I just finished reading Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, and I have to say, it’s one of the better written books I’ve read in a long time.
Under The Never Sky is set in a post-apocalyptic future where small groups of Dwellers huddle under domes which protect them from massive electrical energy storms. Life in the domes is clean and neat and pristine—designed to be that way after the world around them has gone to hell. Outside the domes, small bands of people live under the constant threat of the Aether storms which scour the land. Aria is a Dweller, that is, until exiled into the wasteland. Perry is an Outsider with a gift… and a curse. Outside the walls of the domes, those who don’t become savages, perish. But this world isn’t stable, and Aria and Perry will have to work together to find a way to allow them both to survive.
My wife recommended this book to me, and, as usual, she was right on target. Rossi does an amazing job of bringing the two story lines together, and preserving the points of view of both characters both before, and after, they meet. She alternates chapters between the two main characters with startling ease. The plot and the pace just flow, moving quickly, and developing the character arcs in truly stunning fashion. I’ve faced similar challenges in my writing, and I only hope I can pull off the final drafts of my stories half as well.
If I have any complaint about the book (and this is truly nit-picking here), it would be the frequent use of sentence fragments, especially early in the story. I read the book on my Kindle, and sometimes sentence fragments, because of the short line lengths on the Kindle (I use a larger font than default), tend to jump out at me a bit more, so I notice every one of them. But by the end of the book, I had either gotten used to it, or there were fewer of them. Regardless the plot moved so quickly by the end, that I barely noticed that particular writing technique.
Even with that one, minor issue, I loved this book. The writing grabbed you and would not let go, and I had a hard time putting it down. If you’re a fan of YA Dystopian / Post Apocalyptic, put this one right up at the top of your list. I know the sequel is already on mine.
