Altered Review

Altered

Written by: Jennifer Rush
# of pages: 323

Average Rating: 4.07/5
My Rating: 4/5

Read in April 2014

Summary according to goodreads 

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.

My Thoughts

I had started this book last summer, but for reasons I can't remember put it down. I am so glad I picked it back up and finished it! This is a series I am now hooked on.

Right from the beginning of a novel you get thrown into the story, but are gradually given back story of what is going on. This makes it a much quicker read, which I can appreciate, and made it feel like you were reading less than 300 pages. The author did a good job of including many things, but not dragging them out - so you didn't feel as though you were getting too much information, or too little.

One of the reasons that I enjoyed this novel so much were all of the different elements. This is a young-adult dystopian book, with themes of thriller and romance thrown into the mix. Everything was balanced very well and the romance didn't overpower the story, it was more put on the back burner. What unfolded throughout this story was a very realistic depiction of what would have happened for people in that situation. There were also many things going on that I did not predict, including the last hundred pages. I could not put it down and finished it at midnight because I just had to know what happened.

I believe this is going to be a trilogy but only two of the books have been released. Obviously I ordered the second book and am anxiously awaiting it's arrival, and I cannot wait to continue on this journey with these awesome characters. Did I mention it's about a girl and four hot guys? Yes please ... Besides all the bad things that happen of course. This is a series that I could easily recommend to any reader, male or female, because there are comedic elements as well, but also it is not a major focus of how hot these guys are. Hopefully other readers enjoy it as much as I did!