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Westfallen #1
Westfallen
From #1 New York Times bestselling Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants author Ann Brashares and her brother Ben Brashares comes an action-packed middle grade alternate history thriller that asks what it would be like to wake up in present-day America if Germany had won World War II.
Henry, Frances, and Lukas are neighbors, and they used to be best friends. But in middle school, things can change fast—Frances has become an emo art-girl, Lukas has gone full sports bro, and Henry has gone sort of nowhere. But when a dead gerbil brings them together again, the three ex-friends make an impossible discovery: a radio buried in Henry’s backyard that allows them to talk to another group of kids in the same town…on the same street…in the same backyard…seventy-nine years in the past.
The kids in 1944 want to know all about the future: are there jetpacks? Laser guns? Teleportation? Most of all, they want to know about the outcome of the war their dads and brothers are fighting in. Henry and his friends are cautious—they’ve all seen movies about what happens when you disrupt the fabric of time—but figure there’s no harm in telling them a little bit, just enough so they can stop worrying so much. And, at first, everything seems fine. Nothing’s changed—well, nothing so big they can’t contain it, anyway.
Until Henry, Frances, and Lukas wake up on May 6, 2024, to an America ruled by Nazis. They changed history. And now it’s up to them to change it back.
Henry, Frances, and Lukas are neighbors, and they used to be best friends. But in middle school, things can change fast—Frances has become an emo art-girl, Lukas has gone full sports bro, and Henry has gone sort of nowhere. But when a dead gerbil brings them together again, the three ex-friends make an impossible discovery: a radio buried in Henry’s backyard that allows them to talk to another group of kids in the same town…on the same street…in the same backyard…seventy-nine years in the past.
The kids in 1944 want to know all about the future: are there jetpacks? Laser guns? Teleportation? Most of all, they want to know about the outcome of the war their dads and brothers are fighting in. Henry and his friends are cautious—they’ve all seen movies about what happens when you disrupt the fabric of time—but figure there’s no harm in telling them a little bit, just enough so they can stop worrying so much. And, at first, everything seems fine. Nothing’s changed—well, nothing so big they can’t contain it, anyway.
Until Henry, Frances, and Lukas wake up on May 6, 2024, to an America ruled by Nazis. They changed history. And now it’s up to them to change it back.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published September 17, 2024
141 people are currently reading
4288 people want to read
About the author
Ann Brashares
74 books4,963 followersAnn Brashares is an American young adult novelist. She is best known as the author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 238 reviews
August 30, 2025
*Warning! Upon finishing this book, you will experience an urgent desire to read more historical fiction!*
Six kids, three from 2023, three from 1944. They unexpectedly make contact with each other across the decades, after discovering a radio that appears to be broken at first glance. When a cardinal rule of time-travel is broken (“don’t tell what you know about the future”), it puts literally the entire world in danger of being ruled by Nazi Germany forever. Because when time-travel rules are ignored, sometimes the bad guys win…
Great introduction to history for middle-grade readers! If this had been released when I was a kid, I would have devoured it, more than once! As an adult, I found it difficult to put down!
My only complaint is that two of the characters, both boys, have names that begin with L, Lawrence and Lukas. I found it a bit difficult to keep them straight while reading. Just a small annoyance; I really enjoyed this book. Can’t wait for the next one in the series!
*Update 8/30/25*
Great reading this the second time around; a bit easier in hardcover because I could flip pages if I was confused about something. That’s much trickier to do on a Kindle! Moving right on to the sequel now; housework, phooey!
Six kids, three from 2023, three from 1944. They unexpectedly make contact with each other across the decades, after discovering a radio that appears to be broken at first glance. When a cardinal rule of time-travel is broken (“don’t tell what you know about the future”), it puts literally the entire world in danger of being ruled by Nazi Germany forever. Because when time-travel rules are ignored, sometimes the bad guys win…
Great introduction to history for middle-grade readers! If this had been released when I was a kid, I would have devoured it, more than once! As an adult, I found it difficult to put down!
My only complaint is that two of the characters, both boys, have names that begin with L, Lawrence and Lukas. I found it a bit difficult to keep them straight while reading. Just a small annoyance; I really enjoyed this book. Can’t wait for the next one in the series!
*Update 8/30/25*
Great reading this the second time around; a bit easier in hardcover because I could flip pages if I was confused about something. That’s much trickier to do on a Kindle! Moving right on to the sequel now; housework, phooey!
December 15, 2024
✰ 3.75 stars ✰
“I think about that all the time. That exact minute. All of history can hinge on a single minute, on one dumb decision.”
