Altered

4.5 stars

Well, this was a pleasant surprise! I'd had this book for two months from the library and I finally picked it up with two days until it was due back (I'd ran out of renewals, even). Figured I'd give it a shot. Welp, I couldn't put it down.

Admittedly, I don't read much YA anymore, but Altered felt new and fresh and unique in a way so few YA books do for me. The plot was fast paced, exciting, intriguing and kept me turning the pages. The characters were flawed, but likable. I really loved the MC's voice, and that is generally a make or break for me.

The twists and turns this book took were well done and a couple even threw me for a loop.

While this is the first in a series, this book felt complete enough that I feel confident show more recommending it to fellow series haters. There were plenty of questions left unanswered, but only the kind that will make for an exciting, page-turning series, and not the kind that make me want to throw the book across the room after the last page.

This one is definitely worth a try. show less

I'm not sure what drew me to Altered in the first place. Something about the original blurb that showed up on Goodreads got me to add it. But as newer blurbs started to come out, I wasn't so sure. Then, I saw the cover and I thought: maybe this isn't such a good idea. This doesn't really look like something I'd enjoy. Yet, I decided I might as well try it out. Why not?

Something going on in Anna's house. Her father does strange genetic experiments in their farmhouse, and a group of four boys live in her basement -the subjects of these experiments. As Anna gets to know the boys, she falls in love with Sam, and when an organization called the Branch threatens to take the boys away, they stage an escape and Anna goes with them. Now on the show more run, the secrets about the boys start to come out...

When I finally sat down and read this book, it didn't seem to be anything like what I remember it sounding like. Maybe because its been so long since I actually read the blurb, but I felt like this was not at all what I was expecting. And even though my expectations were pretty average, Altered disappointed me.

Probably the best way to describe just about everything in this book is flat. The writing is very average, and the author seems to have trouble with giving the characters and plot any depth. I could barely make out the setting -all of the descriptions were incredibly vague and everything just started to run together. I also just didn't believe just about anything in this book. The romance between Anna and Sam did not feel real at all. The book just started out with "I'm in love with Sam" and that's it. No real reasons, no build up, no explanation -just a statement that is supposed to accepted by the audience about this awkward romance thing.

Anna's motivations are also very flat. She only really seemed to leave with the boys (and helped them escape) so there would be a plot. And once the secrets about the experiments on the boys and Anna's past started to unravel (which took far too long, by the way), there just wasn't much there of interest. All of the big reveals were just flat, uninteresting, and boring. And since the characters are so flat, I didn't care about any of them, so their secrets meant nothing to me and many of them felt like they were tacked on with no depth or build up. I really think the author just made up stuff as she went and didn't take the time to work important plot points into the story better, so it all felt spontaneous, out of left field (and not in a good way) and disjointed.

I really wanted to find some redeeming factors with Altered, but there really aren't any. This book is just flat when it comes to every element, and I barely finished it out of boredom (and it's not even that long!). Don't waste your time with this one. show less

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

I’m a big action movie junkie. I love the shoot outs, the car chases, the heart stopping moments when it seems impossible for the good guy to survive. Add in a little romance and I’m in heaven. ALTERED by Jennifer Rush has all of that. It’s like a YA version of The Bourne Identity, but instead of one Matt Damon, we get four.

What I especially loved about ALTERED was that it didn’t sacrifice character development for the sake of action. Each of the boys in ALTERED have a subtle and distinct personality. Any one of them could have been the protagonist of their own book. We get to know each of them intensely through the eyes of Anna, but there is a special focus on Sam, the quiet and strong show more leader.

The mystery in ALTERED was also fantastic. Tons of surprising twists and perfectly paced clues. There was nothing predictable about how the plot unfolded, and yet, looking back, every significant event and revelation was foreshadowed so that it ended up fitting perfectly. Now that’s skilled writing.

Intense and exhilarating, ALTERED mixes suspenseful action, juicy mystery, and intoxicating romance. I did not want it to end. Fortunately, there are two more books currently planned. There is a very satisfying resolution at the end, so my mind is already running wild about what may lay in store for these characters.

Sexual Content:
Kissing show less

I don’t think I could be anymore intrigued than when I started reading ALTERED by Jennifer Rush and immediately encountered four boys in cells in the basement of main character Anna’s farmhouse. What a way to make you want to read the book!

The story starts right off into the mystery and action. Anna works down in the basement of her farmhouse with her father…the lab. In the lab are four boys locked in cells. Anna and her father are constantly testing the boys who have been genetically altered and are victims of amnesia. But for what purpose does the Branch – those who altered them – want the boys? The reader is quickly swept up into the action when two head honchos from the Branch come to visit and our boys – Sam, Nick, Cas show more and Trev – manage to pull a Houdini and escape. Taking Anna with them and killing not a few people in the process. And then we’re in for one wild ride through a couple States, following clues inked and scarred into the boys skin and hidden in different locations, trying to figure out why they were altered, why they have no memories and what they are wanted for.

