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Altered #1
Altered
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Debut Goodreads Author (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 has 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.
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 has 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.
323 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
About the author
Jennifer Rush
25 books1,643 followersJennifer Rush grew up reading vampire fiction and took her first stab at writing her own bloodsucker book as a teenager (it might win an award for the worst vampire fiction ever written).
Now, many years and many books later, Jennifer enjoys writing action-packed middle grade and YA. She is the author of the Altered saga and Bot Wars series (written under the pen name J.V. Kade).
Jennifer currently lives on the shoreline of Lake Michigan with her husband and daughter, and occasionally gets to see her son when he needs to do laundry.
Now, many years and many books later, Jennifer enjoys writing action-packed middle grade and YA. She is the author of the Altered saga and Bot Wars series (written under the pen name J.V. Kade).
Jennifer currently lives on the shoreline of Lake Michigan with her husband and daughter, and occasionally gets to see her son when he needs to do laundry.
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August 9, 2012My reactions to reading the summary:
My reactions to reading the publication date:
My reactions to reading the publication date:
January 2, 2013
Altered is one of those books that are highly addicting, with action that engrosses you until you become quite satisfied with the read. But, there are particulars that nagged at me which, individually, are irrelevant, but together, they become a little too bothersome to simply forgive and forget.
The whole story in Altered consists of a chase. These modified humans have escaped their prison, and, bringing Anna with them, are on the run from her father's employers. Throughout this run we get clues that were planted to help them find something that is apparently very important. Deciphering these clues were, for the most part, pretty interesting, even clever at times. However, when they stumble upon a "code" that is simply a mix of X V I letters... and they don't get what it means... I had to stop reading to take a breath and roll my eyes a little. Even though Anna is home schooled and lacking a life outside the lab, numeral numbers are hardly mystifying. Especially when she "gets it" after seeing a grandfather clock. This is definitely a very small matter, nonetheless, it got under my skin and made me see the protagonist as a little brainless.
That was the first annoyance I stumbled upon. The second came by when they idiotically decide to walk into the enemy headquarters. Why? I have no clue. It made no sense for them to do so other than to create more plot excitement. Obviously, it went about as well as you can imagine. Seeing as they had no reasoning behind this decision, I got irritated by the stupid factor of it and hoped they got what they deserved.
These issues aside, I did quite enjoy the book, especially the scientific notions involved. I love the idea of genetic modifications, humans with abilities or powers, and Altered is fascinating on that front. I wanted to know more, though. Why it all started; the point behind everything. I'll assume those details are forthcoming. In this first installment, we're focusing on the boys and learning the ropes along with them. The characters are a fun bunch of charismatic guys. Some charming, some… not. I enjoyed the diversity in their personalities, which made for a great group dynamic. They're all as close as brothers; they're all they've ever known, after all. There is also romance involved, which becomes the source of some controversy between the boys. I thought Rush blended this aspect well with the overall pacing of the book; it will satisfy those who need romance in their books, but it doesn't distract from the intensity of the plot. Personally, I never felt a true connection between Anna and Sam, though. It was missing that spark. This could be due to characterization issues: With so much happening, being on the run for most of the book, character building is not the book's first priority. This is fine for the type of story it's trying to be, but the authenticity is lacking in the romantic element.
Altered is not without its flaws, still, the story is engaging with enough excitement to make these flaws a little less consequential. Having seen this novel being tagged as dystopian/post apocalyptic, I must warn you that I never got a dystopian feel from this whatsoever. It's an action novel dealing with genetics, abilities, and a messed up government behind it all. Read it when you're in the mood for a fast paced sci-fi thriller, not a science-y dystopian--in which case I'd recommend Partials.
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
The whole story in Altered consists of a chase. These modified humans have escaped their prison, and, bringing Anna with them, are on the run from her father's employers. Throughout this run we get clues that were planted to help them find something that is apparently very important. Deciphering these clues were, for the most part, pretty interesting, even clever at times. However, when they stumble upon a "code" that is simply a mix of X V I letters... and they don't get what it means... I had to stop reading to take a breath and roll my eyes a little. Even though Anna is home schooled and lacking a life outside the lab, numeral numbers are hardly mystifying. Especially when she "gets it" after seeing a grandfather clock. This is definitely a very small matter, nonetheless, it got under my skin and made me see the protagonist as a little brainless.
That was the first annoyance I stumbled upon. The second came by when they idiotically decide to walk into the enemy headquarters. Why? I have no clue. It made no sense for them to do so other than to create more plot excitement. Obviously, it went about as well as you can imagine. Seeing as they had no reasoning behind this decision, I got irritated by the stupid factor of it and hoped they got what they deserved.
These issues aside, I did quite enjoy the book, especially the scientific notions involved. I love the idea of genetic modifications, humans with abilities or powers, and Altered is fascinating on that front. I wanted to know more, though. Why it all started; the point behind everything. I'll assume those details are forthcoming. In this first installment, we're focusing on the boys and learning the ropes along with them. The characters are a fun bunch of charismatic guys. Some charming, some… not. I enjoyed the diversity in their personalities, which made for a great group dynamic. They're all as close as brothers; they're all they've ever known, after all. There is also romance involved, which becomes the source of some controversy between the boys. I thought Rush blended this aspect well with the overall pacing of the book; it will satisfy those who need romance in their books, but it doesn't distract from the intensity of the plot. Personally, I never felt a true connection between Anna and Sam, though. It was missing that spark. This could be due to characterization issues: With so much happening, being on the run for most of the book, character building is not the book's first priority. This is fine for the type of story it's trying to be, but the authenticity is lacking in the romantic element.
Altered is not without its flaws, still, the story is engaging with enough excitement to make these flaws a little less consequential. Having seen this novel being tagged as dystopian/post apocalyptic, I must warn you that I never got a dystopian feel from this whatsoever. It's an action novel dealing with genetics, abilities, and a messed up government behind it all. Read it when you're in the mood for a fast paced sci-fi thriller, not a science-y dystopian--in which case I'd recommend Partials.
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
August 12, 2013
4.5 Stars
Four years ago, Anna discovered a secret her father was keeping in their basement…
Boys.
Four of them.
Every teenage girl’s dream, right?
Except these boys are different. Genetically Altered and suffering from apparent amnesia. They’re all part of a puzzle Anna’s only been given small pieces to.
In the four years that’ve passed since she discovered the lab below her house, Anna’s come to know each of these boys pretty well. There’s Cas, whose sharp wit and love of all things food is always good for a laugh. Then there’s Trev, who has a myriad of memorized quotes in his head and is always willing to share. He’s also probably her closest friend. There’s also Nick, who, out of all the boys is the one Anna doesn’t quite feel comfortable with. And lastly, there’s Sam. (Pardon me while I sigh heavily.) Quiet, intense, sweet Sam who Anna’s harboring a little—major—crush on.
And I really couldn’t blame her. Throughout the entire book, I found myself wondering what is he thinking right along with her. Especially when all hell breaks loose and suddenly, these boys aren’t in her basement anymore.
They’re on the run…with her at their side. At her father’s request.
From pretty much the very beginning, this book was filled with non-stop guessing and action and OH MY GOD moments. There are twists and turns and guns and murders and secrets and a young girl discovering her inner badass. Seriously, there’s JUST SO MUCH. I could not put it down until I’d devoured every page. And then I was left wanting book two and kicking myself for breaking my own promise not to start any more trilogies before they’re complete. But I don’t even care now, because it was so worth it. Especially since I’ve been in such a slump this past year and it’s been really hard to find anything I could get into.
Altered was exactly what I needed to renew my faith in the idea that there are still good YA books out there left to be discovered. So don’t wait. Dive in and meet Anna and the boys, and enjoy the action, the humor and even the sadness. Oh, and did I mention the swoons? Because the UST level in this book was off the CHARTS.