It has been awhile since I've read a dystopian middle grade read. It is a chilling notion to think about the consequences and the fate of our world had the tide of World War II shifted in another direction. A precedent which would very much unravel the fabric of time and change our very way of living, let alone our existence. It is a terrifying thought - one almost too drastic and terrifying to think about. What if the Allies had not succeeded? 😟 What if Nazi influence expanded across the oceans? What if the persecution reached the shores of the United States, or worse, what if the United States ceased to exist, in its place, a new empire, Westfallen one that followed the ideals of Hitler, one that eradicated free speech and tolerance, one that had 6 very unsuspecting children wondering how one well-meaning act could set of a chain of events that would be impossible to take back. 😔
“That’s the kind of phrase that should always stop you in your tracks. Nobody ever says, What would be the harm?”
It is the crafty slow build of the impending doom that captured my attention. The perspective easily shifts between two voices and timelines that of twelve-year-old Henry in the present, and twelve-year-old Alice of 1944 - communicating via a radio that the trio of their friends discovered in their backyard. 'We are talking to each other through time.' What starts off as an enthusiastic fascination of trying to make a simple change in the air waves, slowly turns to something more. For in the past, the traces of the war dominated their hearts, and the idea that knowing how events turn out could actually work to their benefit to prevent it from happening.
But, even if you are able to alter one course of events, the universe will find a balance. That is the hard truth, Henry and Alice discover on opposite spectrums of time. For as much as an idea can be based on good intentions to change the past, it is inevitable that the future will be rewritten, too. What is meant to be, is meant to be. 'You know what they say about people who fail to learn history?' 😥 It was scary and it was hard to see how something so novel and exciting could suddenly change into something so ominous and disastrous. And I liked that the historical details were not like an info-dump, that the characters weren't like naturally smart but made their knowledge known in an engaging manner. The facts were relevant to the time and their families; it is what propelled them to act decisively to fix whatever they had destroyed. 👍🏻
“It was the siren. The same siren. The unmistakable stomach-turning blare of a siren that didn’t belong in the land of the free.”
And that is what kept me going. No, actually it was the characters; their strong friendships, the challenges they faced, the determination and clever ingenuity, as well as the hopeful promise to fix their errors is what was so gripping. It was also their heart - their humor - their candor that depicted kids being real kids, which I liked. 🫂 They squabbled, they bickered, but they also deeply cared. 'It was just too crazy. Too horrible. Too ridiculous to be real.' For Henry and his friends it is worse because the memory still remains of their lives in New Jersey before the change - before Westfallen existed. Before when 'we were gerbils. Proud. Scrappy. Somewhat unpopular', but at least it was not this. 😢
It is that subtle rift where we get the hint of how precarious their situation is - when one of their friends is a Jew - the fear, the uncertainty, the horror and the terror is vividly captured, as well as their steadfast courage and resilience to fight to hold onto the memories - 'and the memories hurt. We needed to hold on to them' - of a life that is a reality - and not this nightmare. The setting changes so suddenly, but impactfully. It is the searing way in which Alice and her own cohorts are facing their own present that is affecting Henry's future. ❤️🩹❤️🩹 It's a vivid and heartbreaking portrayal of how too much information can have disastrous results, while also capturing how desperate they are to still ensure that history follows the same path. The guilt and the foreboding had its insanely intense moments, which kept the suspense going, was tangible throughout; the emotions and reactions were believable to me. 👍🏻 I especially love how subtly the authors have laid out the connection that draws Alice and Henry together. It is so well done, that I cannot wait for how and if they will find out the truth. 🥺
The fact that it ends on a cliffhanger, one which I kinda speculated with some very foreboding comments, I am really curious and looking forward to see what will happen next. Traveling through time?? New perspectives? Who's to say or know?? 😥
“I think about that all the time. That exact minute. All of history can hinge on a single minute, on one dumb decision.”
It has been awhile since I've read a dystopian middle grade read. It is a chilling notion to think about the consequences and the fate of our world had the tide of World War II shifted in another direction. A precedent which would very much unravel the fabric of time and change our very way of living, let alone our existence. It is a terrifying thought - one almost too drastic and terrifying to think about. What if the Allies had not succeeded? 😟 What if Nazi influence expanded across the oceans? What if the persecution reached the shores of the United States, or worse, what if the United States ceased to exist, in its place, a new empire, Westfallen one that followed the ideals of Hitler, one that eradicated free speech and tolerance, one that had 6 very unsuspecting children wondering how one well-meaning act could set of a chain of events that would be impossible to take back. 😔
“That’s the kind of phrase that should always stop you in your tracks. Nobody ever says, What would be the harm?”
It is the crafty slow build of the impending doom that captured my attention. The perspective easily shifts between two voices and timelines that of twelve-year-old Henry in the present, and twelve-year-old Alice of 1944 - communicating via a radio that the trio of their friends discovered in their backyard. 'We are talking to each other through time.' What starts off as an enthusiastic fascination of trying to make a simple change in the air waves, slowly turns to something more. For in the past, the traces of the war dominated their hearts, and the idea that knowing how events turn out could actually work to their benefit to prevent it from happening.
