Into The Still Blue: Number 3 in series (Under the Never Sky, #3)

by Veronica Rossi

Worlds kept them apart. Destiny brought them together. Outside the dome of Reverie, Aria and Perry are struggling to keep their people from tearing each other apart. Their situation is desperate, and with the Aether storms worsening time is running out for them to rescue Cinder from Hess and Sable. Cinder is both the key to unlock the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, so Aria and Perry assemble an unlikely team to attempt a daring rescue mission. They know that in a dying world, the bond of friendship is what matters most.

• ISBN10: 1907411070
• ISBN13: 9781907411076
• Publish Date: 6 February 2014 (first published 28 January 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
• Imprint: ATOM
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

I LOVE Veronica Rossi's writing style. The way that she writes makes me re-read paragraphs and like all her quotes on Goodreads like an idiotic fan girl, which I have proudly been since I read and fell in love with Under the Never Sky. I've shared this book with all my friends and blackmailed my family into reading it. Since, this is the last book in the series, I felt extremely emotional and sad and the book itself did not help to keep these feelings at bay.

The world-building during the series, has been extremely undeveloped for a science fiction / dystopia novel, but for me it didn't matter. What the book lacks in world-building, it makes up for in its characters and their relationships. Every character, no matter how big or small their role was, had some sort of depth to their personality and are extremely difficult to forget.

I loved the romance between Aria and Perry. I totally ship them as a couple. They are so cute together, they care for each other and are willing to talk about their issues with each other. Every time they were together in the book, I had a stupid smile on my face because they are so perfect for each other.
Aria and Roar have an amazing friendship, where in Young Adult fiction it is unusual for a female character to have a strong friendship with a male character without it turning into a awkward love triangle, was extremely refreshing. Roar has been my favourite character throughout the series and because he is full of grief, Soren becomes the comic relief when the book becomes really sad.

This book tore at my heartstrings, kept my off the edge of my seat right until the last page and filled with characters that I couldn't help but love, others who I loved to hate and many who surprised me. So with sadness, I bid farewell to the Under the Never Sky series. Thank you for taking me on a wonderful journey.

[Jo]

Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.

I was really looking forward to reading Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi, and I'm happy to say it was an enjoyable end to the series.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again; to me, the Under the Never Sky trilogy is like the beach reads of the dystopian genre. They're light, easy reads that you can fly through without much thought. While reading Into the Still Blue, I was halfway through before I knew it. Things get moving quite soon after starting the book, but it's odd, it kind of feels like, in a way, that not much happens. Yet, when looking back, quite a bit does. It's the light easy, flow of the story, like floating in the shallows of the sea and softly being drifted to shore by the waves, it's kind of misleading. I really love the feel of the book, flying through it without much effort, but I considering the various things that happen in the book, I feel it shouldn't have been so easy.

There is action and some quite upsetting moments, and although I was interested in all that was happening, wanting to know the outcome - will they rescue Cinder? Will Cinder survive what he must do, if they do? Will they get to the Still Blue? Will they all survive? Will the Aether get them first? - I wasn't really all that anxious or upset or shocked by anything. Considering the things that happened, the battles and the violence, the race against time, and so forth, I should have been sitting at the edge of my seat urging them to move, desperate for them to survive, and I simply wasn't. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book, but for the end of a trilogy, for the final book, you expect to feel more. It shouldn't have been a relaxing read, it should have been an exciting, heart pounding thrill of a book. I should have been wowed. And for not being that kind of a book, as it's a final book, it left me a little disappointed. This was ok for the first two books, but I just expected more from a book that wraps everything up.

As I said, it is an enjoyable read, and there was a good, satisfying ending - but again, one that didn't leave me wowed. Fans should definitely read it if they loved the first two, but maybe don't expect fireworks when it comes to emotional involvement.

Thank you to Atom for the review copy.

[ladygrey]

I was never as big a fan of this series as a lot of people were. Roar and perry are cool but I only liked Aria enough to say she didn't annoy me.

I got to page 36 and was suddenly nervous I'd spend this whole book being annoyed if Aria and Perry were going to be together but pushing each other apart for stupid reasons. But it worked out ok pretty quickly.

As far as endings to trilogies go, this was pretty decent. All the threads got wrapped up and everything was mostly ok - which is sort of the best you can expect because authors feel the need to kill off all sorts of secondary characters to make sure we know the stakes are real. Doesn't really have the desired effect anymore it's just kind of - Check a couple of people whose names I knew are dead, Next.

But I liked that Perry and Aria are finally in the story together. And I liked Roar with Perry and Aria. I liked that several of the characters were redeemed. I especially liked that characters took responsibility for their mistakes - and there were a few. I liked that it was a nice ending.

And there's not much more to say beyond that.