I’ll leave you with a little taste…
Four years ago, Anna discovered a secret her father was keeping in their basement…
Boys.
Four of them.
Every teenage girl’s dream, right?
Except these boys are different. Genetically Altered and suffering from apparent amnesia. They’re all part of a puzzle Anna’s only been given small pieces to.
Dad wouldn’t tell me what the program tested for, despite my repeated questioning. When I’d first found the lab, it was all I could think about. What were four boys doing in our basement? Where were their parents? How long had they been down there? Dad knew exactly how much information to give to feed my curiosity and keep me quiet. I knew about the Branch, of course. But even though I knew who ran the program, I still didn’t know why.
In the four years that’ve passed since she discovered the lab below her house, Anna’s come to know each of these boys pretty well. There’s Cas, whose sharp wit and love of all things food is always good for a laugh. Then there’s Trev, who has a myriad of memorized quotes in his head and is always willing to share. He’s also probably her closest friend. There’s also Nick, who, out of all the boys is the one Anna doesn’t quite feel comfortable with. And lastly, there’s Sam. (Pardon me while I sigh heavily.) Quiet, intense, sweet Sam who Anna’s harboring a little—major—crush on.
And I really couldn’t blame her. Throughout the entire book, I found myself wondering what is he thinking right along with her. Especially when all hell breaks loose and suddenly, these boys aren’t in her basement anymore.
They’re on the run…with her at their side. At her father’s request.
”Anna. Listen to me.” Dad pulled himself up straighter. “Stay with Sam. Don’t come back here. Ever. Do you understand me?”
From pretty much the very beginning, this book was filled with non-stop guessing and action and OH MY GOD moments. There are twists and turns and guns and murders and secrets and a young girl discovering her inner badass. Seriously, there’s JUST SO MUCH. I could not put it down until I’d devoured every page. And then I was left wanting book two and kicking myself for breaking my own promise not to start any more trilogies before they’re complete. But I don’t even care now, because it was so worth it. Especially since I’ve been in such a slump this past year and it’s been really hard to find anything I could get into.
Altered was exactly what I needed to renew my faith in the idea that there are still good YA books out there left to be discovered. So don’t wait. Dive in and meet Anna and the boys, and enjoy the action, the humor and even the sadness. Oh, and did I mention the swoons? Because the UST level in this book was off the CHARTS.
I’ll leave you with a little taste…
He pressed into me as if he couldn’t get close enough, and I pressed back. Because I wasn’t close enough. Because I’d spent the last several years of my life wishing I could be closer.
May 4, 2017
I had no idea I'd enjoy this book so much. As such, this review will probably be a rambling mess, so you’ll have to excuse me. I’m still fangirling.
Okay, moving on.
Anna, our protagonist, lives with her dad in a small New York town called Treger Creek. Her father, Arthur, works for the 'Branch' and is in charge of a secret project that is located underneath their farmhouse. The project consists of four genetically altered boys (men?): Sam, Cas, Nick, and Trev. Each of them differ in personality, but all suffer from amnesia.
For years now, Anna has been sneaking down to the lab to visit with the boys. Sam, the leader of the group, is the object of Anna’s affection, and the main reason she sneaks into the lab every night. She and Sam have a strong connection and Anna is in love with him. At the same time, however, she's formed bonds of friendship with each of the boys, save for Nick.
Nick is...well, he's a bit of an asshole. He has his faults, but don't be so quick to write him off.
Cas is just so fun-loving and easy-going. You can’t help but adore him, ADD and all. He brings so much comedic relief to the story.
Then there’s Trev, Anna’s best friend and closest confidant, both in and outside the lab. With a photographic memory, he's the smartest of the group.
Everything changes, however, when Anna and the boys are forced to run away. After years of being locked away under the farmhouse, the boys are finally free, with a somewhat reluctant Anna in tow. On the run, Anna soon learns that almost everything she’s been lead to believe is a lie. With Sam in charge, they set out for answers, piecing together clues along the way.
Altered has so many good things going for it. It’s fast-paced and action packed. There’s enough adventure, mystery, and surprises to keep you guessing, and, yes, even a little romance.
I felt him watching me. "What color would you use?"
A grin spread across my face as I glanced at him. My gaze swept the sky. "Titanium white. A white so pure you can—"
He stopped midstride and nudged me toward him. With a brush of his finger, he tilted my chin up. Only the span of a few inches hovered between us. Snow melted on my face. The wind didn’t seem so cold anymore.
"Almost taste it?"
The gap closed between us and he pressed his lips against mine.
Dear Sam,
Anna was a kick-ass heroine. She was no shrinking violet, that’s for sure. She had balls and she wasn’t afraid to fight.
Altered is a fantastic debut. I’m so looking forward to the next book. I can’t wait to see where Rush takes us next.
December 10, 2018
3.5
داستان عجیب و جالبی بود
به عنوان یه کار چی ازش یاد کنم؟ بیشتر از اینکه دیستوپیا یاپساآخرالزمانی باشه، ماجراجویانه و معمایی بود با رگه هایی از یک کار ساینس فیکشن و مسئله ی سلاح های بیولوژیکی به صورت خیلی کمرنگ
کار عجیبی بود. خط داستانی جالبی داشت، برام واقعاً در این نوع جالب و جدید بود. تمرکز نویسنده روی روابط انسانی بود و واکنش ها و کنش های انسان ها اما نه انسان های عادی. یه انسان های یه پروژه خیلی خیلی خاص و دقیقاً همین کار رو خاص میکنه
مشتاقانه منتظرم ببینم خانم راش در جلدهای بعدی چی میخواد رو کنه
داستان عجیب و جالبی بود
به عنوان یه کار چی ازش یاد کنم؟ بیشتر از اینکه دیستوپیا یاپساآخرالزمانی باشه، ماجراجویانه و معمایی بود با رگه هایی از یک کار ساینس فیکشن و مسئله ی سلاح های بیولوژیکی به صورت خیلی کمرنگ
کار عجیبی بود. خط داستانی جالبی داشت، برام واقعاً در این نوع جالب و جدید بود. تمرکز نویسنده روی روابط انسانی بود و واکنش ها و کنش های انسان ها اما نه انسان های عادی. یه انسان های یه پروژه خیلی خیلی خاص و دقیقاً همین کار رو خاص میکنه
مشتاقانه منتظرم ببینم خانم راش در جلدهای بعدی چی میخواد رو کنه
Read
March 17, 2013Awesome. Such a cool premise. And an unexpected twist halfway through the book, which I loved.
And four hot guys.
Four of them!
And four hot guys.
Four of them!
February 5, 2015
I don't really know what to say about this book in a way that might make it clear that I both enjoyed and didn't care for it. The plot is one I've heard a million times and while it was entertaining for the time I was reading it, it wasn't very memorable.
The beginning didn't start out so well, I have to say. Anna, the main character, had a voice that blended with all the voices of typical YA heroines. I wasn't really impressed by her. At all. She seemed a bit dull and not very well characterized at first, but I guess centering your whole life around a lab does that to you. I wish her development throughout the book had been more thorough and not just her becoming stronger in the most superficial way. She still remained a dull and uninteresting character during the whole book, despite these little tweaks. What can I say, I'm becoming an utter Grinch when it comes to books lately. I barely enjoy anything anymore. But maybe that's not really my fault, honestly.
Sam didn't quite do it for me either. I never really grew to like him, or even care about him as the story went on. I just couldn't wrap my mind around the idea of Anna being infatuated with him. What she even saw in him remains a mystery so far. There is not a single quality that I can attach to Sam's character confidently. Perhaps only him being serious and completely devoid of any emotion. This is why I didn't really understand the romance, or whatever it is Anna and Sam had. No chemistry at all, in my opinion. It was completely annoying to see Anna drool and fantasize about this guy, who barely even noticed her at all. I have to say these two might actually be one of the worst couples I've read about in YA lately.