But, even if you are able to alter one course of events, the universe will find a balance. That is the hard truth, Henry and Alice discover on opposite spectrums of time. For as much as an idea can be based on good intentions to change the past, it is inevitable that the future will be rewritten, too. What is meant to be, is meant to be. 'You know what they say about people who fail to learn history?' 😥 It was scary and it was hard to see how something so novel and exciting could suddenly change into something so ominous and disastrous. And I liked that the historical details were not like an info-dump, that the characters weren't like naturally smart but made their knowledge known in an engaging manner. The facts were relevant to the time and their families; it is what propelled them to act decisively to fix whatever they had destroyed. 👍🏻
“It was the siren. The same siren. The unmistakable stomach-turning blare of a siren that didn’t belong in the land of the free.”
And that is what kept me going. No, actually it was the characters; their strong friendships, the challenges they faced, the determination and clever ingenuity, as well as the hopeful promise to fix their errors is what was so gripping. It was also their heart - their humor - their candor that depicted kids being real kids, which I liked. 🫂 They squabbled, they bickered, but they also deeply cared. 'It was just too crazy. Too horrible. Too ridiculous to be real.' For Henry and his friends it is worse because the memory still remains of their lives in New Jersey before the change - before Westfallen existed. Before when 'we were gerbils. Proud. Scrappy. Somewhat unpopular', but at least it was not this. 😢
It is that subtle rift where we get the hint of how precarious their situation is - when one of their friends is a Jew - the fear, the uncertainty, the horror and the terror is vividly captured, as well as their steadfast courage and resilience to fight to hold onto the memories - 'and the memories hurt. We needed to hold on to them' - of a life that is a reality - and not this nightmare. The setting changes so suddenly, but impactfully. It is the searing way in which Alice and her own cohorts are facing their own present that is affecting Henry's future. ❤️🩹❤️🩹 It's a vivid and heartbreaking portrayal of how too much information can have disastrous results, while also capturing how desperate they are to still ensure that history follows the same path. The guilt and the foreboding had its insanely intense moments, which kept the suspense going, was tangible throughout; the emotions and reactions were believable to me. 👍🏻 I especially love how subtly the authors have laid out the connection that draws Alice and Henry together. It is so well done, that I cannot wait for how and if they will find out the truth. 🥺
The fact that it ends on a cliffhanger, one which I kinda speculated with some very foreboding comments, I am really curious and looking forward to see what will happen next. Traveling through time?? New perspectives? Who's to say or know?? 😥
May 19, 2025
4,5 ⭐
J'ai trop aimé !Vu que ça faisait un moment que je n'en avais pas lu, j'avais presque oublié à quel point j'aimais les romans historiques et les uchronies... bah là, j'étais servie ! C'est un roman qui réécrit l'histoire en partant d'un point très simple : et si le Débarquement avait été contré ? A cause d'une mystérieuse radio qui permet à des enfants de deux époques de parler et de conversations qui auraient du rester secrètes ? A partir de là, il faut imaginer un roman hyper addictif, bien mené, qui réussit le tour de force d'être aussi drôle que fort... j'ai adoré adoré, et même si j'aurais aimé que ça se cloture en un seul tome, j'ai HÂTE de lire la suite !
J'ai trop aimé !Vu que ça faisait un moment que je n'en avais pas lu, j'avais presque oublié à quel point j'aimais les romans historiques et les uchronies... bah là, j'étais servie ! C'est un roman qui réécrit l'histoire en partant d'un point très simple : et si le Débarquement avait été contré ? A cause d'une mystérieuse radio qui permet à des enfants de deux époques de parler et de conversations qui auraient du rester secrètes ? A partir de là, il faut imaginer un roman hyper addictif, bien mené, qui réussit le tour de force d'être aussi drôle que fort... j'ai adoré adoré, et même si j'aurais aimé que ça se cloture en un seul tome, j'ai HÂTE de lire la suite !
August 15, 2025
Every wish I ever had of wanting to time travel died with this book.
stress. from start to finish.
stress. from start to finish.
July 1, 2025
J'ai adoré ! Merci Sam Sam pour le conseil !
September 17, 2024
Westfallen explores the horrifying possibility of what life would be like if the Nazis had triumphed in World War II. Using trios of 12-year-olds in 1944 and 2023 who are mysteriously able to talk through history, the authors show the kids accidentally creating this alternate reality and then trying to set it right again. We are clearly set up for a sequel with a cliffhanger ending and little details throughout that seem like they will come into play in a later book.
