The Union

by Leah Vernon

Under the rule of a tyrant, Americans were divided by race and class. Hate and inequality reigned. Hispanics and Blacks had no choice but to overthrow the government and exterminate the Caucasian “Europe” race. The few Europes who managed to survive are now classified as Lower Residents and are used as slaves to rebuild the New America—The Southern Region.

Sixteen-year-old Saige, whose parents broke the “purity clause”, pays for their mistake far after their publicized executions. As an Impure, she now must escape the tyranny and sneak over the Border to freedom. Avi, who is destined to succeed her father as General, is conflicted by her loyalty to her authoritarian Elite family and her love for a Europe rebel. Leo, a Lower Resident worker who rebels believe God has sent, will lead them to salvation against the Union. These three teenage adversaries from different castes are forced to rely on one another to thwart a dictator’s plans for mass genocide.

And they're about to start a revolution.

Genres: Dystopia, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Race, Audiobook

335 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2022

About the author

Leah Vernon is a plus-size Hijabi model, social media influencer, public speaker, and freelance writer. She’s been featured by Buzzfeed, Yahoo, CBS, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Seventeen, and The New York Times, and worked with brands like Adidas and Lululemon. She grew up in Detroit, but currently resides in New York City. Connect with her on Instagram (@Lvernon2000) and on her website (Leahvernon.com).

Reviews

[Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Shyt!!!

What in Gods name did I step into?

Leah Vernon is a BADASS and taking numbers!!!

Futuristic dystopian world, where black people are the oppressors and they run the world.

Say what now? Hold up!

Vernon has taken the abnormal and made it into a norm, in her book “The Union”
Vernon has taken a no holds barred approach in her novel when we say oppressed, are now the oppressors.
This book will be an eye opener for two reasons. The first being to see the atrocities that were inflicted on black people in the past, then it be turned around, and portrayed and used against white people.
Or how white people will feel a sense of deep despair and will realize, that deep down. Hey! I’ve seen it on television, read it in books, but never actually read it portrayed with us being the victims. This is some deep Shyt!
Even we as black people had to take a step back for a second, because I know I even found it difficult to read. I would never want my Niece to be treated as less than social class, or my brothers. What of that one drop rule?
But this book is by no means, and I say no means for everyone, so if you are that type of person. Pump your brakes now. You are entering the valley of no return.
Because Vernon is the type of author who apparently likes to set trends of her own.
And she has no problem stepping over and through to make that happen.
She is fierce and determined and has left her mark through many of her endeavors.
This novel will follow two totally different woman’s outputs in life, while following their journey through a world where white people are treated no better than a piece of crap on the sidewalk. Interracial people have it just as bad, for they have an even less social class.
Vernon’s word build is a force within its own and flows as seamlessly as water.
Her characters Avi and Saige are both unique, with complex, individualism, and personable identities.
This book Is not for the weak at heart, nor does Leah make any apologies for it.
My assumption is that Vernon meant for the reader to be uncomfortable, so that the world could take a step back and see that everything is not just Black or White.
That we need to stop seeing ourselves as just either or and just be UNITED.
If one thousand years into the future, we are still warring over who rules who and thinking about what color prevails.

I truly hope that God would burn the place down.

Because apparently “We Haven’t Learned a DAMN THING”!!!

FANTASTIC, FANTASTIC!!!

NOT ENOUGH WORDS

Received an advanced copy via NetGalley, My review is my own.

[goldenbookhunter]

This is a futuristic dystopian where Black people rule. Leah essentially flipped the roles, and I’m shook. I haven’t read about Black people as the aggressors in this way, so I definitely found myself uncomfortable which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I do get what Leah is doing here, and I applaud her boldness.

I’m so glad to see Black characters in a dystopian novel. It’s a first for me. I think this will be a great bookclub read. I found myself wishing I had others to digest the plot with because wow it’s dark, gritty, and I found myself unsure about how I felt, so it would be interesting to hear other peoples thoughts. The writing is straight to the point, so I think many will find this world easy to understand.