I liked all the other guys, sort of. Even Nick was more fleshed out than Sam, really. He was obnoxious and a complete jerk but at least he had some spine. Cas was my favorite character in the whole novel, for two obvious reasons: 1. He was hilarious and 2. He loved food. What more can you ask for, really?
The concept of this book was not the most original one ever made but it was interesting enough, albeit not fully fleshed out. A plot about an obscure organization founded by the government, whose projects involve genetically altered boys for equally obscure motives managed to catch my interest but didn't deliver in spectacular ways either.
Despite the fact that I sort of enjoyed this story, I wasn't invested emotionally or in any other way in it because at the end of the day I couldn't care less about any of the characters. This is why this book will remain at the 'it was ok' stage for me.
The beginning didn't start out so well, I have to say. Anna, the main character, had a voice that blended with all the voices of typical YA heroines. I wasn't really impressed by her. At all. She seemed a bit dull and not very well characterized at first, but I guess centering your whole life around a lab does that to you. I wish her development throughout the book had been more thorough and not just her becoming stronger in the most superficial way. She still remained a dull and uninteresting character during the whole book, despite these little tweaks. What can I say, I'm becoming an utter Grinch when it comes to books lately. I barely enjoy anything anymore. But maybe that's not really my fault, honestly.
Sam didn't quite do it for me either. I never really grew to like him, or even care about him as the story went on. I just couldn't wrap my mind around the idea of Anna being infatuated with him. What she even saw in him remains a mystery so far. There is not a single quality that I can attach to Sam's character confidently. Perhaps only him being serious and completely devoid of any emotion. This is why I didn't really understand the romance, or whatever it is Anna and Sam had. No chemistry at all, in my opinion. It was completely annoying to see Anna drool and fantasize about this guy, who barely even noticed her at all. I have to say these two might actually be one of the worst couples I've read about in YA lately.
I liked all the other guys, sort of. Even Nick was more fleshed out than Sam, really. He was obnoxious and a complete jerk but at least he had some spine. Cas was my favorite character in the whole novel, for two obvious reasons: 1. He was hilarious and 2. He loved food. What more can you ask for, really?
The concept of this book was not the most original one ever made but it was interesting enough, albeit not fully fleshed out. A plot about an obscure organization founded by the government, whose projects involve genetically altered boys for equally obscure motives managed to catch my interest but didn't deliver in spectacular ways either.
Despite the fact that I sort of enjoyed this story, I wasn't invested emotionally or in any other way in it because at the end of the day I couldn't care less about any of the characters. This is why this book will remain at the 'it was ok' stage for me.
November 1, 2014
Generic/predictable plot, eyeroll-inducing romance and bland characters. I felt as if all of the four guys in this book each had the personality of a Ninja Turtle.
Sam - Leonardo
Nick - Raphael
Cas - Michaelangelo
Trev - Donatello
But, that's just me. Anywho, the ending was a tad too HEA for my taste, and I don't think it warrants a sequel, let alone it being a trilogy. All in all I thought this book was bad in an unmemorable kind of way.
Oh and P.S., this is barely a dystopian. It kinda annoys me that these days a lot of YA novels are automatically shelved as dystopian just because they're sci-fi.
Sam - Leonardo
Nick - Raphael
Cas - Michaelangelo
Trev - Donatello
But, that's just me. Anywho, the ending was a tad too HEA for my taste, and I don't think it warrants a sequel, let alone it being a trilogy. All in all I thought this book was bad in an unmemorable kind of way.
Oh and P.S., this is barely a dystopian. It kinda annoys me that these days a lot of YA novels are automatically shelved as dystopian just because they're sci-fi.
January 2, 2013
Some people have weaknesses for sparkly vampires, intense longing gazes, and obnoxious bickering bantering. Mine are high octane chase sequences, shoot em up fight scenes, and actually, conspiracy thrillers of any kind - so to say Altered is right up my alley is kinda an understandment. This isn't the best I've ever read, these are not entirely competent characters and there are scenes that had me muttering 'no no no why the heck would you do that?', but overall I'm still quite satisfied by the results.
This is another hard book to review though, because some stuff I initially had problems with are actually explained quite well by later plot twists, so I can say yes this or that aspect bothered me, but I can't say how it's resolved or why I'm satisfied. Take for example Anna living for years with four guys in her basement, right away that's something I can tell is not normal and at least morally questionable if not criminal, but the way Anna handles it by being the willing participant is... naive to say the least. Sure, she's home schooled, but even with her (blind) trust in what her father's doing, I find it hard to believe she wouldn't have second thoughts about the morality of the project. And her naivete not only had me questioning the premise but is also a running theme through the book, even after she and the guys break out and go on the run, she's the innocent character - a bit too innocent given the entire situation for my tastes. In any other review, I would've left it at that and it'd be part of the reason why the book didn't work for me, but in Altered's case at least, there's a really good explanation for it! I just can't say, unfortunately, except Anna really grows as a character as she learns more about herself.
There are some things though that doesn't come with a good explanation, things that I really feel are like rookie mistakes that should've been caught and edited out. Right off the bat, the guys steal a car from this small town they're in, then use the GPS system to guide them to the location of a safe house. Uh, not smart, how hard is it for the bad guys to figure out their fugitives are gonna be driving the one car that'll be reported stolen from this small town, then track it down using the GPS? And these guys are supposed to be incredibly good at spy stuff? And they wonder why the bad guys catch up to them? Yeah. And as Anna and the guys are on the road, chasing down clues Sam had previously planted, there are a couple of times I felt the group was doubling back because they had previously missed obvious clues (like having to inspect Sam's tattoo two or three times to get all the information they should've gotten the first go around) or not figuring out some very obvious stuff immediately and dismissing it with a 'hey this looks vaguely familiar but I'm not sure how' remark which only made it more frustrating to read.
Despite that, I really enjoyed the chase. Even though the guys all have amnesia and Sam only vaguely knows what the endgame is, at least there is an endgame, so I have to say I really enjoyed myself putting together the pieces of the puzzle as Anna and the guys are searching for clues and doing the same, no matter how inefficiently they do it. And even though head villain Connor's ultimate agenda isn't revealed until the end, enough of it is dropped throughout the book that he and his Branch organization feel like a genuine threat rather than just one of those nameless faceless corrupt government organizations that just wants the protagonists dead for no reason other than just because. So my reaction whenever his agents pop up and start shooting isn't 'oh come on!' but 'crap what are they doing now?' - and that's really the key that takes the chase sequences, shootouts, safe houses, and dead informants to the next level beyond just mind candy, because after every action packed confrontation, I'll learn something new and another piece of the puzzle'll be filled in. Really, that's all you need to keep me entertained - make sure all the twists work.
Last and quite surprising thing is that, for a thriller, Jennifer Rush actually takes the time to write four distinct characters. Yeah, they start out being based on generic stereotypes, Sam's the leader, Nick's the bad one, Trev is the smart best friend, Cas is the funny sidekick, and for Nick at least his back story is predictable to the point of being transparent, but it works, and not just because they're a good group. Anna has four very different relationships with each one, and if I were to say what happens between Nick and Anna or Trev and Anna is predictable and trite, I'd be lying. Both times. Because as it turns out, along the way, if one of them lands in trouble or gets shot, I don't even have to ask myself would I care, because I do. And when one of them does something really unexpected, I care too.
From the summary, I could imagine Altered going a number of ways, but I really like the way Jennifer Rush takes it - an action packed thriller with a smidge of science fiction. Definitely an intense ride that totally works its premise.