Many of my students love historical fiction (especially World War II), but science fiction is a harder sell in my middle-grade classroom. This might be the book that gets them hooked, as long as they can keep track of which characters are in which time period since the chapters switch back and forth. The plot is gripping, making this a page-turner once you realize how badly things might turn out.
I hope this book is a success as my readers will be asking when the next one comes out the moment they finish the final page. Other teachers looking for clean, safe reads for their shelves should know that there are no content warnings for this one. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC provided in exchange for my honest review.
Many of my students love historical fiction (especially World War II), but science fiction is a harder sell in my middle-grade classroom. This might be the book that gets them hooked, as long as they can keep track of which characters are in which time period since the chapters switch back and forth. The plot is gripping, making this a page-turner once you realize how badly things might turn out.
I hope this book is a success as my readers will be asking when the next one comes out the moment they finish the final page. Other teachers looking for clean, safe reads for their shelves should know that there are no content warnings for this one. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC provided in exchange for my honest review.
November 20, 2024
It only took me a few days to finish this page turner. I loved the premise of it and hope it becomes a series.
September 29, 2024
This was absolutely fantastic and unique! This is one of those books that’s hard to describe without spoilers, but I’m going to try to set the stage.
Three kids in 2023 New Jersey end up communicating with three kids in 1944 in their same town. I loved the kids and their different personalities and friendships. I loved how historic details were woven through. I loved the way problems were introduced and solved (or not solved) and gosh I can’t wait for book 2!
I was also impressed with how this story handled some difficult historical points for an upper middle grade audience. I’d recommend this for 12+ independently, but I do think this would be a fantastic family read aloud with even younger kids.
Three kids in 2023 New Jersey end up communicating with three kids in 1944 in their same town. I loved the kids and their different personalities and friendships. I loved how historic details were woven through. I loved the way problems were introduced and solved (or not solved) and gosh I can’t wait for book 2!
I was also impressed with how this story handled some difficult historical points for an upper middle grade audience. I’d recommend this for 12+ independently, but I do think this would be a fantastic family read aloud with even younger kids.
dnf
August 29, 2025DNF @ 18%
November 8, 2025
Really, really good. I was super excited to pick this one up after my sister raved about it. I've been thinking a lot about the concept-what would the world be like if the Nazi's had won? It feels genuine and heart breaking at the same time. If you can suspend your disbelief about how it all "works" I really enjoyed this.
A couple other thoughts: I read this with the full expectation that I would buy it for my elementary school library. Unfortunately, I don't think I can. There is quite a bit of language for a middle-grade novel. It feels unnecessary.
The ending of this doesn't feel congruent with the rest of the book. Almost like they were writing the whole thing expecting it to be a stand-alone but then at the last minute decided to do a sequel?
All that to say-this is probably the best middle grade historical fiction I've read since The War that Saved My Life.
A couple other thoughts: I read this with the full expectation that I would buy it for my elementary school library. Unfortunately, I don't think I can. There is quite a bit of language for a middle-grade novel. It feels unnecessary.
The ending of this doesn't feel congruent with the rest of the book. Almost like they were writing the whole thing expecting it to be a stand-alone but then at the last minute decided to do a sequel?
All that to say-this is probably the best middle grade historical fiction I've read since The War that Saved My Life.
May 18, 2025
Une tuerie. Du début à la fin. Impossible de décrocher. 3 gamins trouvent une vieille radio enterrée dans leur jardin et parviennent à communiquer avec 3 autres enfants qui vivent en 1944. Sans le vouloir, ils vont modifier le cours de l’histoire et se réveiller dans un monde dans lequel les nazis auraient gagné la seconde guerre mondiale.
Prenant, espiègle, parfois drôle, on se croirait dans un film de Spielberg !
Dès 11 ans mais pour 15 ans sans problème.
Prenant, espiègle, parfois drôle, on se croirait dans un film de Spielberg !
Dès 11 ans mais pour 15 ans sans problème.
August 11, 2025
This was so good!! I have been in such a bad reading slump lately and I just absolutely devoured this story, I couldn’t put it down. And that ending!!!!! I am absolutely dying for the next book.
September 25, 2025
Slow burn but worth it!