I really enjoyed going on this chase with Anna and the boys. Anna is incredibly capable, kind hearted, very practical, scientific, can kick butt and is more involved than she could have ever guessed. Even the boys, though they don’t get as much page time as Anna (well, Sam gets quite a bit of time) are nicely fleshed out. Sam is the leader of their group. Tough, smart, kind but not without his major issues. You know he’s the important one in all of this, and somehow tied to Anna. Nick is a bit of a dick when it comes to interacting with Anna, but he’s loyal to the group and a good fighter. Very smart and capable. Trev and Cas a the ones we see the least of, but still get to know their personalities. Cas is the funny one, always cracking jokes and thinking of his stomach. Trev is quiet, and Anna’s closest friend of the four.

There is a lot of the unknown in ALTERED. It is very much a mystery book and all the little pieces wrap together to form a picture of what the Branch wants with the boys and Anna, who they were before the amnesia and living in Anna’s basement, and what the mysterious Alpha Program is. There is a veritable truck load of action and suspense present in the storyline, and a crazy rescue scene at the end that was right out of an action movie.

ALTERED by Jennifer Rush is a unique debut with a fun premise. Though some parts were a bit rushed with all the action, there is a great mystery to solve and some very interesting clues and reveals. I enjoyed the characterization and storyline, and would love to read a sequel sooner rather than later! show less

First of all, I think it’s been ENTIRELY too long since I last posted a review. As for how I feel about this book?

LOVE.

Each of the four boys in this story have such diverse personalities that I can’t help but fall in love with. There’s Cas with his abounding hilarity and wormhole of a stomach; Trev the deep thinker who’s the best friend you can ask for; Sam’s leadership and quiet constancy; but then there’s Nick with his inexplicable hostility toward Anna.

And who is Anna really?

And to answer your unspoken question, I can’t pick which of the guys is my favorite–that’s WAY too hard. Personally it’s a toss-up between Sam and Cas. Throughout the entire book you know Sam is the one the author is pairing Anna up with show more (it’s the most obvious fact in the book) and I’m a complete sucker for the author’s intended romance. But while I was reading, I couldn’t help but fall in love with Cas, because he is hilarious and who doesn’t love a funny guy? And he’s always eating which I can relate to, being that my stomach is never satisfied;) But then Trev is this thoughtful guy who is Anna’s best friend, and we all know how hard it is to not fall in love with the best friend. And even Nick, who happens to be a complete jerk most of the time, ends up taking a little piece of my heart with his protectiveness over Anna (albeit a really little piece . . . just a sliver).

There were SO many times while reading this that my mouth just dropped because I was completely floored by plot twists that sprang up like BAM! Everything I thought I knew for fact is shaken as more and more layers are unveiled. The story is overflowing with suspense and action, AND let’s not forget those swoony boys;)

I was a little restless at being out of the loop with all that Branch business, though–I mean, it felt like forever before I really learned about the nefarious organization. BUT I do understand that was kind of the point–Anna and even the boys are in the dark about the Branch and what exactly their purpose is. That’s a huge part of the plot, and . . . I don’t know what my problem is, I guess I wish I wouldn’t have been confused about what the Branch was for as long as I was.

All in all, I am a fan of this series and I can NOT WAIT to read the next installment!



4.75/5 STARS;) show less

Altered by Jennifer Rush was the very first book I read for the YA/MG Debut Author Reading Challenge this year, but I’ve had a really difficult time pulling together a review for it. When I originally picked it up I raced through the story; it was soooo addictive I couldn’t put it down until I finished in the wee hours of the morning. Yet getting my thoughts in order for a review has been extremely challenging for some reason. I’ve decided to face my nemesis, however, so now it’s time to take a look at Altered.

What I Loved

Addictive!: As I noted above, there was no putting Altered down once I started. I loved Anna and "the boys" from the moment I met them - even Nick, the angry one. I don't know quite how to describe Jennifer show more Rush's style, but everything just flowed so well and built up so perfectly that I just HAD to see what would happen next and where the story would go. Which leads me to...

A Twisty Tale: Twists and turns abound in Altered, with unexpected betrayals and revelations around every corner. And I do mean unexpected - I never saw most of them coming! Which led to shock and heartbreak as events unfolded. I was devastated by the end of the narrative and found myself hoping that some of what occurred could be corrected and/or forgiven in book two. What I loved, however, is that everything made sense in the world that Jennifer Rush has created. Nothing was completely "out there" or unbelievable. There are lots of answers to discover, since every revelation left new questions in its wake.

