Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

Quick coming-of-age read that will have readers rooting for Tuck. Abused by his mother's boyfriend, he gets a job and helps fight for a union for him and his coworkers.

An odd combination of elements here. I feel like there are two major plot elements that don't really mesh. It feels incomplete.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my review.

'Union' is about Tuck, a teenager starting high school, as he balances romance, work, and underlying trauma surrounding his mother's ex-boyfriend. But rather than traditional prose, the tale is told entirely through verse - mostly monosyllabic words, short stanzas, direct narrative flow, without many complex metaphors - which is appropriate for the audience this book was written for, high schoolers.

As someone who is not in this target audience, I found myself pleasantly surprised. This book was emotionally complex, inspiring, and a welcome change from the traditional YA format. While I was not enamored with the quality of the poetry in its own right, I don't think this takes away from the quality of the story, especially because younger readers would struggle with something more "academic" or stylized. In fact, I found the style perfect for Tuck, our protagonist. He suffers from anxiety and a dissociative disorder; the monosyllabic poetry, written from his point of view, illustrates this perfectly: the short words and lines visually and narratively reflect his mental state.

Besides finding his internal explorations riveting and accurate, I appreciate Tuck as a character for his capacity to be a role model to boys his age. While he shies away from discussing his trauma, 'Union' explores one character's journey to uncovering and accepting his true emotions, all while being a kind, empathetic, gentle soul. By rewarding his internal bravery, the author successfully shows boys that it's okay to be yourself, no matter what has happened to them, and that they are worthy of meaningful relationships and healing.

4.5/5 rounded down to 4, if only due to my reading of it as a 23-year-old. I would love for this book to be taught in schools. And if you're an adult looking for a quick, unique YA read, I highly recommend it.

Orca books need to be reviewed through the lens that they are Hi-Lo novels, and I understand this. I've read and enjoyed other books with a similar goal. Union definitely fits within these parameters, and the prose is surprisingly successful. The ARC information mentions that the book is told almost entirely in one-syllable words to reflect the protagonist's constant, severe dissociation, which is a brilliant idea that I've never seen before, but combined with the Hi-Lo goal, an uninformed reader is unlikely to think first of the simple language as a reflection of the protagonist's mental state when Hi-Lo reading is a more obvious option. The one syllable poems are shockingly beautiful- blunt phrases that break something down to the very core. Representation of the protagonist as a victim of CSA feels realistic, if a bit quickly resolved in a new romantic relationship, but the main focus- the formation of a union- is an interesting story to follow. While the book cuts off at a point I wasn't expecting, it's still a logical and satisfying ending.

⭐️⭐️/5

“I scroll and flick and like a dick I like her post with a click.”

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review an early copy of ‘Union’ by Sara Cassidy.

This is an 86 page novel told in verse with only one syllable words. The fact that she only wrote in one syllable words was impressive to me.

I can’t even describe what this is about because I don’t even know if I fully understand it. We follow our main character who has some past abuse by his mother’s boyfriend and works through the trauma by getting a job and fighting to be part of a union, while also falling for his female childhood best friend.

It was confusing at first to understand that he was referring to his mom’s boyfriend so that made me reread some things regarding it once I understood.

I didn’t hate it but I didn’t particularly like it? I do think it’s a quick read if you’re looking for something short, quick, and to get your Goodreads goal up.

“Son this is how the world works. Some get rich, most stay poor. You’ve got food, a roof. Don’t ask for more.”