I can’t quite put my finger on what, but it feels like this story is missing something to punch it up a notch. I’m invested enough that I do want to know what happens next for Avi, Saige, and Liyo.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unique dystopian story about black rulers and the power that be. I hope this turns into a series, because I’m completely engaged and ready for more!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing style really didn't appeal to me. It felt clunky and amateurish, but it was hard to tell whether this was a deliberate choice so I'll give the author the benefit of the doubt and leave it as a matter of taste and not writing ability.
Past that, large parts of the plot don't really make a lot of sense. There are several huge conspiracies that lots of people seem to know about but don't do anything about it until it's convenient for the plot. Then for no apparent reason the hunger games takes place as part of what had been a routine military boot camp.
The sci-fi elements are ridiculous, with robots made out of "moon titanium", and an overall level of technology that's about 20 years in the future rather than 1000 years. And then for no good reason, suddenly there is telekinesis.
On the positive side, it was a very quick read, and even though the plot didn't always flow or make sense, it was lively and hard to stop reading. But the two main characters were annoyingly whiny and selfish and immature, the villains one-dimensionally diabolically evil, and the anti-racism message so heavy-handed that its impact is diminished.

Bottom line: Kudos to Amazon for trying to showcase an alternate voice in a typically while male dominated genre, but this clumsy mess isn't the answer. It's really hard to recommend this book to anyone, and the 2-star rating is extremely generous.

[Tangible Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a unique dystopian reverse racism/oppression novel. Captivating start to finish. It brings to mind so many issues currently in society: black/white racism, white elitism, colorism in the black community, racial selection/purification, oppression, stereotyping, racial profiling, and police violence. I am sure I can go on. It is fast paced and gets right to the action. It is told from 2 different perspectives but there are many similarities. Fantastic story. It did not leave in a cliff hanger; however, the story is not finished. Book provided as a free ARC in return for honest review via #NetGalley, #TheUnion. Check out my YouTube channel (my username) for more of my thoughts.

[Lottie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some really interesting ideas and fantastic to see more diversity in a novel of this type. Unfortunately though, I found it at times a bit confused and rushed. Sometimes it felt like it wants to be the hunger games but without the space to tell such a big story. I often felt like the plot jumped from one place to another without very much explanation or time to take in what was happening. I would have liked less twists and turns in the plot, and rather more detail, more description and more space to digest what was happening. Sadly I don't think any of the ideas managed to fully form because it was trying to be too many things at once - race war, family politics, betrayal, double agents, viruses, rebels, telekinesis, robots, love triangle - I don't feel like I properly understood any of these plot points place in this story.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hunger Games meets reverse racism

I liked the premise of this book before opening it. Then it took a weird turn that resembled the Hunger games in obvious ways (the cube, people dying during the competition, put on by the totalitarian government, the anti hero, the love triangle, underdog wins, etc). I also thought the robots were a weird sidenote that really didn't have a role in the plot at all - I'm guessing they play a part in the war coming in the sequel. I would probably read the second in the series, but it wasn't mind blowing or original. The combination of elements was slightly unique but I didn't like the assumption that a thousand years in the future, black people would get pissed and flip the dynamics and make white people pay by enslaving and eradicating them. I like to believe we are all better than that. I guess I just didn't feel like the politics aligned with my personal values.

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I wanted this book to show that different people in leadership positions are not the same, it does not. What I got from this book is that power corrupts regardless of who is in power.

The additional sci-fi elements - telekinesis and robots - felt unnecessary in a world where the current technology wasn’t explained very well.

The amount of times Saige was captured and/or beaten by the ruthless regime are too many to count, which really slowed down the story.

I wish the small Hunger Games-like section was drawn out.
Although there was so much going on in this book it would’ve been difficult to really dive into any storyline for too long.

This story is overly complicated and has several plot holes that I hope are filled in the second book.

