Genre: Science Fiction | Action | Adventure | African American
Published: September 20, 2022
Series: N/A
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Audiobook: Yes
Received From: Downloaded from NetGalley
Blurb
From author and body-positive activist Leah Vernon comes a daring dystopian novel that explores the power of friendship in a future society built on violence and division.
A thousand years in the future, a Black elite class reigns. The lower classes toil in the fields or scrape by in blighted cities, serving their rulers in a cruel, divided world.
Among the Elites is eighteen-year-old Avi Jore, born to a powerful father and destined to rule. But as she comes of age, Avi cannot help but notice the injustices in her world—the treatment of enslaved workers, the oppression of the lower classes. Her disillusionment grows when she meets Saige Wilde, a mixed-race enslaved girl whose only goal is escaping beyond the borders of their brutal nation.
When Saige saves Avi from an assassination attempt, their paths become intertwined in ways they never imagined. As Saige plots her path to freedom, Avi tries to enact change from the inside. But it’s a complicated endeavor, fraught with danger and malice.
Together, their efforts could spark a revolution—and underscore the staggering power of friendship.
Publisher Note: This title was previously self-published as Impure. This edition of The Union includes substantial editorial revisions.
Review
The oppressed become the oppressors in this action-packed science fiction. It's going to be shocking and eye-opening when you realize that the atrocities committed against White people are the same atrocities that Black people have endured for centuries. Even my understanding of Black history was challenged as I read this book.
I have read books with similar premises and have found them lacking. Vernon provides an unflinching parallel to the inequity and injustice that Black people face today. The character-building is extraordinary as readers follow two young women from two very different perspectives navigating a world in which White people are considered less than animals, and mixed people have even less social standing. The world-building is immersive, and readers will be thrust into a world that is both glorious and horrifying. I enjoyed the plot, both Saige and Avi are compelling characters with unique stories and I found myself emotionally invested in both.
The Union isn't for the closed-minded or the thin-skinned. If you are, don't bother reading this and cluttering the review pages with whiny, hate-filled, ranting reviews in an attempt to dissuade people from reading this. However, if you keep an open mind, I think you'll discover a new world and a new mindset.
Thank you for this excellent and kind of brutally honest review. You've convinced me to read it! I was on the fence about it, but I'm going for it now.
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