The hardest battle isn’t fought with fists, but with the heart… get right into his head helps him see things in 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 this time. Can he rescue D in time, or will he lose everything he loves again?
IA: Union is the third book in a YA supernatural thriller trilogy. This coming-of-age story is a hero’s journey set in the mean streets of America. A book about, and for, those living the real story each and every day on our streets, in our cities, and in the hallways of our schools.
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I was thrilled to read and escape with this amazing story!
Naz is such a timeless, memorable character. A young man searching for his meaning, his worth and his why. He comes to embrace his unusual gifts in a world that doesn’t always see who and what he is. Union is the exciting conclusion of a three part series that offers insight into the mind of a thoughtful, gifted and deep thinking young man.
His origins are hazy, with a brilliant father conducting research into the mind and its unknown abilities, a beginning in his life of understanding cognitive science far beyond the grasp of the society we all know. Beyond that is the painting of an urban landscape, life in school dealing with peer pressure, sports as an outlet and ahh! Love. Love that embraces us in the glow of a dream girl. The Holy Grail of our young lives, the “one,” we admire from afar until we finally take the leap.
The creative interplay between a contemporary text and Shakespeare stole the show. Othello-Naz and D-Desdemona the entrancing beauty that won our hearts in another story, from another time. To place first love inside the passionate backdrop of Shakespearean high-drama and write of the girl who renders a young man speechless near the school lockers was fantastic. That comparison alone would have kept me reading.
I have come to know Naz as my friend, an unsung hero and a believable character that makes me laugh, throw a high-five and send out a cheer. If you have not been initiated, it’s about time you were.
Well! I can’t even…this book…Let me first say it was HIGHLY anticipated and absolutely did not disappoint. I haven’t read as much this year as I normally would due to moving across country and major life changes, BUT I have reread the first two books in this series in anticipation of this one. Each time I read the IA books, I fall more and more in love.
Winston weaves a complex story, one with many twists and turns; it graduates comfortably from middle grade fiction to YA and takes us through many sub-genres: mystery, suspense, paranormal, fantasy, and sci-fi–they all blend together to make this story a fantastic masterpiece, a modern day Star Wars (here on earth).
Naz’s journey has been intriguing from book one. He has lived the kind of life that many children shouldn’t have to, yet sadly do. Naz returns with a vengeance, determined to unveil Meri’s killer. He goes to great lengths to return to his old neighborhood, the Exclave. Life is hard there, but it’s a life he knows, he understands, and is not willing to give up on. Naz’s story changes with the development of his abilities and the curiosity’s of teenage-hood–he meets a girl, D, and they connect in such a way that she grounds him, supports him, even when she’s furious with him. When D is placed in harms way because of Naz, he races against the clock to rescue her, but alas must say goodbye to another beloved character. Naz also learns the truth about his past and his father–it’s a lot for any person to take, let alone a teenage boy, but Naz is a champion, a phenomenon.
And this was a Phenomenal series. The emotional roller-coaster I experienced throughout this entire trilogy was well worth the ride–I’m sad to see it end, but it’s no hardship to read again and again.
Well done, John Darryl Winston! I look forward to future works.
I thoroughly enjoyed IA: Union, the last installment in the IA Series. Naz’s journey continues and he’s out for revenge. This book is unique in the tough topics the author explores of loss, love, friendships that endure through hardships, and the belief that we all want to have in our families and for our future. Within Union we find a true coming of age story as Naz further explores his unusual gifts so he can rescue the new love interest in his life. And we get eye-opening detail as we trudge through the effects of tragedy right alongside the main character, lingering where Winston’s words lead us.
Throughout the series, timely issues have been addressed while maintaining the age appropriateness of the content for young adults and middle grade alike, yet Winston’s books have crossover appeal to the adult market as well. We all need to invest in the hero’s journey that this series offers- just the type of read necessary today—reality anchored with a side order of magic and a smattering of hope. You don’t want to miss it!
Union is the best book of the best series. The story and characters are the best. I couldn’t find anything wrong with the book so 5 stars easy.
Yes!
At last, the answers to most of my IA questions, and I believe Naz’s questions get answered too. John Winston does not let us down in this last installment of the IA trilogy. As always, the “In the Past” sections were my favorite and this time we are finally able to put the pieces together and understand what really happened and why Naz is the way he is.
The Naz, Ham relationship was revisited, the Naz, Harvis relationship was solidified and the Naz, D relationship was expanded on. This is a great third installment but as I said, it answers most of my questions, there are still a few things that I am interested to know. So, I ask in my best Oliver Twist impersonation – “Please sir may I have some more?”
In a world that constantly seems to be crashing down all around him, Naz continues to stand up against all odds once again in order to find the answers to his heavily riddled life. So much has gone wrong, so many things still mysteries and hidden elude his discovery of the truth of his past, how can this young man keep going after all he loved has been taken from him.
Finding a way to get back to his old school, Naz is determined to get his answers with a little help from his friends. Along the journey, Naz falls face first into a little thing called love. This newfound distraction takes him a little off course but in its detour it teaches him new things about himself, new things that open his mind, leading Naz to unknowingly unleash some of his uniqueness upon D and the discovery that there is more to him than he first thought.
This mysterious and magnetic journey pulls you in, makes you feel like you are walking the streets and fighting the shadows right alongside our young hero Naz. Incredible storytelling and heartfelt events make you feel like you are truly a part of John Winston’s world. Looking forward to reading more of his work. Great read!!
One might expect that since it’s Christmastime, John Darryl Winston would tie up his IA trilogy with this nice little bow called Union. However, after opening this gift and giving it a read, I can see that IA is going to be a gift that keeps on giving. Several loose ends are tied up and Union does answer many questions. But as the story progresses more questions are raised and you can sense that there won’t be complete closure by the end. While this trilogy may have come to an end, Naz’s story certainly hasn’t.
The story itself is outstanding and we once again get to spend time with characters we’ve come to know because Winston has so richly developed them. In Union, Naz continues to grow and develop as he not only navigates being in high school, but learns the extent of his abilities. And while he attempts to deal with the stress of classes, the drama of first love and pangs of jealousy, he continues to come terms with his lost family, especially the loss of Meri.
So, since this doesn’t really seem like the end, it begs the question…where does Naz go from here? Only John Darryl Winston can answer that in what I can only hope will be his next trilogy.
I was given the wonderful opportunity to review IA: Union before it’s release date, and having read the first two IA books, I was desperate to know what happened to Naz in the aftermath of his sister’s death. Now alone, he is a proud young man still mastering his psychic abilities, yet still a vulnerable boy in search of a sense of family. And he now has a love interest, he calls ‘D’. Winston is a master at setting the pace – a will they, won’t they get together? A will he, won’t he utilise his mystical powers to the full? Will he find out the truth, seek out the villains? I really felt for Naz whilst reading this. How much he has suffered and how strong he has to be to keep going forward, despite his grief and loss. This book is a wonderful conclusion, and in Union, the author really dives into the emotion so we are there with Naz all the way, facing his demons and praying he will come out the other side. Bravo to the author. This is a thought provoking third book to mark a wonderful trilogy, that both teens and adults will debate over and love. I can see this on the educational curriculum in schools in the very near future. An absolute must-read …