Book Blog # 89: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Title: Through the Ever Night
Author: Veronica Rossi
# of Pages: 341 (paperback)
Genre: YA, Romance, Dystopia
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: 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?
Review: PLEASE: Read this book directly after reading Under the Never Sky.

I didn't take my own advise which is why I didn't like this book as much. I spent the first hundred pages trying to remember what happened in the first book, therefore not enjoying the book at all. It got to the point where I didn't feel connected to Aria and Perry's relationship, so their time together didn't seem as wonderful as it did in Under the Never Sky (from what little I can remember).

To make it worse, I actually liked the story MORE when Perry and Aria weren't together. Their separation made their relationship complicated, and it made Perry doubt Aria's love for him. For some reason, I just loved that.

Then, when they finally got back together, I was a little disgusted. I can really relate to Soren, especially when they say those cheesy lines to each other. Yuck.

I think I can officially say that I have fallen out of love with Aria x Perry. Sorry, Rossi, but I just didn't feel that magical spark that I usually do when I read about a happy couple. One reason may be because of Perry. He seems too mushy for a guy; he wouldn't be someone I would want to be with. But I guess what I want doesn't matter much (although I AM the reader who is buying the book and supporting the author, publishing company, etc.; I'm not going to be the one dating Perry. Aria, in contrast, was portrayed wonderfully. The same goes for Roar, Liv, Soren, and most of the other characters.

If you liked Under the Never Sky, then you'll like this one too. Although Through the Ever Night is not as great as Under the Never Sky, it's good enough to convince me to read Still Blue in the future.

Book Blog #72: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Title: Allegiant
Author: Veronica Roth
# of Pages: 526 (ebook)
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian
Rating: ★★★☆ ☆
Synopsis: The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.
Review: Jeez. I don't even know how to say what I want to say. But somehow, I'll manage.

Let's just say that I STRONGLY disliked the first half of the book. The cover is a beautiful, of course, but everything else is so...meh. There's a lot of kissing, too much, in fact. And I usually LIKE romance (although it might not be apparent from what I've said in other reviews).

And I nearly died from a heart attack when I saw that there was POV switching. POV SWITCHING!!! In case you don't know, I hate POV switches. With a passion. The reason; a lot of authors can't pull it off. It makes the writer seem indecisive and lazy because he/she can't decide which POV do. If you can't decide, write in third person!

HOWEVER! I can also understand why Roth wrote from both Tris's and Tobias's point of view. Tris's death would be hard to write otherwise, though Roth could have done the whole book in Tris's POV and then switched to third person or Tobias's POV for the epilogue. So although Roth's use of POV switching is partially justified, it still does not hide the fact that this book wasn't written as well as Divergent (and even Insurgent). I found myself having to go back to the first page of the chapter a lot because I couldn't remember who's POV I was reading from (unless there was a context clue, like talking about Tris/Tobias in third person, if that makes any sense at all). That alone is concerning to me as a reader because it's telling me that both characters are behaving in a similar way. This wouldn't be a problem in some cases, but the fact still stands that the two characters are of OPPOSITE GENDERS! They should behave differently, even if it's only slightly.

Tris's death came so suddenly, it didn't quite sink in until the epilogue. And at that point I was like, "Oh, so she really IS dead!" I was slightly surprised because Roth doesn't seem like the kind of author to kill off her beloved main character, but I didn't feel anything else. That was a little disappointing; I would have appreciated a really big, heart-wrenching moment.

One thing that probably contributed to my reaction to Tris's death was how Tobias learned of it. Cara said is so simply and quickly, I almost missed it. And I didn't feel a lot of emotion from Tobias, maybe because Roth was trying to convey emptiness? But I couldn't feel that either.

Allegiant is barely hanging onto it's third star. I was extremely tempted to give it two. But I decided to be generous since it's the last book and all. Roth shouldn't have made Divergent into a trilogy. The first book was wonderful; I really enjoyed it! But the plot went down hill from there. It really should have ended where it started; Divergent. So for everyone who has made it this far, read it, but expect to be disappointed. If you haven't read the series yet, I would recommend reading the first one and then walking away. Don't even bother with Insurgent and Allegiant.

Book Blog #71: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Title: Insurgent
Author: Veronica Roth
# of Pages: 525 (ebook)
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: Every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves, and herself, while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Review:  There are two reviews below. The original was not written directly after reading, so it may not be accurate.

