dynamic character and she changes completely from this little weakling Dweller into a fantastic heroine. Her near hate relationship with Perry grows into something much more, and I loved that Rossi didn’t make this anywhere near an insta-love. Their love builds slowly, until it really seemed inevitable. Perry is such a deep character, and I’m sure it was very difficult to write his POV. He’s so broken inside despite the tough front he puts on, and I (and I’m sure Aria) just wanted to put his shattered pieces together again.

Aria and Perry are trying to journey to the single haven on the Outside, that isn’t a pod. They believe that reaching there will solve all their problems, and everything will then be set right in their lives. The journey in this novel reminds me a lot of the one in Graceling by Kristin Cashore, but I felt a completely different touch to it, one full of desperate need. This impending journey isn’t their only obstacle though, and Aria and Perry have one pretty pissed off tribe hunting their tails.

There was a pretty huge twist at the end of this novel that actually made my mouth drop, and desperately needing book 2, Through the Ever Night. You have no idea how many times I thanked the gods that I read this after Through the Ever Night came out. There are so many facades made in this world, and nothing is apparent despite what it seems. Under the Never Sky provides characters to love and a world to cherish--definitely something you should put on your to-read list!
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Dystopian Dream
Overall rating
 
4.7
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
When I picked up this book I had not heard a great deal about it yet. I went into reading it completely blind without having read any fellow blogger’s reviews, which may have made it possible to judge the book solely on how I interpreted it.

The book starts in another version of the vast array of dystophic books out there. In this one, a solar flare causes the earth’s atmosphere to drastically change to the point where domes were built to protect the inhabitants of Earth. However, not everyone was one of the Chosen who were permitted into the dome, thus dividing the human race into Dwellers and Outsiders. Aria, our female protagonist, is a Dweller. Her mother is a scientist stationed on a different dome far away. She has not heard from her mother or seen her in the Realms, a virtual reality type computer software that Dwellers are inhabiting more often than ‘the real’, and she sets out to find out what may have happened to her.

Through a series of unfortunate circumstances, Aria gets caught in the crosshairs of the leaders of her dome home. As Dwellers are meant to die once they leave them domes, they find a fitting punishment to be dropping her off in the middle of nowhere hoping she perishes either under an onslaught of Aether storms or by the hands of Outsides, also known as savages.

As it would be a rather short book and series if Aria did perish in such a manner, she survives with the help of our male protagonist, Peregrine or Perry. Aria, the Dweller, and Perry, the Outsider, come to an understand that they will search for Perry’s nephew and Aria’s mother together. An so an alliance is born and subsequent romance starts.

The relationship between Perry and Aria was incredibly believable. There was no real “love at first sight” and for all intents and purposes they truly did hate each other at the beginning. As they started to work together and develop feelings, it flowed smoothly. They gained something from each other that they desperately needed. Aria learned to be a survivor and Perry learned that people aren’t always how they seem to be. Two enemies taught to hate each other learn to love each other in a very Romeo and Juliet type of way.

This book was by far one of the better books I have read this year. It was written very well and easy to understand. The characters all flowed very well together and the adventures and tribulations that Perry and Aria faced throughout their journey were interesting. I found myself wanting to learn more and more about this dystophic world and the two groups of humans that inhabit it. Rossi did an amazing job and I highly recommend this book to dystopia readers everywhere.
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Action packed story with a slow building but breath taking romance.
Overall rating
 
4.7
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
I don't know why I waited so long to read this... (I know Rivie, give it to me) I really liked Aria's spirit. There was just something about her that I appreciated and connected with. I knew that bad things were going to happen to her, but I knew that I would root for her.
Aria is such a courageous character, and I appreciate how loyal she is.
Perry is awesome. I was a little thrown at first by the abilities and all the talk about scents, but I quickly settled in and understood more about it. I loved his relationship with Talon as well. It shows so much to me about characters in how they act towards children, and he won my heart there quickly.
I loved the slow build and intensity of Aria and Perry's relationship. It made me sigh and my heart beat faster. Their banter and thoughts about each other at first really made me chuckle. But the bond that they formed by working together and learning from each other was awesome. how I think that this illustrates that not all YA love interests are actually drop dead gorgeous, but when you are attracted to someone, you find all of the perfect things about them and they are hot to you. And since I was in Aria's head, that is how I pictured Perry.
This is in 3rd person but it didn't take away anything from the story. I still connected with the characters, could feel the power of their emotions (which were beautifully written), and understood their motives. The dual narration took me a bit because at first I wanted to stay in Aria's head, but I really began to appreciate and savor the moments that I got Perry's perspective as well.
Roar and Cinder were amazing secondary characters. Roar made me smile and a lot of his lines I laughed out loud and shared with my husband. His teasing nature and openness really shone for me. I also liked what he brought out in Perry--this whole other side of his character. The way they made a team and had each other's backs was superb.
The world building was great. I got the information as I needed, and Veronica Rossi has sculpted a dangerous but beautiful world. The set up with the pods, and the aether just blew my mind. I didn't understand the Realms at first, but to really think about the genius she is to come up with the sci-fi elements and how she distinguished living through what equates to virtual reality for the future, and what is on the outside is amazing.
The twists really kept me on my toes, and I didn't see most of it coming. And how some of the themes wove together, and circled back really amazed me as well.
I read most of this in the car on the way to New Jersey and I begged Allan to find a store to stop at to buy the next one because although the ending wrapped up things pretty well, I just NEEDED more of Aria and Perry.

