Sifting Through Chaos

Untouched #2

by Sarah Everest

328 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 14, 2026

Reviews

[Daniellehullreads]

WWII and modern day timelines, but make it time travel.

Sifting Through Chaos by Sarah Everest had my adrenaline pumping! It's such a unique perspective with these young adults experiencing WWII Germans bombing Rotterdam.

I was so invested in these characters and their well-being. There are characters of every age, and it was interesting to see their responses during so much stress and the unknowns. Most are selfless and genuinely care about others. My favorite is Annelies from the 1940 timeline. She had so many tough decisions to make.

A Time Transfer Series has helped me find my Fantasy niche! I need a real world setting with a speculative twist!

What an adventure! I am anticipating the final book in this trilogy! Highly recommended!

I received an early copy of this book from the author. Opinions are my own.

[Jennifer Hunt]

The stakes are higher and we can’t wait to read the final installment! However this is a compelling book in its own right. I did not know anything about the bombing of Rotterdam or the suffering of the Dutch people there. Everest has a way of bringing to life the realities of civilians confronted with war. Every small detail rang true and kept me fully engaged in the story.

[Ruby]

Sifting Through Chaos, the second book in the Untouched series, immediately follows the cliffhanger of Breaking Triviality. Plunged into the bombing of Rotterdam, there are high stakes at every turn!

I loved following each of the characters as they navigate survival and time travel! I’m eager for how this is all going to be resolved!

My favorite part of this book was real the characters were. I felt deeply connected to them through this book as they survive in a time and place I never knew much about before.

Can’t wait to read the last book!

*I received an early copy of this book; opinions are my own.*

[funkelbunt.liest]

Sifting through Chaos picks up right where Breaking Triviality left us hanging on a cliffhanger so I was immediately sucked back into the story.

I got even more invested in these characters and their adventures. The stakes are higher than in the first book and the dangers of surviving in a city under attack were present everywhere.

The characters felt so real, I honestly loved them all and couldn’t even pick a favorite. They are facing real tragedy. I didn’t expect to cry reading this trilogy. There’s so much heartbreak and I was deeply moved by the story. I always love the found family trope and it’s extra special here because of the time traveling element.

In the last two years I have read a lot of books about America’s history which is actually something I know very little about. I always say if an author makes me research history after reading a book it’s a job well done. Since I’m from Germany, living in Belgium right next to the Netherlands and having been there a lot of times - we actually could see the harbor of Rotterdam where we were on summer vacation the last two years - the events from the book weren’t new to me. Thinking back, it feels like 90% of our history lessons were about WWII and I also read a lot of WWII books as a teen in my free time. A lot of stories set in Germany, but also the Netherlands and France. Historical fiction and biographies, this was actually almost all I read between ages 14 and 16. Eventually I stopped looking for these stories because they made me really depressed. (I wasn’t a Christian then, so reading tons of books about the horrors that was WWII is awful from every viewpoint, but absolutely devastating and hopeless when you’re an atheist.)
So I want to add to my statement about historical fiction authors that it maybe even deserves higher praise when an author gets me interested in an era again, that I turned my back on for two decades!

This is a really amazing YA historical fiction book. It’s still a few years, but I’m already looking forward to reading this series with my kids! (It’s completely clean when it comes to romance and not unnecessarily gory, but it shows the horrors of war, so I’m hesitant to recommend a specific age. It really depends on how sensitive you are.)

* Thank you to the author for letting me read an advanced copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily and the expressed opinions are my own.

[Amanda Matthews]

Wow, I'm trying to figure out how to write this review. While Book 1 was a dual timeline, this book is exclusively 1940.

This was probably the most immersive WWII book I've read. I felt like I learned a lot about Rotterdam's bombing. I really did feel like I was there with the sights, sounds, and smells drawing me in.

I loved how the characters grew together because they were thrown into turmoil and tragedy. Cas, Marit, and Annelies, are all admirable and lovable main characters. And the continued thread of romance? Absolutely sweet!

And just a paragraph for the boys in this book! Both Cas and Bastiaan are young men to be admired with their desire to protect and yet also allow the young women to make some choices.

Honestly, I wasn't prepared for the horrors in this book, lol. I think some of the things would have bothered me less as a teen. But being a mom of a young toddler now, every single mention of babies and moms losing their lives or loved ones hit in a harder way. That being said, this book does cover the brutality of war, so sensitive readers may not appreciate it as much.

