WESTFALLEN, by Ann Brashares and Ben Brashares, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Sept. 17, 2024, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 8-12)
Discover an alternate timeline where Germany wins World War II in Westfallen, the first book in a new trilogy by Ann Brashares and Ben Brashares.
Henry, Frances, and Lukas are neighbors, and they used to be best friends. But in middle school Frances got emo, Lukas went to private school, and Henry just felt left behind. When they come together again for the funeral of a pet gerbil, the three ex-friends make a mindblowing discovery: a radio, buried in Henry’s backyard, that allows them to talk to another group of kids in the same town…in the same backyard…eighty years in the past.
The kids in 1944 want to know about the future: Are there laser guns? Flying cars? Jetpacks, at least? Most of all, they want to know about the outcome of the world war their dad and brothers are fighting in.
Though Henry is cautious—he’s seen movies about what happens when you disrupt the fabric of time—soon the present-day kids are sending their new friends on a mission to rescue a doomed candy store. What harm could that do? But one change leads to another, and when the six friends alter history in the biggest way possible, it’s up to them to change it back. —Synopsis provided by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
There are lots of time we ask ourselves, “what if?” but don’t quite go beyond that. In Westfallen, sister and brother team Ann and Ben Brashares take that next step and imagine an America ruled by Nazis.
The entire setup — a radio that connects seventh-graders across time — is excellent, and the fallout is compelling.
The story is told from alternating viewpoints — Henry from today and Alice from 1944. Their first-person narratives give the story a personal feel and add to the overall emotion.
Westfallen is a combination of historical fiction and dystopian, opening up its appeal to a large audience. The plot feels plausible in that crawling skin kind of way. And that’s what makes the book so good. There’s a lot of tension, but some humor thrown in here and there for relief.
Though the intended audience is ages 8-12, simply from a maturity standpoint, I’d suggest ages 10 and up.
Westfallen is a fast-moving, heart-pounding read that you won’t want to put down. I’m looking forward to the next book in the trilogy.
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