Bottom Line: Action packed story with a slow building but breath taking romance.
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Under the Never Sky
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Oh my god! I absolutely loved this book. Seriously this may have just become my new favorite book of 2012. I picked this up at the library due to the fact that I won an ARC of the sequel without realizing this book came first. And boy am I glad I won the sequel because I probably would never have discovered this amazing book. I am pretty new to the dystopia genre and every book I've tried recently I have loved, but this one just takes it to a whole new level. A sky that kills you? Yes please!

I loved the world in this novel. Outside of the pods that the dwellers live in the people who live on the outside, who the dwellers call savages, have little tribes and survive the best they can. It's a world that can one minute provide you with the food and water to sustain you and the next take your life. The people live in fear of the Aether and do their best to survive.

The characters were great and really likeable. Aria was a weak person in the beginning but quickly becomes a very independent and strong character. She's witty and sarcastic and doesn't take anybody's crap. There is also Peregrine. The outsider who appears rough and uncaring on the outside but harbors a deep need to help everyone he can and deals with a deep guilt that tears him apart. I fell in love with him, he's just so caring and strong and awesome. There is also his best friend Roar who we get introduced to near the end of the novel, he's sarcastic and funny and I think he loves himself but isn't obnoxious about it.

The plot of this story never slows down or gives you a minute to become bored. It's fast paced and packed with action. The struggles that the characters go through really tug at your heart and have you feeling the emotions they feel.

Do I recommend this novel? Yes, if you haven't read this one yet go out and get yourself a copy or borrow it from the library. You will not regret this novel.(
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A great dystopian with virtual worlds, brother fights, super-senses.... need I go on?
Overall rating
 
4.3
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
I will attempt to explain the plot, but I'm afraid you might be a little confused. Don't worry, the actual book is nowhere near as confusing.

In a very distant future, the world is ravaged by climate change, which, obviously, makes living a little difficult. Most of the people live in a self-supporting dome. There isn't much to do in a little dome, so the people's only relief is taking refuge in a virtual world, where everything can happen just by thinking about it. The rest of the people live outside, where living is very tough, and they barely survive.

Aria lives in this little dome (AKA Reverie). Having lost contact with her mother, she decides to befriend one of the most powerful boys in the dome, to get information. Little does she know what a creep she is, and, after an unfortunate accident, she is banished outside the dome.

Peregrine lives outside. His nephew is very sick, and he is desperate to save him. He breaks into the Reverie just in time to save Aria, which leads to the expulsion from his tribe, The Tides. Being gifted with night-vision and an amazingly good sense of smell (as in, can smell your emotions kind of good), he finds Aria, and, despite his loathing of her, decides to help her.

Note: There is NO instant love here. They hate each other for the better part of the book. Aria thinks Peregrine (Perry) is a monster, a Savage. Perry thinks she is useless, a mole. But the circumstances require them to work together. So they do.

The story is told in third person, switching POVs every chapter. Doing this avoided similarities between the voices, and it really worked in this book.

This story is more of an adventure story than a romance, which is good. There is some romance, of course, but it is slow, not overwhelming. It's clear that the characters understand that there are more important things in the character's lives than romantic relationships, like family and loyalty and the fate of the world.

My favourite character was probably either Perry or Roar. I didn't really connect fully with Aria, I didn't really have much of a sense of her personality until past halfway. Probably because she only really started living when she got out of the dome. She also seemed a bit helpless at the first couple of days in the wilderness, but I can't really blame her for that. I liked Perry, he seemed really sweet, caring and understanding. I also loved Roar, he seemed fun and nice.

I'm just wondering a couple of things that hopefully will get answered in the next book. Like: How do the people on the outside get those powers? Did they evolve or something? What exactly is the aether and why is it so important? I think it's like a cloud or something. Maybe smog, from climate change? I could be wrong. I don't know. Hopefully my questions will be answered later.

This is a great book that I definitely recommend. I can't wait for the next book. I really want to see Aria grow into a powerful heroine and learn more about their world.
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Engaging Dystopian
Overall rating
 
4.0
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Veronica Rossi paints an interesting picture of a future dystopian world of those on the outside and those on the inside. I loved how much both Aria and Perry grew and changed throughout their adventure and look forward to reading more about them and their world.
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