[Angie]

Into the Still Blue is a good ending to this trilogy. While I've enjoyed it from the beginning, this series is an odd one for me. I like it, and I found all three books to be completely addicting, reading them each straight through, but it's not very memorable. Much like with Through the Ever Night, there isn't much recap and I only remembered the big things that happened previously. The plot picks up where it left off and dives right into the new conflicts. Aria and Perry are back together and refuse to let the other out of their sights, even as they conduct their rescue mission and plot a way to get to the Still Blue.

As far as series enders go, Into the Still Blue is a good one. There's never a dull moment, and it keeps pace from beginning to end. The outcome also isn't easy. Aria, Perry and their allies face a lot of hardships, and there are some unexpected deaths, so not all together a happy ending. But happy enough. I liked how the story didn't just end with them finding the Still Blue. Once they get there, there are still some important problems for them to overcome. I would actually love a spinoff series to see what life is like there.

There isn't much for me to say about Into the Still Blue. I liked it, but wasn't blown away. I did read it in one sitting because the story flows well and never stalls. I always wanted to know what was coming (or what that idiot Soren would do!). My only real complaint is that I wanted a stronger romance. Aria and Perry were cute, but I really just didn't care about them as a couple. I was much more interested in their friendships with Roar, which I think was the most well done part of the entire series.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

I love this series. I fell in love with Under the Never Sky and thought Through the Ever Night was amazing so I was excited to finally get to see the conclusion.

Only thing is, I was disappointed with this book. I felt like a lot of it was glossed over, where was the depth from the last two books? There was a twist which I didn't expect but I loved. Then the rest was just pretty average. For the last book of the series it wasn't as explosive as I expected it to be, it was nice and entertaining but I just disappointed by how it ended. It also felt really short which was weird.

I'm sad to see this series end!

[reveriesociety_]

This series is mind blowing. There, I said it.

To begin, the bad guys are completely relatable. Even though Sable did have a bit of a psycho side, both him and Hess had a reason why they did things.

Perry's struggle to handle the Tides and his divcoverings about leadership were so realistic I found myself worrying over his issues too.

Aria was a very likeable character. She had her strenghts and her flaws. Suffered enough to say she went through a lot, without seeming like a martyr, since everyone else went through a lot.

In general, very fullfilling books that left me thoroughly satisfied.

[Vicki]

Jan 2019 = 4 stars
Jan 2014 = 5 stars

[Amber]

This review was originally posted on Books of Amber

While I still enjoyed the book, I don’t feel any strong emotions towards it, nor did I while I was reading. It didn’t tug on the heartstrings like I was expecting it to, I didn’t cry over Roar or Aria, and the ending completely dragged. I have no idea what happened, because I was once so invested in this world and in these characters. Roar was a particular favourite of mine, and I was expecting to feel at least something for him while he grieved in this book. But I didn’t.

Into the Still Blue wasn’t boring, exactly. I still enjoyed it, and was quite entertained. I just didn’t get that heart racing feeling that I should have. I wasn’t flipping through pages at the speed of light, trying to figure out what happens next. Because very little did actually happen. Looking back, I can think of two major things that stand out, and that’s it. There were no natural disasters, no epic deaths or battles or crying scenes. It was just simply just happening. I feel like this review reflects the actual book. Nothing much was going on, it flowed at a steady pace, the characters were all in the background of their own story, and the whole thing was simply unmemorable.

Which is severely disappointing, because I was expecting great things. I know that in a month’s time, I will have forgotten most of this book. Even now, I’m struggling to pull up some details For a series so loved and adored, Into the Still Blue is an awful instalment, simply because it should have been brilliant. All the elements were there at the beginning to make it so, but for some reason it just wasn’t.

[Kelly]

http://www.divabooknerd.com/2013/12/into-still-blue-by-veronica-rossi-arc.html

Into The Still Blue is a difficult book to review, as not only have I received an advanced reading copy but being a series finale, I don't want to reveal too much (remaining comments will be hidden under spoiler tags). So I'll just add that this is how you end a much loved series, well done Veronica Rossi, well done.

The storyline continues as the Dweller and Tides survivors have made camp within the cave network, in a bid to escape the furious and deadly Aether storms that are threatening to destroy what's left of their world. Their only option is to transport all four hundred cave inhabitants to the illusive Still Blue, where it's rumored to provide a safe environment in which man can live. But first they must rescue Cinder and take on Hess and Sable, which is no easy feat.

Veronica Rossi has created a unique young adult series that is driven by a dying environment, as seen from two different points of view. Perry, who is a hunter, leading his tribe and survives in spite of the harsh environmental conditions. Aria is a Dweller, she was born into a life of comfort and luxury, her genetics being the only difference between living in or outside of the man made domes that were built to sustain human life. Being exiled into the harsh conditions a few months ago, Aria has proven herself to be strong willed, a fighter and seeking justice against Hess and Sable, who are now almost unstoppable.