[Freesia Perricone · Rating 1 out of 5]

One chapter in and decided that was as far as I was going to go. Yet another class-warfare dystopia that is in such a hurry to beat me over the head with analogies to current politics that it barely wastes any time with such trivialities as characters or plot, save as a way to moralize.

Also, for being more than five hundred years into the future, the tech seems tame. Such a common trope of bad sci-fi (and, to be fair, some good sci-fi): one of today's technologies has been advanced to an amazing degree! Wow! Instead of, like will actually happen, being displaced in favor of something else.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this as my Amazon First Reads novel for November 2022. It is set to publish on December 1st.

At times this was an uncomfortable read for me, and others may find it controversial. That said, I had a hard time putting this book down. I found myself drawn to each character - rooting and cheering for most of them, and infuriated with others. I was glad to see that a second book will be released next year. I look forward to reading more about Avi, Saige, Liyo, and all of the others.

If you appreciated, Vox, by Christina Dalcher, I believe you will appreciate THE UNION ad well.

[__storymaestro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where do I even begin? The fact that this book challenges your thought process immediately draws you in. In a world where life is opposite of the audience's reality, we find Saige and Avi. Two Black girls, one in elite family and the other in lower class, both grappling with what society has taught them about skin color and doing their best to overcome what society has deemed as right. This book has taken me on a journey to see the struggle from the inside out and it is written impressively strategic, especially with the topics at hand. If you want to add a diverse book to your TBR pick this up and give yourself a challenge.

[Hugh Butler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found myself thinking of quitting multiple times.

This plot (with the variation of black vs white) is derivative and predictable. The characters strain to fill their roles. The dialogue varies between vaguely medieval and hip leave us wondering who is who and why they are.

plot resemble "Gladiator" and has elements of Hunger Games including warrior training, actual combat, violent death as a test and public honor. not my cup of tea.

obviously the beginning of a series, Star Wars it is not. But still I finished it with little pain and enjoyed the affections of these young people and the little twist about black dominance.

[Indi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing

The book started with a fascinating concept, and executed it exceedingly poorly. Character action and motivation are inconsistent and incomprehensible. Things happen without explanation and you just have to gloss over the jarring missing pieces of plot and hope things get explained later, but they don't. There is violence and cruelty basically for shock value. Characters appear and disappear. It could have been done so much better.

[Rae · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not as good as it could have been

Slow young adult story that inverts the races in an interesting way. Unfortunately, the story didn't match up too is interesting premise. Inverts, it works hard too teach a lesson and preach instead of pretty the characters like their own story. Over all, it felt very forced.

[Tyeisha Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting

The book started slowly, but it turned out to be a great read once I got through the initial parts. I had to go back and re-read some sections to make sure I understood everything correctly. It was a unique story set in the future where race roles were reversed.

[Cathy McIntosh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such a good premise spoilt but sloppy writing and barely likeable characters. Put me off reading for a long time - it was like the author had been told to edit it down dramatically but chosen to taken out narrative rather than description leaving a very jerky story with far more detail on violence than necessary. I looked up the author and she looks a great personality with good aims in life but hard to warm to her when the first person she thanks in her acknowledgments was herself.

[Jolie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read overall

Some first novels are better than others and this was good enough that I want to read the next book. It is not a comfortable read at all if your skin is white and you’re accustomed to seeing yourself as a dominant character in fiction (and life). I like what Vernon says in the acknowledgments; she didn’t write it to make people comfortable. She wrote the story she wanted to read. And as a society if we don’t work on EQUITY - because equity and equality are NOT the same - and start treating people as people, not things - this dystopian future is a possible happening and that makes people uncomfortable. Too freaking bad.

[TessaMcbessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like a Black Mirror on Netflix… you’re going to love this. It’s like every episode shoved into an incredible and fast paced novel you won’t want to put down.

Did I ever mention I LOVE dystopian novels??? All joking aside, this one is spectacular! Leah Alvernon has created a disturbing, sometimes incredibly graphic and brutal world that gripped me from the start. Was it hard to read sometimes? Yes. Was it uncomfortable? Yes. But it was WORTH IT! Sometimes a writter moves past creativity into a whole new realm of writing and Leah Alvernon killed it.

