NEVERWAS got off to a confusing start for me. It has been a while since I read the first book, Amber House, so I was a little fuzzy on some of the details. It took me a while into the book before I realized it is set in an alternate universe because of the change Sarah made in Amber House that she no longer remembers. However, once you understand that (and preferably read it soon after you read the first), the story flies by. The intrigue and mystery are even higher in this book than the last, and the authors, Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, and Larkin Reed do an excellent job of keeping the bigger picture hidden until the very end. The pure suspense in this novel during Sarah's echoes of the past build wonderfully and show how confusing and crucial time is.

Sarah and Jackson's may-or-may-not-be relationship is put to new tests in NEVERWAS. Their dynamic together is both heart wrenching and sweet at the same time. I find myself falling for their story more in this book than I did the first. Their limits are tested together and apart, and they both grow in ways I didn't see coming, but make perfect sense for their characters.

Overall, I still really like this series. I think I could enjoy the book more reading a second time with better understanding of the different present world, but even that confusion at the beginning didn't stop me from vigorously flipping the pages and moving my eyes as fast as possible to find out the answer to the mystery behind the echoes and visions. I highly look forward to seeing more from these authors and hopefully more of these characters.

Book Summary