Neverwas

November 15, 2013
In this sequel to Amber House (2012), the creepy atmosphere of its predecessor segues into full-blown terror when its heroine finds herself in a world where Nazis and racism prevail. Picking up where Amber House left off, Sarah Parsons finds herself in a new version of history, created when she altered time by saving her beloved brother, Sammy, and her aunt, Maggie. While the people in her life are the same, the backdrop is different: Racism reigns where she lives in Maryland, part of what is now known as the American Confederation of States. As confusing memories and an overwhelming sense of deja vu set in, Sarah realizes what she has done--and what she must now do. With the help of Amber House, the "echoes" of her ancestors, and her clairvoyant love interest, Jackson, she vows to once again change history and right the wrongs she inadvertently caused. This installment presents a stark departure from the preceding volume; gone are the creepy ghost children and specters in mirrors, now replaced by Sarah's confident knowledge that these ghosts are there to guide her. The authors' vision of this alternate, broken United States slowly comes into focus, rather as a ghost might materialize in the background. Sure, ghosts are scary, but a world where the Holocaust lasted for 75 years and may continue? That's inconceivably frightening. A wild ride that leaves its readers breathless for the final installment. (Supernatural thriller. 13 & up)

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February 1, 2014

Gr 8 Up-This gothic-toned novel is set in an alternate future; a war-torn, stilted society created by one small change in history. Sarah Parsons and her family have recently moved to their ancestral home of Amber House, which is in the American Confederation of States, a conservative and restrictive area of the country. Sarah is miserable here, in what feels like a foreign land, and Amber House itself isn't helping. While she loved it as a child, now it seems eerie and frightening. Then she begins to see visions of her ancestors acting out scenes from the past. What's more, Sarah sees herself...but not herself. When these visions are over, she can remember incidents from her past, though she, the Sarah that is here now, never did the things that girl did. Is she going mad like her great-aunt Fiona? Or is Amber House trying to tell her something about the past, the future, and how to fix both? Sarah is moderately well developed, though not terribly likable. Additionally, while her visions are a key plot point, they are confusing both to her and to readers. There is a unique story here, and it has some interesting elements, but it may lose readers in its maze of intertwined pasts and futures. Strictly for fans of the first book.-Heather Miller Cover, Homewood Public Library, AL

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2014
Grades 8-11 After moving into her family's ancestral estate, Sarah is plagued by the feeling that something is disastrously wrong. Readers of Amber House (2012) will know why: Sarah changed history in the first book, creating an alternate time line in which the Nazis conquered Europe, and the American Confederation of States is segregated. Though she has no memories of her former life, visions of this other Sarah and her ancestors provide clues to fixing the past, if only she will accept responsibility. This gothic alt-history is spooky and spellbinding, but as Sarah is mostly bewildered by her visions, they are equally confusing for readers. An abrupt cliff-hanger means series fans must wait to see if Sarah has righted the world's historyor made it worse.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)