Into The Still Blue was verging on anticlimactic, mainly due to so many series finales this year offering so little, but Veronica Rossi has created a finale that will no doubt appease even the toughest critics. The journey into the Still Blue is not without it's heartbreak though, but regardless, it was brilliantly crafted, written and I'm sad to have to say goodbye to the characters that I've grown to love.

[jnikkir]

This review can also be found at my blog, There were books involved...

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Note: This review is spoiler-free for the earlier books in this series. Unless you really don't want to know which characters are still alive by book 3, because I do talk about characters who are alive -- at least at the start of the book. :O lol

Where do I even start? How does one even begin to describe the amazing conclusion to an all-time favorite series? I don't even know. Feels! Flails! Tears! Cheers! (oops, rhyming, sorry) But I can't let this series go by without trying to put some words to the perfection of its final book, so bear with me. *deep breath* Okay, here goes.

If there's one thing I can point to and say, This is why you need to read this series, it's the characters. In Under the Never Sky, I was blown away by Aria, and especially her character growth; and who didn't swoon over Perry? In Through the Ever Night we got to see even more growth from Aria, even greater depth to Perry, and the further development of my favorite character in the series, Roar. Into the Still Blue just expounds on that, tenfold. I can't even.

But what's so wonderful about every single character in this series (literally, every. single. character. the minor ones included) is that there's no point at which Rossi says, "Ding! Stick a fork in him/her, this character is done!" People change. Constantly. And so do Rossi's characters, beautifully and heart-wrenchingly and truthfully. Every single event, every decision these characters have made or are being forced to make, right up until the very last page, influences who they are, how they live, what they do, and why. They learn and they grow and they become different people over the course of the series. Everything they experience shapes who they are, and I just. I can't. The character arcs and development and relationship growth is all just... To me, it's perfect. PER. FECT. The end.

Another thing I love about this latest installment, which is related to the characters but also quite separate, is the action. Into the Still Blue, probably more than either of its predecessors, is jam-packed with first-class action scenes and tension LIKE WOAH. In many books, this gets in the way of character development, because action! twists! look, plotty things!! But never once do those things get in the way of the character development in Into the Still Blue. In fact, the action scenes help to flesh out the characters, to show you how they've grown, to face them with hard choices and have them stand strong in the face of adversity. Just. I can't.

I also can't even begin to talk about the relationships. Aria and Roar's friendship is one of my favorite relationships in the history of ever. I'm a hardcore Aria/Perry shipper and love them to absolute, itty bitty pieces. But Roar's and Aria's relationship is seriously one of the best relationships I've ever read (platonic or romantic), and Into the Still Blue just cemented that in my mind. You want to see a platonic girl/guy relationship in your YA? One that never turns into a love triangle with the actual end-game love interest? Here it is. And it is glorious.

But Aria and Perry are definitely a highlight of this book, which is no surprise. They are so wonderful together, and I just can't gush enough about their relationship. Totally swoon-worthy, and rooted in their deep mutual respect for one another. I also love that their world doesn't revolve solely around each other. They know they are part of a bigger picture, and you can see that in the way they fight for things bigger than themselves.

Perry's and Roar's relationship also takes center-stage in this book. They both suffered a loss in Through the Ever Night, and that loss drives a wedge between them which is really difficult to read. You know they care deeply for each other, so seeing them at odds is just so heartbreaking, the way the deal with their pain, and each others' reactions to it. But through it all, they are loyal to a fault, and when it counts, they're there for each other. Ugh. I just love them.

Finally, I want to talk about one final thing about Into the Still Blue that makes it so meaningful, to me, and that is -- the high stakes. One of the reasons I read a lot of YA is that, usually, you're guaranteed some kind of light at the end of the tunnel, and an ending that is ultimately uplifting. Sometimes, though, that can lead to quote-end-quote "high stakes" that aren't actually very risky at all. "There's no way something Seriously Serious is going to happen, because what about our Happily Ever After??" For me, Into the Still Blue did a fantastic job of presenting us with high stakes -- and it actually followed through on the consequences. While there were moments that were really hard to read, and I admit I got choked up quite a bit, I applaud Rossi for taking this route, because it added a level of realism and weight to the final scenes that wouldn't have been there otherwise. ...Oh, what happens? I guess you'll just have to read and find out...!

 

In conclusion...

I am spent. I've used up all my feels. Seriously, guys. I can't even. Go on without me.

I do want to say this, though -- the blurb for this book? that last line? "In a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most"? That is why I love this series. The characters, their relationships, their stories, their struggles, the weight that their choices are given... Add to that, the pretty much flawless dystopian/post-apocalyptic world that Rossi has created, with the Dwellers and the Outsiders and the different tribes all struggling to be the ones who make it to the hypothetical "Still Blue"... It's amazing. By far one of my absolute favorite series in the history of ever. I'm really sad to see it end -- but then again, I'm not. Because this ending was amazing, and it just makes me want to experience it all over again.

If you haven't read this series yet, do it. Immediately. You won't regret it.

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There were books involved...