Original Review: January 16, 2013

I never liked sequels, so I think that's why I didn't enjoy this book very much. I read is book a while ago, but I remember being obsessed, just not as much.

Second Review - November 10, 2013

Well, it defiantly wasn't as good as Divergent. The plot was a bit all over the place, and the romance was really cheesy at times (to the point where I was cringing).  And it seemed more cliché than usual.

For example, there was the part where the Amity inject Tris with that...stuff and she becomes extra happy and nice. And the she says that part about how she isn't very nice, which is why she likes Tobias so much (sorry if this is confusing). And then after the serum wears off, Tobias mocks her and says, "'It's just...I'm not very nice either, you know. That's why I like you so-'" (Roth 69). What I found a little peculiar was that I similar situation occurred in the Maximum Ride series when (spoiler alert) Max is loopy from laughing gas and tells Fang that she loves him THIS much while spreading her arms out really wide (as far as I remember). And the Fang teased her for it, JUST LIKE TOBIAS DID TO TRIS! I'm not sure if it's just an extremely cliché thing, or if one of the authors copied the other. It could be both.

But it wasn't all bad. I was able to read it in two days, which is extremely fast for a five-hundred page book. The ending had a pretty awesome cliff-hanger too.

My recommendation? If you've already read the first one and you loved it, just finish off the series. Who knows, the last book might blow my mind!

Book Blog #70: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
# of Pages: 487 (paperback)
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian
Rating:★★★★☆
Synopsis: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
Review: Below are two reviews; the first is my original review I wrote in January 2013 (not directly after reading) and the second being my new review.

Original Review - January 15, 2013

My rating? 3.5 stars!

I love the unique concept that Roth came up with. If you are fortune (or unfortunate) enough to live in this futuristic setting, you would live in one of five factions. Each faction fosters a certain character trait. The book starts off by immediately captivating the reader into the details of this different society. There was suspense and intensity; the tone was set for each scene.

But near the end, when she (SPOILER ALERT), finds love, my mind feels like its walking through mud. The books seemed to run out of steam. It disappointed me.

Second Review - November 7, 2013

Looking back at my original review, I'm a little ashamed of it. I had no idea what I was talking about. Jeez.

Ladies and gentlemen, THIS is what I call an enjoyable read. Once again, I am reminded that a good book goes by quickly. I was able to finish the book two days earlier than it usually takes me to read an almost five-hundred page book.

Now, yes, the book isn't perfect (thus why I gave it four stars instead of five). There were clichés, and sometimes I detected a bit of the annoying-main-character-syndrome. But the important part is that I fell in love with Divergent all over again. Even though there were some flaws, all is forgiven once the reader falls in love with the plot, the characters, everything!

I am so glad that I reread Divergent (in honor of Allegiant's release). It was so worth my time. If you have not read this wonderful gift of a book, please do. It's fantastic.

Book Blog #36: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Title: Under the Never Sky
Author: Veronica Rossi
# of Pages: 376 (paperback)
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Romance
Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis: Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered.

This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—known as The Death Shop—are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent energy storms will. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild—a savage—and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile—everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must come together to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Review: Alright, you guys. What happened to her legs? If you look really closely at the cover, you could see that they're cut off. Weird. Other than that, it's very eye catching. Loved the colors too.

Now let's quickly move on to the content.

 There have to be a billion words that Rossi just threw at me without an explanation. Sure, maybe some of them were explained later on (some of them later than other's), but by that time, I didn't really care. Well, I did, but I'm trying to say that it was too late.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Also, I noticed a few mistakes/stuff I didn't like. The scene when Roar is introduced into the story was too fast paced. Some of the beginning scenes where Perry shows sights of liking Aria were really, really cheesy.At the Box, Aria said that she took the elevator up to the roof when Perry clearly stated earlier that the elevator only went down, which is why it didn't have any buttons. I thought at first that maybe there was more than one elevator, but they both called it THE elevator. And when did Aria learn to read?

Sorry I put that all in a giant, wordy clump. But now I want to get to the awesome stuff.

I frickin' burst out laughing when Perry smelled Aria wanted to touch him and stuff. And when they finally get together was absolutely cute, cute, cute!!! I'm almost cried, it was so awesome. And the ending, my gosh, I can totally see it all in a movie. AWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!! Oh yeah, and the was this quote:

"Perry tipped his chin at Roar. 'I need you.' Roar followed him without question. He explained what he wanted in the elevator."

I just thought it sounded funny.

Let's give it 4.5 stars

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