May 27, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. I don’t know how I initially missed this one, but I am so thankful for my librarian network for recommending it to me. It takes place in two interconnected timelines, one in 1944 and one in 2023. They’re both in the same town… and the same shed in a residential backyard. In 1944, as World War II rages overseas, a teen digs up (literally, it’s in the ground) her brother’s old radio. For fun and nostalgia, she turns it on. To her and her friends’ shock, they connect… with a trio of teens in 2023. This group, who were tight as kids but have grown apart, dug it up after an old joke and are shocked to find that the old thing works… and even more so that they are talking to kids in the past. Then they discover that through the butterfly effect, they can change the outcome of history. When one well-meaning piece of information is shared, it alters the outcome of World War II, and the Allies do not win. Now it’s up to these six kids to right their wrong and save history as we know it. It’s full of action, accessible for its audience, and leaves on a cliffhanger with a sequel coming this fall. I’ll be recommending this when we’re back in school for sure. Recommended for grades 6-8. #mglit #librarians #librariansofinstagram #middleschoollibrarian
June 16, 2024
Thanks to SimonKids for the ARC! This is a very fun page-turner of a read. I loved the parallel-ish characters, the healing of friendships, the magical delight and discovery of communication between decades. The speculative 2023 felt uncomfortably possible. It's a little scary, in that regard, but balanced with so much fun, humor, history, I think it's not too tense for the age range. The scene in the school/camp was the only one that jumped the shark a tiny bit. But it was fun! My 15 year old is reading it now. It's maybe a little young for her, but she's really enjoying it. I'd read book 2!
January 6, 2025
3.5. I took off a star for the length of almost 380 pages. Unique and thought-provoking book that will appeal to a select group of readers. The characters are in middle school, but this series starter seems more YA due to the length and detailed plot in two different time periods. I might purchase. This will be up for awards, I’m sure.
September 28, 2025
Westfallen débute sur une idée simple mais puissante : que se passerait-il si le cours de l’histoire, tel que nous le connaissons, était altéré par un petit geste enfantin ? Les auteurs prennent ce “et si” comme point de départ et construisent autour une intrigue mêlant le fantastique (communication à travers le temps), l’histoire alternative, et une exploration des responsabilités morales, le tout centré sur des jeunes de douze ans. Ce mélange rend le roman à la fois palpitant et chargé de sens. Le roman s’adresse principalement aux lecteurs “middle grade”, mais ses idées frappent plus largement, ceux qui aiment la science-fiction, les romans historiques revus, le questionnement éthique, ou simplement les histoires d’amitié, pourront y trouver beaucoup.
Ann & Ben Brashares ont ici une écriture qui combine deux forces : la simplicité nécessaire pour rester accessible à un public jeune, et la richesse d’une narration capable de porter un récit complexe. Le récit alterne entre les enfants de 2023 et ceux de 1944, ce qui oblige à jongler entre les époques. Ce dispositif permet de montrer non seulement ce que les protagonistes voient et ressentent dans chaque temps, mais aussi comment une action dans un temps peut troubler tout ce que les personnages croyaient stable. Le personnage de Henry, narrateur dans le présent, s’adresse dès le départ au lecteur (“Quelle est la pire chose que vous ayez jamais faite ?”), ce qui crée une proximité. On ressent ses doutes, ses regrets, ses peurs, pas de gros discours pompeux, mais des pensées d’enfant (ou de pré-ado) confronté à quelque chose de bien plus grand que lui. Cela rend le récit très humain.
L’univers de Westfallen est construit sur deux lignes temporelles et sur ce qui les relie, sur ce qui les sépare, et sur ce qu’il advient quand elles s’entremêlent. Le roman se passe dans un lieu unique (la ville, le jardin, la maison, le cabanon) mais à deux époques : mai 2023, et mai 1944, juste avant le Débarquement. Ce choix est important : 1944 est un moment crucial de l’histoire réelle, et les conséquences d’y intervenir ont un poids énorme. Le présent est très contemporain, avec technologie, culture moderne, soucis d’adolescents, etc. Le roman imagine ce qui se passe si l’Histoire (avec un grand “H”) que nous connaissons est modifiée : si les Alliés ne l’emportent pas, si le régime nazi gagne, ce qui mène à un présent oppressif, ce qui est très inquiétant, mais aussi très bien utilisé comme avertissement. Le pays change : l’Amérique devient “Westfallen,” un régime nazi colonial, etc. Cela transforme non seulement la politique et les lois, mais la vie quotidienne, les identités, les libertés. L’élément déclencheur est la radio : un vieux poste, bricolé, qui permet de communiquer à travers le temps. Ce n’est pas un vaisseau spatial, ce n’est pas une machine compliquée : c’est quelque chose de simple, presque magique, mais suffisamment ancré dans le plausible pour qu’on y croit.
Henry Platt est le cœur battant du roman. Son narrateur est un mélange de lucidité et d’impuissance : il sait qu’il a fait quelque chose de terrible, mais il est aussi terriblement humain, avec ses doutes, ses maladresses et son courage. Autour de lui, les cinq autres adolescents apportent chacun une couleur différente : certains sont plus téméraires, d’autres plus réfléchis ou plus effrayés. Ce qui rend le roman intéressant, c’est que les auteurs ne nous donnent pas des héros parfaits mais des ados crédibles, avec leurs failles. On s’attache à eux parce qu’ils ne sont ni tout blancs ni tout noirs. Leur dynamique de groupe, entre tensions, secrets et solidarité, donne une dimension psychologique très riche à l’histoire. On sent qu’au-delà de la science-fiction, c’est un roman sur l’amitié, la culpabilité et le courage.