I do anticipate this to become a controversial novel. it deals a lot with race, so keep that in mind before reading!

[Simon Evans · Rating 2 out of 5]

Conceptually this was sound. Although it is not the first book I have read, following this basic conceit, this year; it shares many themes with B. L. Blanchard’s The Peace Keeper (also an Amazon first read). The two differ in that this is a brutal totalitarian rule by blacks. The latter a more Utopian world following the ways of Native American cultures.

This may well be aimed at a YA audience but it has plenty of hard-hitting themes of mental and physical abuse including rape and torture, so not for everyone.

Each chapter is told in the first person, alternating between the ‘impure’ low-born worker Saige and the elite black daughter of the General, Avi. This method works reasonably well but is a touch too contrived at times.

I found the characters mostly unsympathetic, both the elites and the workers. It may be down to them not being drawn well enough or perhaps I just didn’t connect but either way I found that in almost every chapter someone was ‘holding in the tears’ (or some slight variant) which drove me to distraction.

I probably wouldn’t have bothered reading if I had known it was essentially half a book either. It ends in the middle of the tale but I find myself not really engaged enough to find out what happens to either of our leads simply because neither are likeable to the point I want to know them more.

Worth a flick through if you like dystopian fiction (and I generally really enjoy this genre) as your mileage may vary. I suspect this story would work better in the hands of a TV production team, perhaps those behind The Handmaid’s Tale or Noughts and Crosses are looking for new source material.

[Jae · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bailed on this pretty early.
I really dislike reversed-oppression universes. Like a hyper oppressive society where people who have dark skin & are fat are the elite class... so then there are a bunch of stories of white people's oppression and suffering. And like you're just making me read a bunch of eugenics rhetoric; it's not funner to read that shit even if it's directed at the poor, downtrodden whites. >.>
I don't want this. I don't want to sympathize with white people, lol; I don't want to read about fantasy eugenics and genocide.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am all in and want to find out how this story plays out. This future “America” is ruled by those of the black race and whites are at the bottom of the food chain. If a child is born of mixed race and allowed to live, the child is called “impure” and detested by all. The story reminded me of Malorie Blackman’s BLACK & WHITE/ published in Great Britain under the title: NOUGHTS & CROSSES.

[William E. Ferreira · Rating 1 out of 5]

Childish

Unimaginative "the downtrodden will recover". Rehash of the same old story line except the hero is a child. I doubt whether anyone over 10 to 12 years of mental age could enjoy this.

[Daniel Weir · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointed

Although the idea of a society in which Black people are in charge and White people are enslaved is intriguing, the author wasn't up to the task of making it real. The story line had its moments but there were too many holes in it.

[Aquila · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oof. I am FINALLY finished.

I'm going to start by saying I don't normally leave scathing reviews. I don't leave scathing reviews because if a book doesn't jive with me I usually just don't finish it, and I don't rate or review books I don't finish, because I don't feel it's fair to review something I haven't experienced fully.

Unfortunately this book was for one of my book clubs and when I first joined I committed to being willing to finish all the books that were selected for the club.

So. I. Did.

I wanted to like this book. I really did. I was excited about the premise when I first heard about it but it was executed so very poorly.

I might be mad about it.

Let me just say that I hope this is the worst book I read this year because if I have to read something worse I will probably cry.

As I read I frequently thought that a passage was possibly the most awkward thing I'd read in a while and then I would be rewarded a page or two later with another terrible gem of a turn of phrase. My book is now littered with book darts.

The writing vacillated between being very dry, nondescript, and unimaginative, then at other times seeming as though the author had used a thesaurus to poorly dress up the narrative.

The word permeated is heavily overused. There were more exceptionally out of place words throughout the story but that's the one that I happened upon so often I started to cringe evey time I encountered it.

The author seems to have a lack of understanding of basic physics and just like... gravity. Fight scenes were often difficult to follow because of this.