This book has the characters turning more toward God than they were in the first book, and that's sweet to see.

Finally, I am very eager to read book three. There are quite a few things I'm anticipating being resolved and can't wait to see how they are done!

[Rachel]

Book two in the Untouched series picks right up where book one (Breaking Triviality) left off. That's a great thing about a serialized series -- you aren't left wondering what happened between books! I appreciate that.

I also appreciated the found-family elements to the story, with accidental time-travelers Marit and Cas joining together with a Dutch teen, her aging neighbor, and a young Dutch soldier to help care for each other as well as an orphaned toddler and one teen's shell-shocked father. The bulk of the book is about figuring out how to keep these people safe while also searching for a way to get Marit and Cas back to their own time.

I also loved how believable all the teenage emotions are. They're scared and bewildered, but determined to help others survive. Some of the teens develop more romantic feelings toward each other, but can't focus on those when survival is so doubtful. All of this is handled with believable teenage emotions and ways of thinking.

Sifting Through Chaos doesn't end on quite as much of a cliffhanger as Breaking Triviality did, but it definitely makes me eager to read book three, Setting Time Free, when it releases.

I was privileged to be selected to receive an advance copy of Sifting Through Chaos from the publisher, but I was not requested or required to review the book; all opinions are my own.

[Loni Gofran]

Since this is the second book and the first ended on a cliff hanger, I was quickly sucked into the storyline as I needed to know what happened to Marit, Cas, and Annelies! I was not disappointed! I enjoyed how the characters related to one another in that barely know each other but thrown together suddenly way. Sarah really explores multiple senses as she describes the surroundings as they travel through the bombed city of Rotterdam and it helps put you into the story, like you can smell the smokey air and feel your sore throat from the atmosphere and lack of water. Your stomach grumbles with theirs as they parcel out what food they have. I enjoyed that the ending of Sifting Through Chaos was less of a cliffhanger- it felt like closure, but definitely not the end of the story. We still need to see where it goes from there but I'm not on the edge of my seat waiting! Great storytelling about a time I don't know much about and would definitely appeal to teens or young adults (or adults!) who like historical fiction. I'm loving the bit of plot twist with Lotte's introduction and hoping she plays a bigger role in the rest of the story.

** I received a free copy from the author to review but opinions are my own*

[Sarah]

Sarah Everest's book #2 in the Untouched series was a great story. Our characters are transported to 1940 Rotterdam, and are in the thick of the WWII conflict there. The characters are interesting, the writing is great, and the story is developed nicely. My only complaint is that Book 1, Book 2, and most likely Book 3 end absolutely abrubtly, and really should be combined as a single novel. I really enjoyed it, I'm just left hanging! Great, clean, engaging YA historical fiction.

I received an ARC copy from the author, with no review requirement, and these thoughts are my own.

[Una]

This book continues from the cliffhanger in Breaking Triviality. The place is1940 Rotterdam’s bombing. Everest shows in her writing the effects of war. I liked how the characters turned to God during their intense times. I’m looking forward to the third book to see how Cas and Marit get back to their time period. I also want to see what happened to Zander in present time.

I received an ARC copy from the author, with no review requirement, and these thoughts are my own.

[Lyss]

I can't wait to read the final book and see how things wrap up. I felt like this one was a little slower and a little repetitive, but I still really enjoyed it!

[Katja Labonté]

4 stars. You really do have to read these books close together, because of how closely they follow each other. I totally forgot about Zander and boy am I worried about him. Though to be honest I was kept on the edge of my seat worrying about everyone 😆 I really appreciated the message of realizing God has a plan even in the moments we can't see it, and also the way the author brought WWII (specifically the bombing of Rotterdam) to life... what a thing to live through! I'm becoming more and more fond of the characters (except Espen, whom I deeply suspect... ahem) and I really look forwards to the third instalment!!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.*

[Sydney Schmied]

I loved the sequel to Breaking Triviality! Again, a unique and interesting series for YA---that is actually YA appropriate!
Violence: Some mild descriptions of injuries, blood, cruelty (WW2 bombings).
Language: none
Romance: Beginning of a relationship between side characters and two of the main characters, more of a romance thread than a main plot.
Age rating: 14+