This is another hard book to review though, because some stuff I initially had problems with are actually explained quite well by later plot twists, so I can say yes this or that aspect bothered me, but I can't say how it's resolved or why I'm satisfied. Take for example Anna living for years with four guys in her basement, right away that's something I can tell is not normal and at least morally questionable if not criminal, but the way Anna handles it by being the willing participant is... naive to say the least. Sure, she's home schooled, but even with her (blind) trust in what her father's doing, I find it hard to believe she wouldn't have second thoughts about the morality of the project. And her naivete not only had me questioning the premise but is also a running theme through the book, even after she and the guys break out and go on the run, she's the innocent character - a bit too innocent given the entire situation for my tastes. In any other review, I would've left it at that and it'd be part of the reason why the book didn't work for me, but in Altered's case at least, there's a really good explanation for it! I just can't say, unfortunately, except Anna really grows as a character as she learns more about herself.
There are some things though that doesn't come with a good explanation, things that I really feel are like rookie mistakes that should've been caught and edited out. Right off the bat, the guys steal a car from this small town they're in, then use the GPS system to guide them to the location of a safe house. Uh, not smart, how hard is it for the bad guys to figure out their fugitives are gonna be driving the one car that'll be reported stolen from this small town, then track it down using the GPS? And these guys are supposed to be incredibly good at spy stuff? And they wonder why the bad guys catch up to them? Yeah. And as Anna and the guys are on the road, chasing down clues Sam had previously planted, there are a couple of times I felt the group was doubling back because they had previously missed obvious clues (like having to inspect Sam's tattoo two or three times to get all the information they should've gotten the first go around) or not figuring out some very obvious stuff immediately and dismissing it with a 'hey this looks vaguely familiar but I'm not sure how' remark which only made it more frustrating to read.
Despite that, I really enjoyed the chase. Even though the guys all have amnesia and Sam only vaguely knows what the endgame is, at least there is an endgame, so I have to say I really enjoyed myself putting together the pieces of the puzzle as Anna and the guys are searching for clues and doing the same, no matter how inefficiently they do it. And even though head villain Connor's ultimate agenda isn't revealed until the end, enough of it is dropped throughout the book that he and his Branch organization feel like a genuine threat rather than just one of those nameless faceless corrupt government organizations that just wants the protagonists dead for no reason other than just because. So my reaction whenever his agents pop up and start shooting isn't 'oh come on!' but 'crap what are they doing now?' - and that's really the key that takes the chase sequences, shootouts, safe houses, and dead informants to the next level beyond just mind candy, because after every action packed confrontation, I'll learn something new and another piece of the puzzle'll be filled in. Really, that's all you need to keep me entertained - make sure all the twists work.
Last and quite surprising thing is that, for a thriller, Jennifer Rush actually takes the time to write four distinct characters. Yeah, they start out being based on generic stereotypes, Sam's the leader, Nick's the bad one, Trev is the smart best friend, Cas is the funny sidekick, and for Nick at least his back story is predictable to the point of being transparent, but it works, and not just because they're a good group. Anna has four very different relationships with each one, and if I were to say what happens between Nick and Anna or Trev and Anna is predictable and trite, I'd be lying. Both times. Because as it turns out, along the way, if one of them lands in trouble or gets shot, I don't even have to ask myself would I care, because I do. And when one of them does something really unexpected, I care too.
From the summary, I could imagine Altered going a number of ways, but I really like the way Jennifer Rush takes it - an action packed thriller with a smidge of science fiction. Definitely an intense ride that totally works its premise.
May 3, 2016
4.5/5
İnanılmaz akıcılığıyla inanılmaz keyifle okuduğum bir kitap oldu.
Kitaptaki tempo hiç düşmedi ve bu beni çok tatmin etti açıkçası. Çünkü bazen olaylar arasındaki gereksiz detaylar beni kitaptan soğutuyor. Ama bu kitapta bu olmadı. Sadece daha uzun olmasını isterdim. Allahtan ikinci kitap elimde var yakın zamanda okuyacağım :')
İnanılmaz akıcılığıyla inanılmaz keyifle okuduğum bir kitap oldu.
Kitaptaki tempo hiç düşmedi ve bu beni çok tatmin etti açıkçası. Çünkü bazen olaylar arasındaki gereksiz detaylar beni kitaptan soğutuyor. Ama bu kitapta bu olmadı. Sadece daha uzun olmasını isterdim. Allahtan ikinci kitap elimde var yakın zamanda okuyacağım :')
July 25, 2015
Bu temiz bir hikaye değil. Sadece bir aşk romanı değil. Kolay hazmedilebilir gerçekler de yok zaten. Bu kirli bir roman. Kirli bir yaşam tarzının mükemmel bir anlatımı vardı bu romanda. Ve gerçekten bu kitabı okurken stresten başınıza ağrılar girecek.
Serinin devamını okumak için çatlıyorum.
http://pillikutuphane.blogspot.de/201...
Serinin devamını okumak için çatlıyorum.
http://pillikutuphane.blogspot.de/201...
March 31, 2021
I am not sure how to rate this book. On one hand, I absolutely loved it and on the other hand, I absolutely hated it. So I am going with the in between rating of 2.5 stars.
We have Anna who's absolutely naïve and dumb that I almost DNF'd at the very beginning but I wanted to know about the boys so kept on reading. I also take my DNFs really seriously. And yes, I absolutely loved the boys including Nick. Cas was my absolute fav, he's such a goof ball.
Anna, as I already mentioned that she's naïve and dumb and thinks that the boys are in her dad's basement for the greater good. That this so called Branch is turning them into super soldiers or something. Super soldiers or not, dad's basement or not but when four people aren't allowed outside of their cells let alone the house shouldn't some alarm bells ring in her head and shouldn't she think that it's not right and she should call for help? Nope, that didn't happen because all she cares about is to stay with her boys but mostly Sam Sam Sam. How would she feel, if she was kept in a cell for four some years? Would she freak out or she'd think it's all for greater good. I felt so happy when Sam called her on that if they were being turned into super soldiers, they should be tested out on the field not in a basement. She had no personality to start with but all of a sudden becomes a Commander but didn't deserve it and conveniently becomes everyone's hero (eye roll). I wish she had gotten into the Commander role with subtlety.
Meet Sam, who's the leader and the boys seek his permission for everything. I liked Sam may be even loved him but he isn't my favourite boy. He's mysterious, serious, knows what he wants to do and plans everything ahead and is extremely protective of the other boys as well as Anna. I liked the friendship between Sam and Cas. I even liked his disagreements with Nick.
Cas as I have already mentioned is my favourite character in the book and I laughed every single time he's opened his mouth. I just wanted a bit more of Cas here but I'm hoping my wish will be granted in the next book.
Nick is rude and says what he thinks and doesn't agree with Sam and the others most of the time but still sticks with the boys and is loyal to them. Even though Anna thinks that Nick hates her, I think that he secretly likes her but isn't good at letting his vulnerability show and that's why he's so rude to her (but that's just what I think, can't show love so show hate). Even after all this, I liked Nick.
Trev is Anna's BFF and is the smartest one. He's a nerd and likes Anna. For some reason I didn't really like Trev, something seemed a bit off about him and later confirmed my suspicions as he betrayed everyone. I got certain when Sura mentioned that she's vaguely familiar with Trev.
Other things that bugged me besides everything about Anna were that we were never told what the tests were for? If they had started tests to make them into Super humans then why were they locked in the basement and what would have actually happened if they would have been Super humans, what would they do? As in fight but where and for whom? Why invest in all these years and money to get a puny list (yeah yeah it's a big thing, that could ruin the whole Branch) but why not just kill the boys, wouldn't it be easier? Now, I'm not saying that kill these hot boys but wouldn't it make more sense? Why was Anna made the Commander? What kind of other things were done besides erasing and altering their memories? What Super human strengths they have besides combat skills, gun skills, anti-ageing/slow-ageing and things that spies normally do in all those movies and books. And even after they made Anna the Commander and let's just say that she was able to control the boys from across the states then what? Give me that list Sam and off you go? My question is what would have happened? The hows, the whys, the whats and the are you serious? If only these were answered then things would have been much better. I could even bear Anna more than I did already.
