Now that they are older, Henry misses hanging out with his friends Frances and Lukas. They are all so different now, but when he calls them to say their shared pet gerbil has died, they gather together over the hole Henry has dug in his back yard. But this hole has something already in it.

They pull out a box and find an old radio inside. Hiding it in an old garden shed, they wonder if it will work.

Three other children are wondering the same thing. Alice, Artie and Lawrence are looking at Alice’s brother’s old homemade radio after Alice rescued it before the rubbish truck arrived. When they hear a voice on the other end, they can’t believe it. Swapping names is easy, but they begin to realise that something isn’t quite right.

When they realise they are talking to three kids 79 years in the future, they struggle to get their head around it. In fact, they are standing in exactly the same shed, on the same street. Comparing places in their town, they learn that things change over the years.

With the help of Henry, Frances and Lukas from 2023, Alice, Artie and Lawrence try to save their favourite store in town. The flow on effects in 2023 are soon felt, and they quickly understand that messing with time can be incredibly dangerous.

Just a word in the wrong ear can change entire lifetimes, and even their country’s future. What have they done, and can it be undone?

Told in two viewpoints set 79 years apart, Westfallen had me hooked from cover to cover. Not only is it a ripping read, the contrasts between two sets of friends in 2023 and 1944 was brilliantly portrayed in dialogue and events. Throw in a completely different reality on top and the fates of not only the main characters but an entire country, spiral downwards in a tension filled narrative.

The engaging premise and plot had me reading Westfallen in nearly one sitting, only to find it was the first in a trilogy. I was split between feeling gutted that this episode cut off in a thrilling way and I’ll have to wait until the next book, and knowing there will be more in this series.

If you love stories about war, time-travel, friendship loyalty and courage, Westfallen is the series for you!

Loved it.

Authors – Ann Brashares & Ben Brashares

Age – 9+

(2024, Bloomsbury, Time Travel, Friendship, Gerbil, The Butterfly effect, 1944, 2023, World War 2, WWII, War, Family, Future, Past, Radio, Well, Racism, Thrilling, Tension, Nazis, Alternate future, Ramifications, Flow on effects, Historical, Multiple Viewpoints, Trilogy, Series, Rescue, Mystery)