Author: Veronica Rossi
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publishing Date: January 8, 2013
It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.
Threatened by false friends and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?
Book in One Word: UGHMM.
Through the Ever Night is hard to review, because when I finished it I really liked it! But it took me over three months to finish it. After about a hundred pages, it really started to drag. Like, it hurt my head, and reading it just kind of drove me crazy, like I wanted to pull my freaking hair out. But then I picked it up again and forced myself to keep reading it, and the last twenty, thirty percent was a great improvement. Still, I'll probably have to dub this yet another sophomore slump.
This picks up pretty much exactly where Under the Never Sky (my review here) left off: Aria and Perry are about to return to each other's arms, THANK GOSH. But from there, it all falls downhill. Aria is, technically, a Dweller, and the people of the Tides do not like Dwellers, and most are very much against her being there. Then a scene happens--(which I loved, from Roar jumping over the table to Perry freaking out to the tension to everything)--and everything falls downhill even more, and the slump really starts to hit. Through the Ever Night ends up doing one of those series cliches where, spoiler, the two love interests are separated for a long period of time. Sometimes it's pulled off, but here, not so much. I think I was losing my patience with it here, though. I don't know whose POV I preferred being in (Perry's or Aria's) because really, I didn't love being in either. At least Aria had Roar, who's an excellent character, and Perry had action going on back at the Tides, but still. I was all "meh, my head hurts." If this wasn't a part of a series, I don't know if I would have even bothered to finish it; it would've have gone into my "may finish later" pile.
All that said, I did like this book more so than not. I think. If the end wouldn't have seriously picked up, this could be a bit of a doozy. I like the story and the concept and all that, but something about this just bored me. I mean, I like the characters. They don't annoy me or anything; I think they're fine. But something about Through the Ever Night just did not work for over a hundred pages. Which sucks, because like I said, the beginning wasn't bad, this had some strong scenes, and the last third or so greatly improved (maybe because more was happening in the Tides and Aria and Roar were actually doing something besides Aria communicating to certain people through her eye patch thingy). And the writing isn't bad, either! It's just that whole section that draaagggeeed. And two things about some of those last bits: Did that one thing REALLY happen (because wait, what?!), and what's-her-stupid-face making the moves on Perry needs to GTFO and go jump off a cliff or something.
The Under the Never Sky trilogy is one of those series that's quite hyped-up and loved and I don't get it. This may be one of those "Did we read the same book?" cases. I liked Under the Never Sky, and I did like this one, but I don't love them. This series has a very interesting world, some strong characters, good writing, and a pretty darn good romance. It's just missing something. And it's a bummer, because I felt pretty good when I finished it, like I really, really liked it. But still, I want to read Into the Still Blue (and the novellas!) and see how it all ends (hopefully with everyone staying in the same place throughout the book, please and thank you).
Did I like it? Yesss.
Threatened by false friends and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?
Book in One Word: UGHMM.
Through the Ever Night is hard to review, because when I finished it I really liked it! But it took me over three months to finish it. After about a hundred pages, it really started to drag. Like, it hurt my head, and reading it just kind of drove me crazy, like I wanted to pull my freaking hair out. But then I picked it up again and forced myself to keep reading it, and the last twenty, thirty percent was a great improvement. Still, I'll probably have to dub this yet another sophomore slump.
This picks up pretty much exactly where Under the Never Sky (my review here) left off: Aria and Perry are about to return to each other's arms, THANK GOSH. But from there, it all falls downhill. Aria is, technically, a Dweller, and the people of the Tides do not like Dwellers, and most are very much against her being there. Then a scene happens--(which I loved, from Roar jumping over the table to Perry freaking out to the tension to everything)--and everything falls downhill even more, and the slump really starts to hit. Through the Ever Night ends up doing one of those series cliches where, spoiler, the two love interests are separated for a long period of time. Sometimes it's pulled off, but here, not so much. I think I was losing my patience with it here, though. I don't know whose POV I preferred being in (Perry's or Aria's) because really, I didn't love being in either. At least Aria had Roar, who's an excellent character, and Perry had action going on back at the Tides, but still. I was all "meh, my head hurts." If this wasn't a part of a series, I don't know if I would have even bothered to finish it; it would've have gone into my "may finish later" pile.
All that said, I did like this book more so than not. I think. If the end wouldn't have seriously picked up, this could be a bit of a doozy. I like the story and the concept and all that, but something about this just bored me. I mean, I like the characters. They don't annoy me or anything; I think they're fine. But something about Through the Ever Night just did not work for over a hundred pages. Which sucks, because like I said, the beginning wasn't bad, this had some strong scenes, and the last third or so greatly improved (maybe because more was happening in the Tides and Aria and Roar were actually doing something besides Aria communicating to certain people through her eye patch thingy). And the writing isn't bad, either! It's just that whole section that draaagggeeed. And two things about some of those last bits: Did that one thing REALLY happen (because wait, what?!), and what's-her-stupid-face making the moves on Perry needs to GTFO and go jump off a cliff or something.
The Under the Never Sky trilogy is one of those series that's quite hyped-up and loved and I don't get it. This may be one of those "Did we read the same book?" cases. I liked Under the Never Sky, and I did like this one, but I don't love them. This series has a very interesting world, some strong characters, good writing, and a pretty darn good romance. It's just missing something. And it's a bummer, because I felt pretty good when I finished it, like I really, really liked it. But still, I want to read Into the Still Blue (and the novellas!) and see how it all ends (hopefully with everyone staying in the same place throughout the book, please and thank you).
Did I like it? Yesss.
Did I love it? No.
Would I reread it? Ehh.
Would I purchase it? I already own Under the Never Sky and want to own the whole series.
Who would I recommend it to? Fans of messed-up worlds and dystopias, characters being separated, and being in a setting that's much more wild than urban.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, and that in no way sways my opinion of the book.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, and that in no way sways my opinion of the book.
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