Book Review: Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: January 2014
Pages: 400
Source: e-book from Library
For: Fun!
Series: Under the Never Sky, Book 3

Summary from goodreads: *Spoilers are inevitable for the first two books*

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do—and they are just as determined to stay together.

Within the confines of a cave they're using as a makeshift refuge, they struggle to reconcile their people, Dwellers and Outsiders, who are united only in their hatred of their desperate situation. Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. Then Roar arrives in a grief-stricken fury, endangering all with his need for revenge.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble an unlikely team for an impossible rescue mission. Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival--he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

Things I Liked:
Exciting, fast-paced end of a good series.  I like this series a lot, especially because it doesn't seem to fall into the second and third book issues I don't enjoy.  I did think things got a little convenient in the end, and I wasn't happy with how things happened with Cinder, but overall, a good end to the series.  A fascinating world and pretty well fleshed out.  Loved the many different kinds of characters and how they all felt very individual.  Aria and Perry were a little too cheesy at times, but I guess they earned it.  But Roar is the one who fascinates me.

Things I Didn't Like:
It has its flaws, but I really just enjoyed the read.  The end, as I mentioned, sometimes was a bit too convenient, particularly in what happened with Perry, but still.

Read-alikes:
Still reminds me a tiny bit of Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Dust Lands series by Moira Young
 
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
some

mrg-factor: X
generally implied

v-factor: ->->->
quite a bit

Overall rating: ****

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Short Stories I

I've been on kind of a short story kick for a while.  I avoided them for some time, but most of the time I like being able to devour these shorts in such a, well, short time.  Here are the ones I've read recently (and I'm being pretty loose in my use of the word recently, as some of these are from last year...).  Also, is anyone else so stingy that the thought of paying $3.00 or really anything for short stories is painful?  Let's just say, I prefer the free ones.  And those that aren't?  Thank you, library, for having them available.


Double Crossed by Ally Carter
Absolutely loved this.  I adore Ally Carter's series and seeing the two collide was so fun.  This was the perfect kind of story, too.  A short story should pretty much have an arc all its own and this one was wonderful.  It was perfect for devouring in one sitting and feeling satisfied.  Can't wait for more from this author!



Among the Nameless Stars by Diana Peterfreund
I enjoyed this short as well, though I think it left me a bit confused.  I liked seeing where Kai was when he left, but it didn't feel quite like a full story.  There was a lot of new stuff and not a lot of page time to explain it.  Still, I loved the book it went with enough to love this as well.



The New World by Patrick Ness
It has been ages since I finished the Chaos Walking trilogy, but this one has been sitting in my reader and I wanted to give it a try.  I felt like I was able to fall right back into Ness' world without any kind of refresher.  I loved seeing how Violet got there and what it must have been like.  Makes me want to do a reread.



The Spring Before I Met You AND The Summer Before I Met You by Sarah Rees Brennan
I'm lumping these two together, since they are from the same series.  I liked them a lot, mostly because of Brennan's fabulous writing, though I also thought the idea of seeing our two main characters from the POV of an outsider was interesting.  Fun stories, though not necessarily in the content (both were a bit heavy). 


Neverfall by Brodi Ashton
I thought this was rather an essential story to read for the whole trilogy to make sense.  I read it right before the last book and I think it made Cole a lot easier to understand.  His motivations and a bit of his history.  A nice addition to the series.


Life Before Legend by Marie Lu
I think I would have liked this more if I'd read it closer to when I read the second book.  Or maybe even the first.  I have to admit I had forgotten a lot of the story.  Even now, trying to remember the last book in the series, I'm drawing a blank.  I know I liked it, but I seem to have forgotten why...


Roar and Liv AND Brooke by Veronica Rossi
These two were both wonderful looks at some of my favorite side characters (well, Brooke wasn't a favorite, but her story was still interesting).  I loved seeing more of Roar and Liv and what it must have been like for Roar to lose her.  They were both rather painful reads and I think they make sense when both of them are read close together.  We see a lot about Brooke and possibly some motivation for her actions.  Loved them!


UnStrung by Neal Shusterman
This one was definitely important for me to read before I got to the third book.  I think it makes that one seem less like it's out of the blue.  I'm still not sure how I feel about short stories that are kind of required to enjoy the series.  Still, this one was a full story and it was beautiful and heart-breaking.  Definitely vital for more understanding of UnSouled. 



