Under the Never Sky - Veronica Rossi - Book Thoughts

This copy was my own paperback. I purchased it myself. 

For a synopsis and more reviews click the link to the Goodreads page: 

Under the Never Sky - Veronica Rossi

* * * My Thoughts * * * 

I am certainly late to the Under the Never Sky bandwagon. It has been sitting on my shelf since it first came out and I am glad that I waited while the hype died down. I have mixed feelings about this novel, so I am going to do my best at sharing my opinion. I can say this though, I enjoyed it enough to order the next book and I cannot wait to see where Veronica takes the story,

When I started this, I went into it as blind as I could. I read the synopsis and it really intrigued me. I feel as though Veronica really executed the premise really well, although in truth I was looking for a little more science fiction then I got. This wasn't enough to deter me from the promise of the fantastic book that Under the Never Sky is. With semi solid world building and a unique concept, I was immersed with the landscape as a character in itself and the effects it had on the world as a whole [especially later on in the book when we meet a certain character. However I would have loved to see more of their home lands and the lands beyond. 

To me it read very character driven, the majority of the novel was about the characters understanding themselves and each other, developing stronger connections and transforming into the people they are at the end of the book. I love it when you can relate to the characters, I became invested in every aspect of their lives; especially the romantic intrigue, that thankfully was slow burning and realistic in this novel. I particularly liked the connection between Perry and Talon, their sub-story is beautifully explored and heartbreaking, while hands down my favourite side character had to be Roar, and I hope to see more of him in the next book. When it came to the two main characters Aria and Perry, I deeply enjoyed their individual battles as well as their battles together. They work so well together, the intriguing pasts that I am guessing are only touched on in this book. 

The dual perspectives was an interesting take. Being a big fan of writing in dual perspectives myself I found it great to be able to see the events from both points of view. It gave me as a reader a wider scope of understanding and enriched the emotional investment of the journey through reading. My main concerns with the book lay with a few scenes in particular that I could have done without, and if you have read the book you probably can guess which one I am talking about. I understood the impact of Arias change, however I felt it was poorly executed and didn't add to the story at all, other than to make Perry a little to creepy with his senses. My other concern was there was parts of the story read too convenient for me. I had a lot of trouble coming to terms with this giant village fortress in the middle of nowhere where everything was provided for them, without much of a back-story as to how it was created and who Marrion truly was.

Overall though I found Under the Never Sky to be engaging, creative, suspenseful and a promising start to the trilogy. It was a little slow in places, but the action scenes had my heart racing. I look forward to more development in the coming books and I cannot wait to see where Veronica takes the story next. I would certainly recommend it for all readers, especially those with an affinity to Dystopia novels with strong character growth, and great mystery. 

♥♥♥♥ ½

Feeling Frisky - In The Barn - Selena Kitt

This story contains adult content: 18 +

For a synopsis of this book and more reviews click the link to the Good Reads page: In the Barn - Selena Kitt

I picked this short piece up to have as my first read on my new kindle. I have a thing of pseudo incest, I am not going to sugar coat that I am a kinky bitch. So going into it I knew what it was going to be about. Although I was rather tempted by the idea of the Devil “actually” being inside the girls body rather than it being subjective. 

None the less once I got into the rhythm of characters natural naivety [although bracing since they are adults] I rather enjoyed the little short story. Not the best thing I have read, but the quotes were beautiful, ones I would write down and collect and Kitt's writing was a great introduction.

♥♥♥

The Fault in Our Stars - Brief Thoughts

I will be going to see the movie when it comes out June 5th. I wanted to share my brief thoughts about The Fault in Our Stars now, and then come back and do a discussion/ Movie Review after I have seen it.

Initial thoughts upon finishing the book

I don't think I need to say anything more than what has already been said about this book. It is a beautiful, heart warming, heart wrenching, emotional roller coaster that will stay in my memory and be a part of my collection for ever. I want to give my book to others to read, yet at the same time it is is ridiculously post it noted, and sacred !! Still I will be getting anyone who doesn't already know about it to read it.

P.S Hazel's parents were breathtaking. 

♥♥♥♥♥

Incarnate - Jodi Meadows

This book was my own purchase. It was a paperback of my shelf. 

For all information on Incarnate follow the link on Good Reads : Incarnate - Jodi Meadows

REVIEW

I have a deep fascination with past lives. From doing my own research, reading others and experiencing it myself, there was no way that I was going to pass up reading Incarnate. I was even more excited that a young adult writer had decided to explore the idea, and could not wait to delve into the world Jodi had created in Heart and in its unfolding of Ana and her journey.

Let's start by getting the issues I had with the novel out of the way, they were few, but they did impact my enjoyment of the book at times. 

The first being Ana and her frustrating victim complex. I fully understood where she was coming from, living with her mother as she did and then coming into a town where people viewed her as a victim, or worse like she should be dead, however after the halfway point I wanted to shake her for being so defensive and snappy. Can I say that Ana grew over the coarse of this novel? Yes I can, during the last quarter of the book she really came into her own body and owned who she was, which me happy. I hope she continues to grow as a soul and as a person. 

The second being the romance. Now I love a good romance, and the romance in the story between the two characters was challenging in a fantastic way. I really did enjoy how it came about and their connection. However I did feel a lot of the times that romantic element squandered the possibility for more action growth. There were scenes where I wanted more mystery and growth of the overall arching plot, yet they were watered down by the progressing attraction between Sam and Ana [no surprises there] Does that mean that the relationship was frustrating? No, I found the elements of past life, present time, history and life and death to be interwoven wonderfully together to connect these two in something magical.

My favourite part of the story was the exploration of past lives and how they functioned/ or didn't in the world of Heart and beyond. I didn't have strong expectations for this element of the story, so I wasn't disappointed and after hearing such great things about the book and the premise I knew I would enjoy the interpretation. I found it to be addicting to read about, and how it affected the characters was fantastic. The concept of many lives and the system that was put in place to manage them was fascinating. The overall arc of the affects that it had was heartbreaking, especially from Ana's perspective. There were many moments when I had to stop reading to think about the impact it was going to have on these characters, and many times when my eyes were teary.

Another element that I loved was the unpredictability of the majority of this novel. For me, I thought I knew where something was going and then the novel went someone different and I really enjoy that feeling of not knowing, because it makes the reading a much more unique and enjoyable experience. I still have no idea where the story is going after Incarnate and I do want to get my hands on Asunder as soon as I can, because I do want to know what happens after that insane ending.

Overall my lovely readers, I would recommend picking up this book. Brad from Books YA Reviews talked it up a lot, and I must say that without watching his passionate videos. I might not have picked it up at all. I am so glad I did, and it has so many post-it noted quotes that I cannot wait to re-read it again at some point and enjoy the experience again. If you are looking for something fresh, fascinating, slower burning, but still really thought provoking, then check out Incarnate.

P.S There were a few things that I left out, as I could talk about them for days. Like Sam, the Temple, Music and what it means, and the relationships with other characters. These things I believe are better enjoyed on your own without to much explanation- Enjoy.

♥♥♥♥ ½