I feel like a lot of others when it comes to The Dissent - I wanted to love it. I loved The Union. The Dissent however just didn’t live up to expectations.

There’s a great story in there but it got muddied along the way. I don’t know if it would have been better served by being three books or by editing this one down. There’s definitely a place for a third book though given the ending.

I would absolutely love to see this series on screen in some format because it’s a perspective that hasn’t really been explored.

Thank you to 47North and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

This is the sequel to The Union and picks up slightly in the future from where the first book left off. I have mixed feelings about this book. What I enjoyed: Jade and Head Gardner are perfect villains. They’re easy to hate and foil Avi and Saige well. I didn’t want them to succeed in any way, so I was rooting for Avi and Saige despite not loving their characters. Avi grew a lot in her beliefs and was less passive so I enjoyed her character more this book, but she was way too idealistic. Saige shows a softer side, but she is still stubborn and selfish. I didn’t feel she grew as much.

What I didn’t enjoy: Liyo’s perspective because it was unnecessary. Jade even had one chapter which was also totally unnecessary. This book should have stuck with Avi and Saige’s perspectives because they tell 80% of the book anyway. There are a lot of fight scenes and action, but other times the pacing dragged. I think the book could have been much shorter which would have made it more engaging. I also felt the writing was lazy at times. For instance, Avi and Saige frequently pass out when there is danger then the plot jumps to them waking up. The ending was predictable but not bad. This feels very YA, so I think teens would particularly enjoy this. Thanks to NetGalley, 47North, and Leah Vernon for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an okay continuation of the story we got in book 1. We got to see an evolution of the relationship between Saige and Avi, which was enjoyable to read. Thankfully, the pacing also kept a similar beat as the first book. In a surprising turn of events, Saige evolved into a very likable character, and I found myself rooting for her throughout this installment. I just wanted her to gain her freedom, move to the north, and get away from all these selfish, entitled, lunatics. I wished I could have felt the same about Avi, but unfortunately, she wasn't developed as much as I had hoped.

There's something that happens around 70% into this book, the absence of which could have impacted the story so much better.

If you like action-packed dystopian Society's that are divided by race and class, then give this one a try.

Thanks to Netgalley and 47North for gifting me this this e-Arc!!!!

I had high hopes for this book and I'm delighted to share that it won me over. While there were initial challenges connecting with the story and some perceived disjointedness in pacing and character growth, I found that as the narrative unfolded, these elements came together seamlessly. The occasional shifts in writing style added an unexpected layer of intrigue, keeping me engaged.
Despite my initial reservations, the thematic depth became more apparent, and I discovered a renewed appreciation for the storyline. While there were moments of frustration, I chose to embrace the journey, and I'm glad I did. In the end, the book proved to be a rewarding and fulfilling read, leaving me with a positive overall impression.

The Dissent is book 2 in the The Union series by Leah Vernon.
This action-packed second installment in the Union series is about a young woman’s battle for power in a racially divided futuristic world.
I really enjoyed this fantastic sci-fi dystopian series.
This was a well written story with compelling characters who I really enjoyed reading their journey. The world building in this book is great I was captivated by it and thought it was written very well. The setting was really engaging and felt eerily believable and relevant.

I would like to thank NetGalley and 47North for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

I'm sorry at this point. I wanted to read it, but sadly, multiple POVs are not my thing. I will try to read as much as possible, but I don't know if I'll write a proper review.

Much like the first book, the pacing and world building for the book felt rushed. It seemed like a lot of events needed to be thrown into a set number of pages and so everything felt disjointed. The premise for the book remains interesting despite all this.

The Dissent is a story with potential that was killed by sophomoric writing. The actions in the book occur with no lead up and very little setting development. Avi comes across as a weak leaf in the wind who only chooses peace because she is virtually encapable of choosing otherwise. The other characters were written in a way that was so paper-thin, I was not even able to see why they cared for each other, let alone why I as the reader should care for them. All in all this could have been a good and engaging story if it had not been written like a teenager dutifully recounting what they did over the summer in essay form. At best, to enjoy this book, the reader must think of it as a vaguely written journal of past events, not a novel to be actively engaged with.

This sequel starts off after the first book. It felt repetitive in most parts of the book but I enjoyed this read.

As much as I wanted to love this book, I couldn’t connect to the story and found the pacing and character growth disjointed. At times, it felt as if the writing style suddenly changed and it seemed abrupt. There’s a lot to discuss about the themes, but I found myself so frustrated with the writing that I just wanted to get through it.

This book was really hard to follow and felt a bit all over the place.

The flow of the story was confusing because each POV was in first person and it was unclear who was on what side - the Union, the workers, or the rebellion.

Some of the action was only explained in a sentence or two, meaning it was easy to overlook.

The story was also repetitive - Saige gets upset, goes off, gets knocked out, over and over again. The same is true for most of the other main characters.

I didn't love the first book and was hoping the sequel would have enhanced the story.

I enjoyed the first book in this series and was happy to see this 2nd book. The story starts where we left off and I enjoyed it. The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

I read "The Union" as an Amazon Prime Read First Pick way back and it became a forgotten gem until I saw this ARC. I was so thrilled to return back to the world created by Leah Vernon and pick up where I left off.