Westfallen est bien plus qu’un simple roman jeunesse d’aventure. C’est une uchronie palpitante qui questionne notre rapport à l’Histoire et à nos responsabilités, même à un jeune âge. Avec une plume vivante, un univers oppressant et original, une intrigue qui tient en haleine et des personnages attachants, Ann & Ben Brashares signent ici une vraie pépite du genre. C’est le genre de livre qui donne envie de tourner les pages tout en réfléchissant à ce qu’on ferait à la place des héros. Et c’est ce qui fait sa force : il divertit, mais il marque aussi l’esprit longtemps après l’avoir refermé. Une vraie petite pépite!
Ann & Ben Brashares ont ici une écriture qui combine deux forces : la simplicité nécessaire pour rester accessible à un public jeune, et la richesse d’une narration capable de porter un récit complexe. Le récit alterne entre les enfants de 2023 et ceux de 1944, ce qui oblige à jongler entre les époques. Ce dispositif permet de montrer non seulement ce que les protagonistes voient et ressentent dans chaque temps, mais aussi comment une action dans un temps peut troubler tout ce que les personnages croyaient stable. Le personnage de Henry, narrateur dans le présent, s’adresse dès le départ au lecteur (“Quelle est la pire chose que vous ayez jamais faite ?”), ce qui crée une proximité. On ressent ses doutes, ses regrets, ses peurs, pas de gros discours pompeux, mais des pensées d’enfant (ou de pré-ado) confronté à quelque chose de bien plus grand que lui. Cela rend le récit très humain.
L’univers de Westfallen est construit sur deux lignes temporelles et sur ce qui les relie, sur ce qui les sépare, et sur ce qu’il advient quand elles s’entremêlent. Le roman se passe dans un lieu unique (la ville, le jardin, la maison, le cabanon) mais à deux époques : mai 2023, et mai 1944, juste avant le Débarquement. Ce choix est important : 1944 est un moment crucial de l’histoire réelle, et les conséquences d’y intervenir ont un poids énorme. Le présent est très contemporain, avec technologie, culture moderne, soucis d’adolescents, etc. Le roman imagine ce qui se passe si l’Histoire (avec un grand “H”) que nous connaissons est modifiée : si les Alliés ne l’emportent pas, si le régime nazi gagne, ce qui mène à un présent oppressif, ce qui est très inquiétant, mais aussi très bien utilisé comme avertissement. Le pays change : l’Amérique devient “Westfallen,” un régime nazi colonial, etc. Cela transforme non seulement la politique et les lois, mais la vie quotidienne, les identités, les libertés. L’élément déclencheur est la radio : un vieux poste, bricolé, qui permet de communiquer à travers le temps. Ce n’est pas un vaisseau spatial, ce n’est pas une machine compliquée : c’est quelque chose de simple, presque magique, mais suffisamment ancré dans le plausible pour qu’on y croit.
Henry Platt est le cœur battant du roman. Son narrateur est un mélange de lucidité et d’impuissance : il sait qu’il a fait quelque chose de terrible, mais il est aussi terriblement humain, avec ses doutes, ses maladresses et son courage. Autour de lui, les cinq autres adolescents apportent chacun une couleur différente : certains sont plus téméraires, d’autres plus réfléchis ou plus effrayés. Ce qui rend le roman intéressant, c’est que les auteurs ne nous donnent pas des héros parfaits mais des ados crédibles, avec leurs failles. On s’attache à eux parce qu’ils ne sont ni tout blancs ni tout noirs. Leur dynamique de groupe, entre tensions, secrets et solidarité, donne une dimension psychologique très riche à l’histoire. On sent qu’au-delà de la science-fiction, c’est un roman sur l’amitié, la culpabilité et le courage.
Westfallen est bien plus qu’un simple roman jeunesse d’aventure. C’est une uchronie palpitante qui questionne notre rapport à l’Histoire et à nos responsabilités, même à un jeune âge. Avec une plume vivante, un univers oppressant et original, une intrigue qui tient en haleine et des personnages attachants, Ann & Ben Brashares signent ici une vraie pépite du genre. C’est le genre de livre qui donne envie de tourner les pages tout en réfléchissant à ce qu’on ferait à la place des héros. Et c’est ce qui fait sa force : il divertit, mais il marque aussi l’esprit longtemps après l’avoir refermé. Une vraie petite pépite!
January 31, 2025
Wooooooooah???