Things that I loved, well the boys obviously. Fast paced action. Thrill. Mysteries. The chase. The twist. The other twist but not so much (I liked that she was part of the whole thing from the beginning). The Tattoo. Cas's goofing around. Nick's eyes. Sam's Aplha-ness. Trev's eyes as well. Sura's twist. That's it.
2.5 stars
We have Anna who's absolutely naïve and dumb that I almost DNF'd at the very beginning but I wanted to know about the boys so kept on reading. I also take my DNFs really seriously. And yes, I absolutely loved the boys including Nick. Cas was my absolute fav, he's such a goof ball.
Anna, as I already mentioned that she's naïve and dumb and thinks that the boys are in her dad's basement for the greater good. That this so called Branch is turning them into super soldiers or something. Super soldiers or not, dad's basement or not but when four people aren't allowed outside of their cells let alone the house shouldn't some alarm bells ring in her head and shouldn't she think that it's not right and she should call for help? Nope, that didn't happen because all she cares about is to stay with her boys but mostly Sam Sam Sam. How would she feel, if she was kept in a cell for four some years? Would she freak out or she'd think it's all for greater good. I felt so happy when Sam called her on that if they were being turned into super soldiers, they should be tested out on the field not in a basement. She had no personality to start with but all of a sudden becomes a Commander but didn't deserve it and conveniently becomes everyone's hero (eye roll). I wish she had gotten into the Commander role with subtlety.
Meet Sam, who's the leader and the boys seek his permission for everything. I liked Sam may be even loved him but he isn't my favourite boy. He's mysterious, serious, knows what he wants to do and plans everything ahead and is extremely protective of the other boys as well as Anna. I liked the friendship between Sam and Cas. I even liked his disagreements with Nick.
Cas as I have already mentioned is my favourite character in the book and I laughed every single time he's opened his mouth. I just wanted a bit more of Cas here but I'm hoping my wish will be granted in the next book.
Nick is rude and says what he thinks and doesn't agree with Sam and the others most of the time but still sticks with the boys and is loyal to them. Even though Anna thinks that Nick hates her, I think that he secretly likes her but isn't good at letting his vulnerability show and that's why he's so rude to her (but that's just what I think, can't show love so show hate). Even after all this, I liked Nick.
Trev is Anna's BFF and is the smartest one. He's a nerd and likes Anna. For some reason I didn't really like Trev, something seemed a bit off about him and later confirmed my suspicions as he betrayed everyone. I got certain when Sura mentioned that she's vaguely familiar with Trev.
Other things that bugged me besides everything about Anna were that we were never told what the tests were for? If they had started tests to make them into Super humans then why were they locked in the basement and what would have actually happened if they would have been Super humans, what would they do? As in fight but where and for whom? Why invest in all these years and money to get a puny list (yeah yeah it's a big thing, that could ruin the whole Branch) but why not just kill the boys, wouldn't it be easier? Now, I'm not saying that kill these hot boys but wouldn't it make more sense? Why was Anna made the Commander? What kind of other things were done besides erasing and altering their memories? What Super human strengths they have besides combat skills, gun skills, anti-ageing/slow-ageing and things that spies normally do in all those movies and books. And even after they made Anna the Commander and let's just say that she was able to control the boys from across the states then what? Give me that list Sam and off you go? My question is what would have happened? The hows, the whys, the whats and the are you serious? If only these were answered then things would have been much better. I could even bear Anna more than I did already.
Things that I loved, well the boys obviously. Fast paced action. Thrill. Mysteries. The chase. The twist. The other twist but not so much (I liked that she was part of the whole thing from the beginning). The Tattoo. Cas's goofing around. Nick's eyes. Sam's Aplha-ness. Trev's eyes as well. Sura's twist. That's it.
2.5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2013
You can find more reviews @BloodyBookaholic
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 coolbut 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 for 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.
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
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 for 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.
October 16, 2023
I didn’t want to read this book because of the cover…. But then again I'm a girl and anything with tattooed hotties is my kryptonite so I became weak and caved into reading Altered. When I first started this book I was like “ok so these boys are being locked up in some guy’s basement and his daughter is just ok with this because she has some kind of special friend bond with them, but doesn’t see what the problem is with having PEOPLE LOCKED UP IN YOUR BASEMENT! This book is probably going to blow”…
Well turns out I was wrong this book was actually quite enjoyable quick read. (Why it was so enjoyable I don’t know but it just was) All the things that I thought sounded lame were actually pretty cool and also were well explained throughout the book. The main character Anna seems like your average home schooled jungle freak that has no friends or really any social life at all. This of course all changes once she escapes with the boys. Then there's the boys Sam the swoon worth leader jerk turn nice guy, Nick the bully with so much mystery surrounding him, Trev who seems like the bff boy next door, and then Cas (my favorite character) who bring in the comic relief and is one of the main reason I fell for this story. I loved how well these characters went together and how well they feed off one another.
Sometimes they all made me so mad with their stupidity. All I could think was “come on stop going places out in the open” and “what are you thinking don’t do that that's so dumb!”… but nothing to crazy to make me no recommend this to someone. This book was a cute and fun ride till the end.
Well turns out I was wrong this book was actually quite enjoyable quick read. (Why it was so enjoyable I don’t know but it just was) All the things that I thought sounded lame were actually pretty cool and also were well explained throughout the book. The main character Anna seems like your average home schooled jungle freak that has no friends or really any social life at all. This of course all changes once she escapes with the boys. Then there's the boys Sam the swoon worth leader jerk turn nice guy, Nick the bully with so much mystery surrounding him, Trev who seems like the bff boy next door, and then Cas (my favorite character) who bring in the comic relief and is one of the main reason I fell for this story. I loved how well these characters went together and how well they feed off one another.
Sometimes they all made me so mad with their stupidity. All I could think was “come on stop going places out in the open” and “what are you thinking don’t do that that's so dumb!”… but nothing to crazy to make me no recommend this to someone. This book was a cute and fun ride till the end.
April 12, 2021
Galiba bu aralar bende kitapları beğenememezlik başladı. Çünkü bu kitap da eh işte dedirtti bana. Okuduğum başka bir kitaba benzettim Kül Dağın'daki Kütüphane kitabında gibiydim sanki gene ilk sayfalarda ne oluyor kim neden orda neden kaçıyorlar hiçbir şey anlamadım sonra yavaşça okudukça açıldım. Ve itiraf etmek gerekirse kitap beni son sayfalarda şaşırttı yalan yok. Yeterli mi dersiniz? Yo yo! Hadi adamım beni diğer kitabında şaşkınlıktan ağzım açık kalsın. Neyse ben diğer kitaba kaçar 😁😂
February 13, 2023
اتمام
۲۴/بهمن/۰۱
21:55
پنج ستاره تمام :)
اولین تجربه اکشن خوانی من😚 عاشقش شدم رسما😐♥️
ترکیبی از ژانر علمی تخیلی و رومنس و اکشن، یه داستان عالی ازش ساخته! من بشخصه چون عاشق این مدل داستان هام خیلی لذت بردم ازش🥺 هیجان انگیز و پر کشش! شخصیت پردازی و فضاسازی هم خیلی خوب بود.
پسرا چقد همشون دوست داشتنی و کله خر بودن🥺😂
سَم و کاس و نیک و ترِو..✨
تمام صحنه های کتاب مثل فیلم از جلو چشمام رد میشد
رسما موقع نگاه کردن به کلمات میتونستم تصورشون کنم در هر لحظه! (تو خوندن همهی کتابا اینجوریام ولی این یکی بیشتر بود خیلیی) مطمئنم از اون کتابایی میشه که چندبارم بخونمش خسته نمیشم ازش🚶🏻♀️
پلات توئیستای جالبی داشت که بعضیاشون رسما دهنم باز میموند از شوک🦦
واقعا نمیدونم چی بگم در عین حالی که پُرم از حرف دربارهش ولی چیز دیگه ای نمیتونم بگم..