First-Rate Heroine: From the top on down, characters were interesting, well-defined, and distinctive. Anna was such a wonderful lead, so natural and easy to like. She cared for the boys, loved her dad, and tried everything she could to keep everyone safe. While I didn't particularly agree with her "no kill" strategy (I wanted the bad guys gone!), I could see where she was coming from after the upbringing she had. It took time for her to get her head around how much danger they were really in once they were on the run, which was understandable. When things went haywire, however, she stepped up and took on the challenge of confronting the enemy on their own turf in a smart and strategic manner. Like a Marine, she never left a man behind.

Four Swoon-Worthy Guys: Sam, Nick, Cas and Trev - four hot guys with brains and brawn, but no idea what lurks in their pasts. And the answers aren't found here, which is okay with me. Each boy stood out as they were introduced: solid and steady Sam, angry Nick, ADHD Cas, and literature-loving Trev. Anna's heart may be drawn to Sam, but Cas almost seems like a little brother to her while Trev is her best friend. Nick is the wild-card, pissed-off and dangerous, yet he was written in such a way that I still cared about him. I think that is part of Jennifer Rush's secret ingredient with Altered; she has a way of writing about each character that makes them relatable and easy to fall for. I really want Anna and the boys to get a happy ending; I care about their fates. And with the betrayals and revelations I mentioned above, those happy endings are going to be difficult to find.

What I Liked

Action-Packed: Altered is like a summer blockbuster movie, filled with action, violence, and intrigue, but balanced by character moments that gave me a chance to release the tension that built up whenever the guns blazed. And, boy, those guns blaze! All four boys have been genetically altered to be the perfect killing machines (but are they meant for good or evil?) so when anything endangers them or gets in their way, deaths are going to occur - it's just a fact. Their priority is to protect each other and Anna, and they will use any and all means to make that happen...which provides plenty of action to keep this story moving.

The Branch: The agency that funds Anna's father's lab, the Branch is a viable threat throughout Altered as they remain hot on the heels of Anna and the boys once they escape the lab. Black SUVs, GPS tracking, kidnappings, snipers, well-armed mercenaries...the Branch has and does it all. But what are their plans for the boys? Why are they interested in them? What is ALPHA? What about Anna's dad? So much left to discover!

What I Didn't Like

This is one of those novels where I just don't have any negatives to bring up. I wouldn't change a thing. (Edit: However, I do wish more details of the story had stuck with me for a longer period, and I didn't have to pick the book back up to spark the memories.)

Conclusion

Jennifer Rush's Altered is an extremely exciting debut novel that is suspenseful, filled with interesting characters, and packed with action - plus with four hot guys it is very hard to go wrong. There were enough twists, turns, betrayals and revelations to make the story fly, and I never felt like anything came completely out of left field; it all made sense within the world the author created. A lot of the basic world-building is set up here, and there are plenty of intriguing directions the story could go. I can't wait to discover what happens next! show less

How far would you go to figure out the truth if your memory had been wiped clean against your will?

In Jennifer Rush’s debut young adult novel, Altered, seventeen-year-old Anna has always wondered about the four teenage boys kept in a scientific lab in her basement. For years, she and her father have run tests on the genetically altered boys for her father’s employer, the Branch, though Anna was never quite sure why. The one thing she does know is that she now cannot imagine her life without them: Cas, the funny one, Nick, the tough one, Trev, her best friend, and Sam, the one that she secretly loves.

But Anna’s world is turned upside in the matter of moments the day the boys escape from the lab with the help of her and her father. show more After promising her father to protect her, Sam and the boys must bring Anna along as they run from the Branch and search for the truth about their pasts. Who were they? How did they become a part of some experiment? Every time they unravel one piece of the mystery, a new piece of information surfaces, sending them on a wild goose chase for the truth. Ultimately, Anna and the boys find there are very few people they can trust—perhaps not even themselves.

Despite the underlying romance in the storyline, Altered is definitely an action-packed book that could be enjoyed by teens of both genders. The chilling idea that a secret agency conspiring with the government could be using genetic altering drugs on human subjects is almost believable, making the book that much more intriguing. With every turn of the page, readers will be enthralled by the complex mystery that surrounds Anna and the boys, and by the end, readers will be shocked at the unexpected twist of events.

Although Rush does an amazing job of piecing the storyline together by the end of the book, readers will unfortunately be left with some questions unanswered—such as why the Branch targets teens for their experiments, and why specifically they went after Anna’s family in the first place. It is certainly a source of frustration from the reader’s standpoint, leaving them lost until the next book in the series is released. Nevertheless, Altered is a fascinating book that deserves a place on every teen’s must read list. show less