Check out Kidzworld's book review of Veronica Rossi’s debut novel for teens, Under the Never Sky.
Inside the Pod
Aria lives in the Pod, a place where people are kept safe from the deadly Aether storms that rain down from the sky. Inside the Pod, people live their lives by “traveling” to different virtual Realms via their Smarteyes. They fear the outside, known as the Death Shop, where savages, wolves and cannibals run wild.
Exiled
After being blamed for a crime she wasn't responsible for, Aria is exiled from her Pod, forced to live on the outside. During a storm, she meets a savage named Perry, who’s unwelcomed company saves her life.
Kidnapped
Perry, or Peregrine, is a Scire - an outsider with a heightened sense of smell. He lives in the Tide compound with many other outsiders, including his young nephew, Talon. One day, while he and Talon are out hunting, Hovers from the Pod land and kidnap Talon, leaving Perry distraught and determined to do whatever it takes to get him back.
Unlikely Alliance
With Perry’s hunting skills and knowledge of the outside, and Aria’s connection to the Pod, the Dweller and Savage team up. They need to somehow fix Aria’s broken smarteye, reconnect with her mother inside the Pod, and locate Talon. But it won’t be an easy task. They must avoid the Aether and outsmart the cannibals in order to find a civilization of Dwellers living on the outside.
The Bottom Line
Under the Never Sky is a great science fiction novel for teens. It has a slow and somewhat confusing start due to all the usual names and phrases, such as Pod, Death Shop, Ag 6, Reverie, Realms, Smarteye, and Bliss, which were all used in the first chapter. But as you get into the book and understand what all these terms mean, it picks up the pace. It's a story about an unlikely alliance and an even more unlikely romance.
Have Your Say
What did you think of Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi? Leave a comment and let us know!
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