فقط فوقالعاده بود واقعا!
جلد دو و سه رو هم به زودی میخونم :)))
۲۴/بهمن/۰۱
21:55
پنج ستاره تمام :)
اولین تجربه اکشن خوانی من😚 عاشقش شدم رسما😐♥️
ترکیبی از ژانر علمی تخیلی و رومنس و اکشن، یه داستان عالی ازش ساخته! من بشخصه چون عاشق این مدل داستان هام خیلی لذت بردم ازش🥺 هیجان انگیز و پر کشش! شخصیت پردازی و فضاسازی هم خیلی خوب بود.
پسرا چقد همشون دوست داشتنی و کله خر بودن🥺😂
سَم و کاس و نیک و ترِو..✨
تمام صحنه های کتاب مثل فیلم از جلو چشمام رد میشد
رسما موقع نگاه کردن به کلمات میتونستم تصورشون کنم در هر لحظه! (تو خوندن همهی کتابا اینجوریام ولی این یکی بیشتر بود خیلیی) مطمئنم از اون کتابایی میشه که چندبارم بخونمش خسته نمیشم ازش🚶🏻♀️
پلات توئیستای جالبی داشت که بعضیاشون رسما دهنم باز میموند از شوک🦦
واقعا نمیدونم چی بگم در عین حالی که پُرم از حرف دربارهش ولی چیز دیگه ای نمیتونم بگم..
فقط فوقالعاده بود واقعا!
جلد دو و سه رو هم به زودی میخونم :)))
July 28, 2015
Kitapla ilgili düşüncelerim biraz karışık. Beğenmedim değil beğendim. Ama nedense okurken bir eksiklik hissettim yada fazlalık ? Normalde olay olmamasından, yazarların gereksiz uzatmalarına isyan ederim ama Amnezi kısacık bir kitap ve bir dünya olay oluyor. Zamanlar, olaylar çok üst üste geldi. Diğer yandan kurguyu, karakterleri sevdim. Özellikle Nick... Biliyorum çok aksi ve gıcık davranıyor ama gönül işte, ne yaparsın jksdjgska Bu arada Anna sonlara doğru acayip bir değişim geçirdi :O
3.5/5
3.5/5
January 20, 2013
Wow! Altered is an amazing sci-fi mystery thriller that I didn't expect to like as much as I did. Jennifer Rush took such a different approach to this concept and totally made it her own. This was an intense and surprisingly powerful story that had me consumed the entire ride!
Anna Mason has been helping out her dad for years by collecting data from the four boys that have occupied their farmhouse basement for the last five years. They are some kind of experiments or units that the Branch has plans for and while Anna doesn't really know why Sam, Trev, Cas and Nick are there, she's taken to befriending all of them (even Nick) and makes sure they get everything that would make their 'stay' more comfortable. She's always hated to see the boys so trapped and wish she could be the one to set them free.
One day, when some of the Branch people comes down to visit the 'units' all hell breaks loose and Anna finds herself on the run with the boys, boys who don't remember anything about themselves or their past.
Soon Anna will discover that her entire life was based on secrets and lies and helps search for clues about who the boys really are. The lines of trust and faith are thin and blurs into hope. Hope for herself and the boys that have become all she's ever known.
Altered has just about everything I like in my escape. It's a story about lies and deception, humanity and science, surviving and instincts and the ultimate hope. It's action punched, thought provoking and has a sweetly-awkward romance that you can't help cheer for.
I loved pretty much the entire book, but I think what I loved the most was the fact that the entire concept was so intelligently written. I loved how seriously unpredictable it all turned out to be. Every time I would guess at something, I was pretty much shot down within the next chapter. I loved that we didn't get a lot of answers to the growing questions till the exact moment Rush wants to clue in both the characters and the readers. The sci-fi aspects weren't over the top. I mean the boys are stronger and smarter and they have been genetically altered for greatness, but not in the x-men way I was shamelessly expecting. Now this isn't a bad thing, in fact it felt somehow more unique and this being the first book in a series that didn't answer all of our questions, I'm thinking there is a lot more to come. Which is a very good thing.
I loved the entire mystery surrounding every aspect of this story. It was a lot of fun trying to follow the clues and codes and links to everything that was happening. I never knew who I could trust, who was bad and who was good and I gotta say a few characters really surprised me.
It didn't take very long to fall for each one of these characters. I loved that Anna wasn't some weak damsel in distress protag. She can totally handle her own and keep the boys in line at the same time. Each boy has a very endearing personality and easy to love. Trev is the best friend and a shoulder to cry on. Cas is the funny one, loves to eat and goof around. He brought in the perfect comic relief to the more dire situations. Nick is your basic standoffish guy with a stick up his...you know what. But he's always there if you need him. As for Sam? He's the leader of this group, the Alpha. He's edgy and intense and makes brooding look like such a sexy sensation.
The romance is very subtle in this book, which is a good thing when you think about it. It would have felt fake considering they are on the run for their lives and not remembering anything about yourself or your past doesn't help the warm and fuzzy's either. What we did get though was awfully sweet and I have a lot of hope (and suspicions) about what will happen in the next book concerning Sam and Anna.
All in all, I had a great time reading this book. The concept is smart, fresh and alive. The characters are all fascinating and the writing is brilliant. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!
An amazing debut!
(Arc provided by Netgalley and Little Brown Books for Young Readers)
This review and more can be seen at WinterHaven Books;
Anna Mason has been helping out her dad for years by collecting data from the four boys that have occupied their farmhouse basement for the last five years. They are some kind of experiments or units that the Branch has plans for and while Anna doesn't really know why Sam, Trev, Cas and Nick are there, she's taken to befriending all of them (even Nick) and makes sure they get everything that would make their 'stay' more comfortable. She's always hated to see the boys so trapped and wish she could be the one to set them free.
One day, when some of the Branch people comes down to visit the 'units' all hell breaks loose and Anna finds herself on the run with the boys, boys who don't remember anything about themselves or their past.
Soon Anna will discover that her entire life was based on secrets and lies and helps search for clues about who the boys really are. The lines of trust and faith are thin and blurs into hope. Hope for herself and the boys that have become all she's ever known.
Altered has just about everything I like in my escape. It's a story about lies and deception, humanity and science, surviving and instincts and the ultimate hope. It's action punched, thought provoking and has a sweetly-awkward romance that you can't help cheer for.
I loved pretty much the entire book, but I think what I loved the most was the fact that the entire concept was so intelligently written. I loved how seriously unpredictable it all turned out to be. Every time I would guess at something, I was pretty much shot down within the next chapter. I loved that we didn't get a lot of answers to the growing questions till the exact moment Rush wants to clue in both the characters and the readers. The sci-fi aspects weren't over the top. I mean the boys are stronger and smarter and they have been genetically altered for greatness, but not in the x-men way I was shamelessly expecting. Now this isn't a bad thing, in fact it felt somehow more unique and this being the first book in a series that didn't answer all of our questions, I'm thinking there is a lot more to come. Which is a very good thing.
I loved the entire mystery surrounding every aspect of this story. It was a lot of fun trying to follow the clues and codes and links to everything that was happening. I never knew who I could trust, who was bad and who was good and I gotta say a few characters really surprised me.
It didn't take very long to fall for each one of these characters. I loved that Anna wasn't some weak damsel in distress protag. She can totally handle her own and keep the boys in line at the same time. Each boy has a very endearing personality and easy to love. Trev is the best friend and a shoulder to cry on. Cas is the funny one, loves to eat and goof around. He brought in the perfect comic relief to the more dire situations. Nick is your basic standoffish guy with a stick up his...you know what. But he's always there if you need him. As for Sam? He's the leader of this group, the Alpha. He's edgy and intense and makes brooding look like such a sexy sensation.
