A mind-opening and engaging read from cover to cover by Leah Vernon
A book review
By: Abigail Dawn
Released on December 1, 2022, Leah Vernon’s “The Union” is a short story that readers can’t put down. Published by 47North, a science fiction imprint from Amazon Publishing, this story is a page-turner that forces certain readers to expand their minds and make connections to the present day.
Book Summary
The novel begins a thousand years in the future where a Black elite class has power over the region, and white lower residents serve their rulers. The story follows two characters, Saige Wilde and Avi Jore. Wilde is an enslaved young woman who wants to escape The Union of Civilization’s borders, and Jore, is an elite woman born into power, but can’t help notice the injustice in the community they’ve created.
When Saige saves Avi from an attempt on her life the plot becomes interesting, twisted, and leads them both into a journey they never expected. As Saige continues to find freedom beyond the border, and Avi attempts to understand the wrongs, and invoke change from the inside out, both women become entangled in a dangerous fight for revolution leading to a bewildering friendship.
Book Review
This novel is eye-opening, and allows certain readers to get comfortable with being uncomfortable as they embark on a journey of learning, stepping out of privilege, and viewing the world differently.
Vernon’s character development was strong, allowing readers to make emotional connections, but it was the plot that carried the story. In the Author’s Note of the novel Vernon explains that this book was almost a decade in the making, and the plot stayed with her throughout her changes in life, the time she took to develop the storyline shows. The ideas were unique, the development was realistic and she approached science fiction at an angle that compelled readers to keep flipping the pages, no matter what they had in store for the day.
Vernon’s novel doesn’t fit a template of a generic satisfying read, a read that once readers put down, they forget about because the story comes to a close. The story development had no “happily ever after,” but allowed the reader to continue to think critically about the concepts brought up throughout the novel, long after they finish reading. It’s this approach that makes the novel truly engaging.
Although the approach to science fiction was engaging and unique, Vernon teased the reader with the advanced technologies that we saw a thousand years in the future, but she didn’t develop them thoroughly. When writing futuristic fiction, the setting needs to be elaborated, because readers can’t assume what the year 3000 would look like; they’re depending on the author to give an all-encompassed description.
Overall Recommendation
I recommend this story to two types of readers, the open-minded reader looking for an engaging read to entice conversation. And the reader who might feel like their book choices are becoming predictable, and they need something to help them open their mind, challenge themselves and learn.