Veronica Rossi sets a great scene in ‘Under the Never Sky’

“UNDER THE NEVER SKY,” by Veronica Rossi, HarperCollins, Jan. 3, 2012, $17.99 (ages 14 and up)

Everything in Aria’s world isn’t real. People who live in Reverie spend their time in the Realms, experiencing things that would never be possible in real life. And though the Realms seem real enough, they’re not. They’re far from it.

When Aria is exiled from Reverie, she suddenly finds herself in the real world, and it’s scary. The outer wasteland is a violent place with electrified energy storms, murder and even cannibalism. Aria’s been taught her whole life that she can’t survive in the wilds; that she shouldn’t even try.

But that’s not Aria. She has an independent spirit that keeps her going — that and the truth as to why she was exiled in the first place. When Aria meets an Outsider named Perry, they form an alliance — he’ll get her to her mother, she’ll help him save a loved one.

As much as she doesn’t want to admit it, Perry’s Aria’s only hope of survival. Along the way, he helps her become self-sufficient and she gives him hope for the future.

Like many reviewers, I was hooked at the beginning of “Under the Never Sky.” But that hooked morphed first into apathy and finally to a feeling of engaged interest as I continued to read.

Debut author Veronica Rossi does a great job setting the scene, alternating between Aria and Perry’s respective voices. And the energy leading up to Aria’s expulsion from Reverie is sparkling at times. But once the action moves to the outside world, it feels a little stilted and standoffish. This feeling is mirrored in Perry, and makes for some tiresome wandering.

Fortunately, Veronica hits a strong rhythm about halfway through that almost makes up for her earlier stumble. The development of Aria and Perry’s characters certainly helps here.

“Under the Never Sky” didn’t feel dystopian to me. Rather it felt otherworldly. Though there are nods to Earth’s past, the focus is on the now, and in the now, Earth is not easily recognizable.

I’m glad I stuck with “Under the Never Sky.” It was ultimately an enjoyable read, and I look forward to Veronica’s growth as a writer.

On a side note, another reviewer mentioned sexual content in her review of “Under the Never Sky.” While this book is mature — cannibalism and murder — it does not go overboard with physical intimacy. In fact, it’s only alluded to. It’s much cleaner in that regard than many of its contemporaries.