One of the main characters vomits at like... every... available... opportunity.

Oh, yeah. There isn't much that's actually redeeming about either of the main characters and they were so painfully flat it made it hard for me to actually care about what was happening to them.

There's one trans character that's introduced in a questionable way and it felt like she was thrown in just to be able to say there was a trans character which also didn't sit well with me.

I'm certain there's more. I legitimately read passages of this book out loud to both my roommates and my boyfriend just to make sure I wasn't imagining how bad it was.

I was not.

Also, transmega? Just no...

I liked what I assume was a nod to Octavia Butler in Chapter 33 and... that's about the only thing I really enjoyed in the book.

If you're looking for awesome afrofutureism it is out there, I promise, but this is not it.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short Review: A dystopian future with Blacks as the ruling class. The author asks the question what would it feel like to be a Black girl on top? To be the privileged class. Buckle up. This book will take you on a ride.

Long Review: I think the thing I loved most about this book was the author's note and acknowledgements at the end of the book. Does that mean I didn't like the story? Absolutely not. I'll get to that. It just means that those pieces brought so much feeling, clarity, and heart to the story and that really hit home for this reader.

The author remarks that she got inspiration for this book from Toni Morrison's famous quote; "If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." She took that to heart and she wrote it. Now, for my thoughts on the story...

The United States has been split apart. Blacks rule the southern half and Browns rule the northern half. In the Black ran Union the darker your skin color the brighter your future. Everyone is broken up by class - Elite, Upper Residents, and Lower Residents consisting of Domestic, Chattel, and the absolute lowest class - the Impure or biracial.

I have a biracial daughter. So this book really hit home for me. I've seen her be the subject of discrimination and ask me with tears in her eyes why she couldn't have lighter skin like me. Thankfully, as she's grown she's come to love her skin and realize she's unique and beautiful just the way she is. That said, I loved seeing Avi our Impure class heroin kick ass and take names.

Be warned - this book ends on a cliffhanger so we will have to wait for the next book in the series to see what happens. To be cont.....

[Dayanara Ryelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's been a few weeks since I read the other reviews, so I can't remember who said what, but this book is definitely a mix of Matched and The Selection, with a bit of Red Queen and The Giver thrown in for good measure. (And that's just how I feel a little way into the first chapter!)

Come to think of it, with mentions of a dictator who wants to slaughter all the undesirables in the description, there's probably a smidgen of Divergent in there, too.

WOW! I might have a hard time putting this one down!

=About three hours later=
This book is so nasty and violent that if I didn't think racists either (A) don't generally read or (B) read, but only books that fuel their conspiracies, I'd worry that it would encourage them to attempt to go after people of color more than ever.

=17 Nov=
If you read others' reviews and thought, "Oh, this will be a nice switch-up! An eye-opener to how we treated people of color in the past," don't delude yourself—it's the literary equivalent of the movie Whiplash. I can't put it down in the same fashion that I couldn't look away when J.K. Simmons was throwing furniture at Miles Teller.

[Abbie Mearns · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really really wanted to love this book. It’s good, but very much reads like a first draft. The pacing is odd, and some settings and people are described in beautiful detail while others are haphazardly assumed. This lack of a clear narration makes some scenes difficult to fully understand and appreciate. A bit of a disappointment, but I will read the next instalment in the hopes that the author has developed her craft and skill a bit more.

[Jan farnworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Union is set in a futuristic dystopian world where black people are the oppressors, and they run the world. This novel is told through the eyes of two different characters; one is soon to be the new leader, and the other is a mixed-racial worker who wants to escape through the border and hopefully finds a better world. Avi and Saige are unique, with complex, individualistic, and personable identities. We are not left with a cliffhanger; their more story to be told. The Union is a unique story and should be read by everyone.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the hallmarks of a dystopian novel, with an interesting take on power and oppression. Made me uncomfortable - in a good way. That’s what books are supposed to do.

[Lynde Hartman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not wait for this book to end. I did not enjoy it at all.