Review: Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

Posted by Jessi (Geo) on January 6, 2014 | 11 Comments


Review: Into the Still Blue by Veronica RossiInto the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi
Series: Under the Never Sky #3
Published by HarperTeen (1.28.2013)
Genres: High Fantasy, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Format: eARC, 400 pages
Source: Edelweiss
Buy on Amazon


3.5 Stars

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.

My thoughts

It was nice for the series to come to an  end, but all in all I just felt….disappointed.

I was glad to finally see the Still Blue, yet it seemed like all the hype for it built up to that one moment and it…kind of…just…fizzled out. We know that it’s paradise, but I think a little more description could have glorified it a bit more. I think there was too much focus on the fact that skies were free of aether that the island itself got left out.

Aria was still a badass, though! I did like that she had a small weakness: Her insecurity about her messed up arm. It made her seem more human. Roar was very flawed in this book, too. His grief over Liv overtook him, and it kind of twisted him. I hated seeing him that way, even though it was realistic.

I thought the identity of Loran was very interesting. That was the one thing that shocked me in the final installment, because I had completely forgotten about her father, so I didn’t see it coming. That was a nice addition!

While I still enjoyed this one for the most part, the reason it earned a lower rating than the other two was because I was completely underwhelmed by the ending. When I finished, my first thought was, “That’s it?” I finished feeling unfulfilled and unsatisfied…not a good thing, especially for a series finale. 

View Spoiler »

Overall Assessment

Plot: 4/5 
Premise: 4.5/5 
Writing style: 4/5 
Originality: 5/5 
Characters: 3.5/5 
World-building: 3.5/5 
Pace: 3.5/5 
Feels: 2/5 
Cover: 4.5/5 
Overall rating: 3.5/5

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Jessi (Geo)

Posted in: Book Reviews | Tags: , , , , ,

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11 responses to “Review: Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

  1. To be completely honest with you, I’ve only read the first book — and I was already disappointed with it. So when I saw that you had reviewed the last book I decided to read your review to find out how the story ends, to see if it was worth to go through the trouble of reading books 2 and 3. Let’s just say I won’t waste my time reading the books…

    I felt like this series had so much potential, but unfortunately the author didn’t really know what to do with her own story.

  2. I have the first book of this series just sitting on my shelf. I’m less excited now that you’ve said you were a bit disappointed with the ending.

  3. Wow what a bummer about the ending. :( I actually picked this book up months ago and stopped at 28%. I didn’t hate it or anything… I just.. wasn’t feeling it I guess. I have no idea if I want to continue or not X_X

  4. I loved this book when I read it, and I totally agree. Aria was such a badass, and I loved Roar’s character, as well. He was kind of haunted but still had that humor near the end. I didn’t notice what you said about the ending, but I can definitely see what you mean by it. I think it was a little rushed, but I’m glad that you still enjoyed it, even though the ending fizzled out. Fantastic review, Jessi! <33

  5. Erm… hehe.

    I haven’t read this series, so I have no idea what my opinion on it is. Lol. The covers are pretty…. she says like a question. I really want to read this series, but I just haven’t had the motivation to do it yet. Great review, Jessi! <333

  6. I posted my review for this today too and I basically feel the EXACT same way!!!

    **SPOILER COMMENT AHEAD**
    I also felt the same way about Cinder. In fact, that was the major downfall for me. Even with the underwhelming ending, that was what made me angry the most. I just don’t like that it was like… white light, nothing… ;; For such an important character that was not a deserving ending :(

    I do have to say, I’m biased of Roar. I love him too much :P

    • YES! It was kind of a main point in the second and third book both, but when the time came, it was glossed over and abrupt! So lame. Such a lofty sacrifice (of a child, especially) should have gotten more attention =/

  7. Ugh I hate when a series finale fizzles out! I’m really hoping that I feel differently, since I really enjoyed the first two books in this series. Hopefully I’ll have such low expectations for the ending, that it turns out to be great in comparison? *fingers crossed!*

  8. What a shame! I have the series on my tbr, but not as urgent reads. I guess they’ll stay there, since am underwhelming ending isn’t what I’m going for at the moment. I do like the flawed characters and concept though, so hopefully I will get around to it eventually!

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