I'm surprised by how good this actually was?? I'm not really into books/movies/anything related to WW1 or WW2/the nazis bc there's so much stuff that has already been done about the subject LIKE surely there are other parts of history we can explore now?? But when I read the summary and then the first paragraph I was immediately hooked aaaaah
if we're friends on goodreads you must have picked up on by now im a realll sucker for good old time travel shenanigans so obviously I had to like where this one was going
but the tone is so good too!! It really draws you in the story and inside the characters' minds so much so that you just want to know what happens next. And often when there are multiple povs theres THAT one you're at least a bit reluctant to read but all the characters are so convincing here and just nice kids overall sharing such a strong connection you're bound to root for all of them😭
seeing how the past and future are tied together made me want to sob 😭😭😭 but it was superrr funny too and well nazis get punched in the face and that's always good right
only thing is i believe it would have worked really well as a stand-alone but it's actually a series?? Well I guess more good food for me so who am I to complain
I'm surprised by how good this actually was?? I'm not really into books/movies/anything related to WW1 or WW2/the nazis bc there's so much stuff that has already been done about the subject LIKE surely there are other parts of history we can explore now?? But when I read the summary and then the first paragraph I was immediately hooked aaaaah
if we're friends on goodreads you must have picked up on by now im a realll sucker for good old time travel shenanigans so obviously I had to like where this one was going
but the tone is so good too!! It really draws you in the story and inside the characters' minds so much so that you just want to know what happens next. And often when there are multiple povs theres THAT one you're at least a bit reluctant to read but all the characters are so convincing here and just nice kids overall sharing such a strong connection you're bound to root for all of them😭
seeing how the past and future are tied together made me want to sob 😭😭😭 but it was superrr funny too and well nazis get punched in the face and that's always good right
only thing is i believe it would have worked really well as a stand-alone but it's actually a series?? Well I guess more good food for me so who am I to complain
November 11, 2025
THIS WAS SO AMAZING, and the dedication was awesome
It blended humor and emotions perfectly 👌
And also WHAT WAS THAT CLIFF HANGER!?
ARE THEY STILL IN NAZILAND OR NO!?
WHAT HAPPEND TO YOGI????/SAMMY??
also why does he not know why his dog got called yogi in an alternate universe, his brother is obsessed with baseball. Maybe if Eli got to decide he named him yogi after Berra yk?
Best quote:
"Punch him."
(For context this one nazi guard was talking trash about the mc's mom without realizing that her son was RIGHT THERE pretending to be a prisoner being shackled by a "guard" that was rly a jew.
"Punch him."
*WHACK*)
HILARIOUS
and I have a theory that Bessie is somehow connected to yogi/sammy. Js a feeling, cz she was mentioned more than once AND given a name. (Im aware that the genders would've had to switch for that to happen. And maybe breed. Oh nvm...)
ANYWAYS
TY FOR LETTING ME BORROW THIS YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE (even though u prolly arent reading this lol)
It blended humor and emotions perfectly 👌
And also WHAT WAS THAT CLIFF HANGER!?
ARE THEY STILL IN NAZILAND OR NO!?
WHAT HAPPEND TO YOGI????/SAMMY??
also why does he not know why his dog got called yogi in an alternate universe, his brother is obsessed with baseball. Maybe if Eli got to decide he named him yogi after Berra yk?
Best quote:
"Punch him."
(For context this one nazi guard was talking trash about the mc's mom without realizing that her son was RIGHT THERE pretending to be a prisoner being shackled by a "guard" that was rly a jew.
"Punch him."
*WHACK*)
HILARIOUS
and I have a theory that Bessie is somehow connected to yogi/sammy. Js a feeling, cz she was mentioned more than once AND given a name. (Im aware that the genders would've had to switch for that to happen. And maybe breed. Oh nvm...)
ANYWAYS
TY FOR LETTING ME BORROW THIS YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE (even though u prolly arent reading this lol)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2024
One of the best Middle Grade historical fictions I have ever read. For fans of those that have loved books with a magical type writer, or any other inanimate object. WESTFALLEN is an alternate history thriller and you are introduced to 3 kids in present day that come across a buried radio… which you soon finds out is a way to communicate with another group a kids, who are living in the same spot but on the year 1944. Cautious but not enough they see that small acts lead to big change, not just for themselves but for the world.
I could not stop reading this one. Alternating timelines and POVs kept the pages turning and the unwavering feeling of what is to come next continued throughout. The ending has me ready for book 2!
Thank you Simon Kids
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I could not stop reading this one. Alternating timelines and POVs kept the pages turning and the unwavering feeling of what is to come next continued throughout. The ending has me ready for book 2!
Thank you Simon Kids
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October 15, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this alternate history story for young adult readers. The premise is very cool. Three kids in present day America find a radio that allows them to talk with three kids from 79 years earlier who live on the same street, in the same house. The kids from the past are worried about their fathers and brothers who are off fighting in World War II. The present day kids understand that they could change the fabric of history by divulging too much information, yet even snippets have repercussions. Soon they find themselves in present day America, which is ruled by the Nazis. This is sure to keep kids who enjoy history engaged.
