Review: Altered by Jennifer Rush

Title: Altered
Author: Jennifer Rush
Series: Altered
Book #: 1
Pages: 336
Reading Level: YA
Book Rating:
Goodreads Rating: 4.17
T.B.Published: Jan. 2nd, 2013.

When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?

Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them.

Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

Taschima's POV:

Now THAT was good and original with a hint of  Maximum Ride (by James Patterson) to give it some good measure. And when I mention Maximum Ride I am talking about the series' glory days and not about the last few horrid adds.

Anyways, I dived into Altered with no expectations what so ever. I mean, the summary seemed cool but the cover made my stomach turn over on itself. It is just not pleasant. UPDATE They updated the cover and now it looks much much better!  The story line is fun and engaging and ever moving along, barely stopping to take a breath, and full of mysteries with clues and EVERYTHING!

Ever since she was a little girl Anna has known about them. The boys that live in her secret basement lab. The boys are Sam, Nick, Trev and Cas. Sam is the leader, Nick is the asshole, Trev is the smart one, and Cas is the funny one with the bottomless stomach. Anna considers them friends, family. That is until one day when the Branch decides to take the boys away from the lab and the boys come out of their cages, escaping and killing every single one who dares to block their path. Anna's father begs the boys to take Anna with them, and so the mystery begins. Sam is determined to uncover his past, and he is taking everybody along for the ride.

The characters were all very endearing. Specially Cas and Trev. I just really liked them. Sam was all broody and obsessed with discovering his hidden memories, Anna was pretty much just along for the ride. She was pretty cool too, artistic and at times unexpected.  The romance in this novel is a little, hard to believe? Though not really? It's like yeah this girl has a crush on this guy, but said guy doesn't seem very into this girl, but then they are kissing and you are supposed to believe he digs her? The L word was never explicitly exchanged between the guilty parties, thank god because that would have been ridiculous. But this is a series so the hopes for a more elaborate romantic story line are still high!

The twists and turns? Unexpected and entertaining. I didn't uncover anything before the time was due. Every time a secret was revealed was like a bomb was dropped on us and you just go "wow! No way!", but as a matter of fact, way.

As to the second novel, the end was pretty tight up with no unresolved issues, not really. Though I could see where a second novel could develop I think the author didn't want to leave too many things unexplained just in case the second novel didn't happen. I think it should happen. Heck I'd definitely read it!

This is one I recommend. Full of originality which is sorely lacking in other YA novels these days, and definitely worth every cent.