Review: Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

Title: Into the Still Blue
Author: Veronica Rossi
Series: Under the Never Sky, book #3
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: January 28, 2014
Source:  ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

The earth-shattering conclusion to Veronica Rossi's "masterpiece" Under the Never Sky trilogy and sequel to the New York Times bestselling Through the Ever Night (Examiner.com).

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

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.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because 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.

In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

Hmmm...what to say about this finale that hasn't already been said?  Well, how about the fact that I didn't seem to enjoy it nearly as much as everyone else?  Oh, it was a solid finish, don't get me wrong.  But I found my mind wandering a lot. I cared what happened to Aria and Perry and Roar -- obviously, or I wouldn't have bothered picking this book up -- but it wasn't with any sense of urgency.

I don't know whether this is related to my recent apathy towards finales in general, or if it had more to do with all the great reviews I'd seen circulating prior to my reading of the title and the expectations that arose in me because of them.  But I am seriously feeling some series finale burnout right now.  And maybe just series burnout in general.  I'm really trying to limit the number of series I start this year because of it.  But I digress.  I saw great reviews, I knew I'd love this one, and then...I didn't.

I didn't hate it.  There was plenty of action and suspense.  Plenty of Aria and Perry and plenty of sweet moments between them.  I could have used more Roar, though.  I could always use more Roar.  It wasn't until the last quarter or so of the book that I found myself engaged by the story again.  Maybe it was the fact that I found it rather easy to predict the twists, the betrayals, the way in which plans would go awry.  I don't know. I wish I could explain why this book hit me differently than the previous two, which I loved.  I wish someone else could explain it to me.

Into the Still Blue didn't feel any different than Under the Never Sky or Through the Ever Night.  The characters were still great, having already been fleshed out in the previous books.  The setting was just as awe-inspiring, with the aether swirling in the sky and the Still Blue calling to anyone who dared to survive.  The villains were just as villainous as I remembered, too.  But something was missing.  Or, maybe I was just anticipating missing this series and the wonderful characters Rossi has created, and so I hardened my heart against this book before I even got to feel anything.

I'm going to go with that last one because so many of my friends thought this was one of the best finales they've read, and that sounds about right, considering my love for the rest of the series.  So, take this review with a grain of salt.  I feel like I'm not in my right mind, which is part of the reason I waited so long to post this review.

GIF it to me straight:

It's cliché, I know...

About the author:

Veronica Rossi is the author of post-apocalyptic fiction for young adults. Her debut novel, UNDER THE NEVER SKY, is the first in a trilogy. Released in January 2012, it was deemed one of the Best Books of Year by School Library Journal. The second book in the trilogy, THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT, debuted in January on the NY Times and USA Today Best Seller Lists. The final book in the series, INTO THE STILL BLUE, is expected to release January 2014.

Foreign rights to the UNDER THE NEVER SKY trilogy have sold in over twenty-five territories to date and film rights have been optioned by Warner Bros.

She completed undergraduate studies at UCLA and then went on to study fine art at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. She lives in Northern California with her husband and two sons. When not writing, she enjoys reading, painting, and counting down the minutes until she can get back to making up stories about imaginary people.

Her work is represented by Josh Adams of Adams Literary.

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