The romance is very subtle in this book, which is a good thing when you think about it. It would have felt fake considering they are on the run for their lives and not remembering anything about yourself or your past doesn't help the warm and fuzzy's either. What we did get though was awfully sweet and I have a lot of hope (and suspicions) about what will happen in the next book concerning Sam and Anna.
All in all, I had a great time reading this book. The concept is smart, fresh and alive. The characters are all fascinating and the writing is brilliant. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!
An amazing debut!
(Arc provided by Netgalley and Little Brown Books for Young Readers)
This review and more can be seen at WinterHaven Books;
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March 24, 2012I'll review it when it's closer to release. The hot boys are NOT disappointing. :-D
June 26, 2016
I'm actually speechless! It's the second time I read this book and it was as good as it was the first time!
First of all, Altered has everything I need for a good book: a good plot, interesting and different characters, a lovestory and shocking plottwists.
What makes this book so good are the action scenes and the plottwists. You know as much as the characters and this book just forces you to think with them, to solve their codes and their secrets. It's barely possible to stop reading, because there happens so much in this book. There are even barely moments where you can catch your breath! Another good thing are the plottwists and secrets. Some big secrets are already revealed, but there are still so many questions in my head and this makes me crazy!
As for the characters, I like them a lot. Each of them is so different from the other one, each of them has their own past, but still they are connected to each other. Anna is a bit naive and kind of stupid at the beginning, but she gets more stronger throughout the book. Sam, Nick, Cas and Trev are .... hot. And intelligent. And sometimes scary. And funny. Besides, I like the fact that the lovestory isn't the main topic.
The only thing I don't like is the fact that this book is too short. The German edition has only 320 pages. It could have been longer,and maby the story pace could have been a bit slower. This way, we could have get more information about the "section" and their background. But as mentioned before, we only know as much as Anna and there is still book 2.
And I have to say that I like the German cover waaaaaaay more than the English one. A half-naked man doesn't say a lot about the book. The German edition has a birch tree on it and this fits so good to the story!
4.5 stars for this awesome action-packed, mysterious book!
First of all, Altered has everything I need for a good book: a good plot, interesting and different characters, a lovestory and shocking plottwists.
What makes this book so good are the action scenes and the plottwists. You know as much as the characters and this book just forces you to think with them, to solve their codes and their secrets. It's barely possible to stop reading, because there happens so much in this book. There are even barely moments where you can catch your breath! Another good thing are the plottwists and secrets. Some big secrets are already revealed, but there are still so many questions in my head and this makes me crazy!
As for the characters, I like them a lot. Each of them is so different from the other one, each of them has their own past, but still they are connected to each other. Anna is a bit naive and kind of stupid at the beginning, but she gets more stronger throughout the book. Sam, Nick, Cas and Trev are .... hot. And intelligent. And sometimes scary. And funny. Besides, I like the fact that the lovestory isn't the main topic.
The only thing I don't like is the fact that this book is too short. The German edition has only 320 pages. It could have been longer,and maby the story pace could have been a bit slower. This way, we could have get more information about the "section" and their background. But as mentioned before, we only know as much as Anna and there is still book 2.
And I have to say that I like the German cover waaaaaaay more than the English one. A half-naked man doesn't say a lot about the book. The German edition has a birch tree on it and this fits so good to the story!
4.5 stars for this awesome action-packed, mysterious book!
September 20, 2015
3,5
Kaç puan vereceğime bir türlü karar veremedim, büyük ihtimalle sonradan fikrim de değişir. Ben bu kitabı çoook sevdim. Anna gittikçe daha güçlü bir karakter oldu ve bu benim çok hoşuma gitti. İpuçları, hainlikler vb. de çok ilgi çekiciydi. Umarım Pegasus bir an önce serinin devamını çevirir.
Kaç puan vereceğime bir türlü karar veremedim, büyük ihtimalle sonradan fikrim de değişir. Ben bu kitabı çoook sevdim. Anna gittikçe daha güçlü bir karakter oldu ve bu benim çok hoşuma gitti. İpuçları, hainlikler vb. de çok ilgi çekiciydi. Umarım Pegasus bir an önce serinin devamını çevirir.
March 20, 2020
اين كتاب به عنوان جلد اول يه مجموعه فوق العادهههه بوددد و مشتاقانه جلداي بعديو ميخوام
August 28, 2012
Originally reviewed on A Reader of Fictions.
Despite the slightly more boy-friendly cover (maybe? I'm guessing. It seems like it holds more boy appeal than some, but I'm not sure about the shirtless guy), Altered is definitely what we generally quantify as a girl book. The main subject of the book, it's driving force, is romance, with all of the science-fiction-y aspects coming second. If you're in the mood for a really hardcore dystopian novel, this is not the one I would recommend.
We'll start with the things that I liked. The best part was Rush's writing style. Her writing is neither overly ornate nor laughably simple. I thought it worked with the story and the intelligence/education level of the heroine, Anna, from whose perspective we see. The only downside, which I'll extrapolate on later, was the tendency towards hackneyed phrases when it came to romance.
The science stuff was definitely cool. Though much of why this is happening and precisely who is responsible for it remains unanswered, Rush has not left her readers completely in the dark like some dystopian authors like to do. I hope to learn more about the processes and any special skills the boys have in the next book. I've always been a sucker for stories about people with special powers, whether mutated or scientifically-given, so this was right up my alley. So far, the book is not especially dystopian, although I think it does qualify, since the government does know of and fund the Program. Still, it's definitely not the best example of one.
There were, however, quite a few things I did not like. First off, there's the characterization. I hardly feel any connection to any of these characters, even Anna. Since I'm looking a the world through Anna's eyes, I ought to care whether she gets Sam, the boy she's been obsessed with for years...but I don't. Other than the fact that she likes to draw and drools over Sam, I know very little about her. She's sometimes sarcastic, but otherwise she's mostly just naive and kind of boring. The boys are a bit more interesting, with Sam being the one I have the least interest in. Actually, the character I liked best was definitely Nick, who I think was supposed to be the one that I didn't like.
It will likely not come as a surprise to find that I did not ship Sam and Anna, since I wasn't invested in either one individually. The biggest problem I had with them as a ship was that there didn't seem to be any reason for them to be into one another, aside from the whole physical attraction thing. Sam seems so much cleverer than Anna, and they really don't seem to share any interests aside from living. There was never anything to explain why she crushed on him so hard or any conversations between the two about something normal to show a real connection, a possible basis for a relationship not driven by heightened we-could-die-at-any-moment emotions. As far as I can tell, their feelings are manufactured solely by the conditions in which they find themselves.
Perhaps the biggest reason that I couldn't handle them, though, was how obnoxious Anna was whenever she thought about him. She indulged in the kinds of phrases YA heroines love to bandy about that always make me want to punch everything. Here are a couple (though they're from the ARC and could be changed pre-publication):
"If I had known the night before would be our final night together, I would have spent more time with him.
I would have told him how much he meant to me, that not a second went by when I didn't think about him."
Let's analyze this, shall we? It should be noted that this is early on in the book and Sam has expressed zero interest in her romantically at this point. Her phrasing implies a stronger connection than they had (they played chess together at night, which he always won). What really irritates me is the second half where she says that 'not a second went by' without thoughts of him. Really?! How does she manage to function? Well, she kind of doesn't. She really doze zone out a lot while thinking of him, but, still, think about the implications. When she's taking a dump, she thinks of Sam. All of her dreams? About Sam. NO.