My four star rating isn’t really fair because I listened to the book and not always with full attention, so at times I was a bit confused. Most likely my fault, not the book’s.
My four star rating isn’t really fair because I listened to the book and not always with full attention, so at times I was a bit confused. Most likely my fault, not the book’s.
August 9, 2025
C’était super chouette ? Franchement un roman historique/uchronie bien sympa à lire avec deux bandes d’enfants (une en 1944 et une en 2023) qui communiquent entre eux et empêchent le Débarquement d’avoir lieu… et qui doivent maintenant trouver le moyen de le refaire arriver. J’ai trouvé les différents POV bien fait, j’adore les shenanigans de bande d’enfants pour le coup je trouve ils étaient super attachants et j’ai bien hâte du tome 2
December 15, 2025
This is a good idea for a book but I just don't like it. I had no idea who was in what year, or who was who, or anything. The writing was really bad and the characters were confusing and all too similar. Nothing seperated them from each other, they weren't unique and they all blurred together. I can only remember Frances, Lukas, Henry, and Alice. I know there were two more but I CANNOT think of who they were. And I just finished this LITERALLY five minutes ago. So yeah, I wouldn't reccomend it. I would tell people that its a cool idea but I would not reccomend they read it.
Read
August 17, 2024This story has notes of Artemis Fowl and The Infinity Ring series.
Time travel, friendship, and peril. What more could you need?
A set of children stumble upon an old radio and use it to contact three children who live in the past. Together they communicate and share information on what life is like-not realizing the effects it can have on their lives.
I love the concept for this book. It had me really excited while going into the story. This story does have alternating character point of view chapters. Which I always enjoyed as a child but I know isn't always a popular format. It ends on a cliff hanger and will keep children reading and interested for more!
Thank you Netgalley for an advanced e-book copy of "Westfallen" by Ann and Ben Brashares.
Time travel, friendship, and peril. What more could you need?
A set of children stumble upon an old radio and use it to contact three children who live in the past. Together they communicate and share information on what life is like-not realizing the effects it can have on their lives.
I love the concept for this book. It had me really excited while going into the story. This story does have alternating character point of view chapters. Which I always enjoyed as a child but I know isn't always a popular format. It ends on a cliff hanger and will keep children reading and interested for more!
Thank you Netgalley for an advanced e-book copy of "Westfallen" by Ann and Ben Brashares.
August 25, 2024
This was a good middle grade read. I loved this book’s unique twist on time travel as we follow three friends from the future and three friends from the past. I liked how this book was told through dual povs. I’ve never read a book quite like this one, but I found it to be an interesting read. I can’t wait to see how the story continues in the next book.
Thank you Simon Kids for the gifted arc.
Thank you Simon Kids for the gifted arc.
January 25, 2025
Such a fun “historical” fiction read with a cast of six kids - three from current day and three from 1944, connected through time by an old radio and a magical shed. I loved the friendship that developed between these kids and the alternate history that could have been had the Nazis won the war and took over the US. Looking forward to seeing where the next book in this story takes us.
September 3, 2025
Met 12 jarige hoofdpersonen en in de markt gezet voor 8-12 jarigen is het logisch dat ie af en toe heel simpel leest.
Maar er zijn ook momenten dat je je afvraagt of een kind geboren in 2013 met ouders uit 1988 genoeg kennis van WWII heeft om dit boek te voelen/snappen.
Ik vond ‘m in ieder geval heel speciaal en ik zou graag een klas met schoolkinderen hebben om ‘m als jaarproject te behandelen.
Maar er zijn ook momenten dat je je afvraagt of een kind geboren in 2013 met ouders uit 1988 genoeg kennis van WWII heeft om dit boek te voelen/snappen.
Ik vond ‘m in ieder geval heel speciaal en ik zou graag een klas met schoolkinderen hebben om ‘m als jaarproject te behandelen.
July 10, 2024
thank you netgalley and simonkids for this book! i don’t usually make a habit of reading middle grade books but this is so well written informative and still age appropriate
i suggest you guys guve it a try for your kids
3.5 rounded up
i suggest you guys guve it a try for your kids
3.5 rounded up
December 21, 2024
It took me a minute to keep the two timeline groups distinct in my mind (could have used 1944/2023 time stamp by each POV heading)—but this butterfly effect thriller was so engaging! I can definitely see it being adapted as a mini series.
April 23, 2025
Really loved this one - but I do love a good dystopian sci-fi.
That ending though!
I think a grade 7/8/9 would have the right amount of background knowledge to get the most out of this alternate history
That ending though!
I think a grade 7/8/9 would have the right amount of background knowledge to get the most out of this alternate history
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