Isolation by Dan Wells
This was an interesting short story about Heron and I found it both intriguing and a little bit hard to follow.  It jumps back and forth in time and I didn't like that sometimes.  But I thought the story definitely made Heron make a LOT more sense in learning more about her history.  Good to read before Ruins.


Mitosis by Brandon Sanderson
First, I felt this was just the right length for a short story.  Most of these have been, though some felt a little too short :)  I loved seeing more of our "heroes" and just what it must have been like in the aftermath of the first book.  I don't know if it's essential for the next one, but I sure liked getting more story in the meantime.

Any favorite short stories you have found?  What's your favorite kind of short story?

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Book Review: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: January 2013
Pages: 352
Source: Library
For: Fun
Series: Under the Never Sky, Book 2

Summary from goodreads: *Spoilers are inevitable for the first book*

It's been months since Aria learned of her mother's death.

Months since Perry became Blood Lord of the Tides, and months since Aria last saw him.

Now Aria and Perry are about to be reunited. It's a moment they've been longing for with countless expectations. And it's a moment that lives up to all of them. At least, at first. Then it slips away. The Tides don't take kindly to former Dwellers like Aria. And the tribe is swirling out of Perry's control. With the Aether storms worsening every day, the only remaining hope for peace and safety is the Still Blue. But does this haven truly exist?

Threatened by false friends and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night? In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and sci-fi elements to create a captivating adventure-and a love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

Things I Liked:
I really enjoy this series.  It feels unique, though it has a lot of elements that are familiar in dystopian books.  The characters make really hard choices and they stick with the consequences of those choices.  I like Aria and how she's developed since the first book.  In some ways, she keeps the dweller attitudes and things she's believed all her life, but in many others she's completely changed.  I loved the story and following Perry and Aria and especially Roar in their travels.  Things just seem to get really crazy near the end and I am excited to know where they will end up next.  A fun, action-packed, and enthralling dystopian story.

Things I Didn't Like:
Not much I can think of.  I think I just enjoyed this one a lot!

Read-alikes:
Reminds me of the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld
Matched series by Ally Condie

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a handful

mrg-factor: X 
you know, it's been a while, but I seem to recall a scene or two...

v-factor: ->-> 
there's quite a bit of fighting and gore

Overall rating: *****

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Book Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: January 2012
Pages: 384
Source: ARC provided by publisher
For: Review
Series: Under the Never Sky, Book 1

When Aria finds herself thrown from her safely enclosed city, she is terrified of what she'll find in the Outside.  Things are nearly as bad as she pictured, with aether storms, wild animals, and the savage people who live on the outside.  But she must trust herself to one of those savages, Perry, if she is to get back to her home again.  And Perry must travel with Aria, despite his disgust for her soft Dweller ways, in order to save someone he loves.  Will the two survive the Outside, and each other?

Things I Liked:
I enjoyed the compelling ideas about our future this book portrayed, especially the way people spend most of their time living in virtual reality (which, honestly, is an idea I've had for a book for quite some time, so maybe I'm biased a bit).  I liked watching Aria experience life on the outside, in the real world, and the very real differences between Aria and Perry. Those differences didn't change, which allowed the characters themselves to change their perspectives.  I loved how their relationship developed - how it was slow and steady and had setbacks and wasn't instant or eternal.  No love triangle, just real obstacles.  And what kept me reading was that I had no idea where the story was going.  The ending and a lot of the lead up were not predictable (at least to me).  It was unique, well-crafted, smart and complex. No huge cliffhanger, but some interesting plot points for a sequel.  All around, it's an impressive dystopian debut that avoids some of the tropes of its genre.

Things I Didn't Like:
There were some things about the future tech and explanations for how the world ended up that way that didn't entirely satisfy me.  The world building felt a bit cursory or shallow.  Essentially, I wanted more!  Hopefully more about the Aether and the technology will be coming in the sequels.

Read-alikes:
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Matched and Crossed by Ally Condie

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
not too many, but some

mrg-factor: XX
not on page, but implied

v-factor: ->-> 
definitely some action, a bit gory at times

Overall rating: **** 

What does your idea of the future look like?

Looking for more dystopian goodness?  Be sure to stop at Presenting Lenore's Dystopian February celebration.

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage