Review: Neverwas by Kelly Moore, Tucker and Larkin Reed

Goodreads Summary:

"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.

Publication Date: January 7, 2014

At first, I wasn’t sure if I’d love this second installment of the Amber House trilogy. It was a huge departure from the first book and I found the beginning to be a little confusing. Once it was revealed what was going on, I was able to appreciate the story more and get into Sarah’s journey to fix what was broken when she saved her family members in the last book.

Sarah was once again a good narrator and I do like her character a lot, I particularly enjoy her relationship with her brother. It is also interesting to see how many obstacles Sarah faces in this new world because of her romantic feelings towards Jackson.

There’s a lot of history involved in Neverwas and it became overwhelming at time. Readers learn not only a lot about Sarah’s ancestors but also must become acclimated with the new world Sarah lives in. Racial segregation is one of the major issues in this alternate universe and the world Sarah now lives in is horrifying.  

I would probably recommend reading Amber House and Neverwas back to back to avoid some of the confusion I experienced. I love the descriptive writing in the book and also enjoyed that the plot is centered on a gothic manor able to hold onto the echoes of the past.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the authors for a copy of this novel for review!

Review: The Amber House by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed and Larkin Reed

Goodreads Summary:

"I was sixteen the first time my grandmother died . . ."

Sarah Parsons has never seen Amber House, the grand Maryland estate that's been in her family for three centuries. She's never walked its hedge maze nor found its secret chambers; she's never glimpsed the shades that haunt it, nor hunted for lost diamonds in its walls.

But all of that is about to change. After her grandmother passes away, Sarah and her friend Jackson decide to search for the diamonds--and the house comes alive. She discovers that she can see visions of the house's past, like the eighteenth-century sea captain who hid the jewels, or the glamorous great-grandmother driven mad by grief. She grows closer to both Jackson and a young man named Richard Hathaway, whose family histories are each deeply entwined with her own. But when the visions start to threaten the person she holds most dear, Sarah must do everything she can to get to the bottom of the house's secrets, and stop the course of history before it is cemented forever.

Publication Date: October 1, 2012

What a perfect time of year to read this super creepy book! I haven’t read a good book about a spooky house in a long time and I really enjoyed this novel about the mysteries surrounding the Amber House.

The novel is told from the point of view of Sarah, a teenage girl who has just attended the funeral for her grandmother. While her mother sets out to sell the family home, she decides to throw Sarah a sweet sixteen birthday party. Sarah has other plans since she agrees to help Jackson, a boy who lives on the estate, to search for a set of lost diamonds that are said to be hidden within the house.

This book had something for everyone. There was romance (a hint of a love triangle between Sarah, Jackson and the senator’s son Richard). The mystery and suspense aspects were the strongest as Sarah tries to unravel the secrets of her ancestors. Also, there were paranormal touches as Sarah begins to see echoes (past memories) contained within the house.

 

The characterizations were expertly done. Sarah felt like a real teen girl and it was interesting to witness the growing conflict between her and her mother. Her little brother Sam was endearing and I loved every scene he had with Sarah. The love interests were mysterious, but I liked that quality about them.

When I saw the book had three authors (a mother and two daughters trio), I had some hesitation. Novels with too many hands in it can sometimes feel like the story doesn’t flow well. This is certainly not the case with the Amber House. It’s superbly written and the descriptions were eerily beautiful. One section in particular about a mother spider gave me the chills and I couldn’t get it out of my head.

 

I wasn’t expecting the novel to be part of a trilogy. It felt like a standalone, so I was surprised to find out there are planned sequels. I’m anxious to see what happens next!

Rating 5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book for review!