- Introduction
In this book review, I am going to inform you about “IA: Union”. This is a teen novel John Darryl Winston published in 2017. It is the third book in the IA Series. I will tell you what my opinion is of this book, and whether it is worth a read.
- A Summary
First, however, I would like to give you the following summary of this novel:
Naz has found refuge at International Academy, but he cannot find the peace or answers he seeks. All he knows calls to him from the streets of the Exclave where friends and mentors resurface. How can they help him when he’s lost everything?
But when Naz meets D again, his entire world changes. Her uncanny ability to get right into his head helps him see things from a new perspective. And he begins to rebuild his life—until D goes missing.
It’s going to take more than Naz’s supernatural abilities to find her. Can he rescue D in time, or will he lose everything he loves again?
- Strengths
I loved the following eight things about this book:
Firstly, it was great that Mr. Winston presented the reader with the conflict of the story at the beginning of the novel. That was something I missed in the first book, so I appreciated that the conflict was clear from the start in this third book.
Secondly, “IA: Union” is even better written than “IA B.O.S.S.”, which was better written than “I.A. Initiate”. So, I could see that Mr. Winston was growing as an author while he wrote “IA: Union”.
Thirdly, I’ve said this before, and I want to state it again: Naz is an excellently-created character. Throughout this series, I’ve sympathized with him and liked him a lot.
Fourthly, if you loved the love story in the first two books, you’re in for a big treat in this third one as “IA: Union” is mainly about the love story between Naz and D.
Fifthly, for me personally as a teacher, I loved the fact that Mr. Winston gave a tip for teachers to grab students’ attention.
Sixthly, Mr. Winston created the right atmosphere in every scene with great skill. That is what makes this the best book in this series.
Seventhly, this novel gets unputdownable toward the end.
Last but not least, I loved the way “IA: Union” concluded all the stories from the first and second book. Mr. Winston answered each question I had from the first two novels, and explained everything at the end if “IA: Union”.
- Weakness and Conclusion
My first point of criticism of two would be the fact that the author could have made the “practice” in the dojo at the beginning of the book shorter. It was detailed, but because no conflict had been presented at that very early stage in the story, there were other parts of the book I enjoyed more.
Besides, there was also a long section of basketball playing, and although I enjoyed reading it, I’m not sure everyone enjoys such a detailed description of a basketball game.
However, these two points do not take away the fact that “I.A: Union” is an outstanding book which I not only recommend teens and young adults to read, but also older adults.
So, congratulations on an outstanding job, Mr. Winston. I absolutely loved this novel.
edvinpalmer 