NEVERWAS by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, and Larkin Reed

Rating: B+
Synopsis:
"I was sixteen the second time I had my first kiss...."

At the end of AMBER HOUSE, Sarah made a choice that transformed everything--and now she must choose it all again.

Things are very different--better--for Sarah and her family: her Aunt Maggie grew up; her parents are happily married; her grandmother died after a long, productive and respected life. But other things are different too, and not for the better.

After growing up in the free country of the Pacific Northwest, Sarah Parsons has settled in at Amber House, the stately Maryland home that's been in her family for generations. But the world surrounding the House feels deeply wrong to Sarah. It's a place where the colonists lost the 1776 Insurrection, where the American Confederation of States still struggles with segregation, and where Sarah is haunted by echoes of a better world that she knows never existed.

Her friend Jackson shares these visions of a different world--and together, they manage both to remember the way things ought to be, and to plan a daring mission that will reset the universe once again. Sarah must figure out what has changed, and why, and how she can fix it--how she can find her way to another otherwhen.

My thoughts on the book:
Neverwas is an excellent follow-up to Amber House. I found the beginning a bit confusing, but as soon as I caught up with what was going on, I absolutely adored the concept. The book itself touches on many important issues, and the character development and world-building of this alternate universe are top notch. The authors really outdid themselves this time, and I can't wait to see how things progress in the last book of the trilogy. 

The beginning of this book found us in an alternative universe. At first I was super confused, but as I read, it started to make sense. This is reminiscent of The Butterfly Effect in that one decision changed a lot of unrelated things. However, the similarities in there. This new universe is dystopian in a way that futuristic novels can't grasp. I've read a few books that had the "what-if America hadn't won the Revolution" scenario, too, but this novel takes it to a whole new and horrific level. Not only did we lose the Revolution, but the Nazis won WWII. The world in which Sarah found herself seemed like a horrific knock-off of the 1950s, but it was also extremely realistic. The writers did a terrific job of painting this world and immersing the reader in it. I would have thought it too farfetched, but it sucked me in. 

Since Sarah is in an entirely new world, her parents are still together. That makes her a completely different character. However, we soon find out that Sarah, while a bit weaker in this alternate reality, is still a fighter and will stand up for what is right. It may take her longer to do so, but she does become the person she once was, more or less, and I did like that. I also fell completely in love with Jackson and can't wait to see what the love triangle has in store for us next. 

In short, I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys history, what-if scenarios, time/universe paradoxes, and/or dystopian adventures. This novel stands out as one of the most unique books I've ever read. Give this series a try. You won't be sorry.