"I fought for air but came up short, like I was drowning, like the panic had filled my mouth, my nose. I gulped. Sam tipped my head back and air trickled into my lungs. This was not happening. Those men were not dead. And Dad was not shot. And I was not so close to Sam that I could feel his breath on my face."
This quote is worse, as the first can be dismissed as merely a poetic flight of fancy, exaggeration used to show the scale of her love (obsession). This one, though, not so much. Let me add some context: Sam has just shoved her against a rough brick wall, only to stop her from punching him but still. Her first reaction is panic. Okay, good so far. Then disbelief at all the crazy shit that went down (many men were killed so the boys could escape). Realistic response. Her final reaction? Squeeing over how close she is to Sam. *headdesk* This guy just killed a bunch of people, shot your father, and shoved you into a wall and you're STILL distracted by how sexy he is. Oh, HELL TO THE NO.
That all sounds quite harsh, I know, but Altered was a fun, if mindless read. I definitely intend to continue with the story and hope that, since Rush's writing is good, that she will develop further with her characters. Personally, I would love to see a wrench thrown into the story...like Anna starting to like Nick instead? That would be awesome. My opinion: fun book with sexy boys and action scenes but with some major issues.
Despite the slightly more boy-friendly cover (maybe? I'm guessing. It seems like it holds more boy appeal than some, but I'm not sure about the shirtless guy), Altered is definitely what we generally quantify as a girl book. The main subject of the book, it's driving force, is romance, with all of the science-fiction-y aspects coming second. If you're in the mood for a really hardcore dystopian novel, this is not the one I would recommend.
We'll start with the things that I liked. The best part was Rush's writing style. Her writing is neither overly ornate nor laughably simple. I thought it worked with the story and the intelligence/education level of the heroine, Anna, from whose perspective we see. The only downside, which I'll extrapolate on later, was the tendency towards hackneyed phrases when it came to romance.
The science stuff was definitely cool. Though much of why this is happening and precisely who is responsible for it remains unanswered, Rush has not left her readers completely in the dark like some dystopian authors like to do. I hope to learn more about the processes and any special skills the boys have in the next book. I've always been a sucker for stories about people with special powers, whether mutated or scientifically-given, so this was right up my alley. So far, the book is not especially dystopian, although I think it does qualify, since the government does know of and fund the Program. Still, it's definitely not the best example of one.
There were, however, quite a few things I did not like. First off, there's the characterization. I hardly feel any connection to any of these characters, even Anna. Since I'm looking a the world through Anna's eyes, I ought to care whether she gets Sam, the boy she's been obsessed with for years...but I don't. Other than the fact that she likes to draw and drools over Sam, I know very little about her. She's sometimes sarcastic, but otherwise she's mostly just naive and kind of boring. The boys are a bit more interesting, with Sam being the one I have the least interest in. Actually, the character I liked best was definitely Nick, who I think was supposed to be the one that I didn't like.
It will likely not come as a surprise to find that I did not ship Sam and Anna, since I wasn't invested in either one individually. The biggest problem I had with them as a ship was that there didn't seem to be any reason for them to be into one another, aside from the whole physical attraction thing. Sam seems so much cleverer than Anna, and they really don't seem to share any interests aside from living. There was never anything to explain why she crushed on him so hard or any conversations between the two about something normal to show a real connection, a possible basis for a relationship not driven by heightened we-could-die-at-any-moment emotions. As far as I can tell, their feelings are manufactured solely by the conditions in which they find themselves.
Perhaps the biggest reason that I couldn't handle them, though, was how obnoxious Anna was whenever she thought about him. She indulged in the kinds of phrases YA heroines love to bandy about that always make me want to punch everything. Here are a couple (though they're from the ARC and could be changed pre-publication):
"If I had known the night before would be our final night together, I would have spent more time with him.
I would have told him how much he meant to me, that not a second went by when I didn't think about him."
Let's analyze this, shall we? It should be noted that this is early on in the book and Sam has expressed zero interest in her romantically at this point. Her phrasing implies a stronger connection than they had (they played chess together at night, which he always won). What really irritates me is the second half where she says that 'not a second went by' without thoughts of him. Really?! How does she manage to function? Well, she kind of doesn't. She really doze zone out a lot while thinking of him, but, still, think about the implications. When she's taking a dump, she thinks of Sam. All of her dreams? About Sam. NO.
"I fought for air but came up short, like I was drowning, like the panic had filled my mouth, my nose. I gulped. Sam tipped my head back and air trickled into my lungs. This was not happening. Those men were not dead. And Dad was not shot. And I was not so close to Sam that I could feel his breath on my face."
This quote is worse, as the first can be dismissed as merely a poetic flight of fancy, exaggeration used to show the scale of her love (obsession). This one, though, not so much. Let me add some context: Sam has just shoved her against a rough brick wall, only to stop her from punching him but still. Her first reaction is panic. Okay, good so far. Then disbelief at all the crazy shit that went down (many men were killed so the boys could escape). Realistic response. Her final reaction? Squeeing over how close she is to Sam. *headdesk* This guy just killed a bunch of people, shot your father, and shoved you into a wall and you're STILL distracted by how sexy he is. Oh, HELL TO THE NO.
That all sounds quite harsh, I know, but Altered was a fun, if mindless read. I definitely intend to continue with the story and hope that, since Rush's writing is good, that she will develop further with her characters. Personally, I would love to see a wrench thrown into the story...like Anna starting to like Nick instead? That would be awesome. My opinion: fun book with sexy boys and action scenes but with some major issues.
July 23, 2012
I want to give a big THANK YOU to Around The World ARC Tours. I have been blessed to be a part of this wonderful touring group. We all share ARC's with other bloggers and we get a chance to read books we would have to wait for. I have read a lot of ARC books from this tour and Altered is one of those ARC's I could not put down. It was everything i hoped for and more. This is Jennifer Rush's debut novel and what a way to come into the reading world!
In Altered we get to meet Anna who lives with her father who works for The Branch. A part of an organization that is altering boys minds. Anna's life has been nothing but secret after secret. She is homed schooled and has no friends except the four boys who live in her basement. Nick, Cas, Trev, and Sam are genetically altered and are being monitored by the branch. Anna is soon allowed to help her father out with the testing and becomes friends with the boys. But Anna's heart is really with Sam who is quiet and always does thing with purpose and self control.
Then one day Anna tells Sam that the branch is coming for a surprise visit the next morning and Sam thanks her for letting them know. The next morning Anna feels like something is wrong and she is not sure what it is but she gets this horrible feeling and when they reach the basement and the branch gets ready to take the boys Anna jumps in to save them but it is Sam who acts quickly getting the boys and Anna out of the house.
On the run Sam and the boys and Anna have to figure who they are and why they are like this. They know that their minds have been altered but they have to solve clues that Sam left before he was taken into custody. As they piece information together they start to unravel the mysteries behind their real lives and who they were. They are trying to stay under the radar because the branch is looking for them and will stop at nothing to get them back to where they belong. On the run they must learn to survive and adapt to situations quickly but the biggest thing is to stay away from the branch.
What will they do? What will happen to the boys once they find a traitor among them? Will Anna be able to handle the secrets and lies told to her? Will Sam be able to decipher the codes to find out what happened to them? Come along for the greatest adventure ever. Altered has so many twists and turns and yes a little romance that it will leave you breathless!
In Altered we get to meet Anna who lives with her father who works for The Branch. A part of an organization that is altering boys minds. Anna's life has been nothing but secret after secret. She is homed schooled and has no friends except the four boys who live in her basement. Nick, Cas, Trev, and Sam are genetically altered and are being monitored by the branch. Anna is soon allowed to help her father out with the testing and becomes friends with the boys. But Anna's heart is really with Sam who is quiet and always does thing with purpose and self control.
Then one day Anna tells Sam that the branch is coming for a surprise visit the next morning and Sam thanks her for letting them know. The next morning Anna feels like something is wrong and she is not sure what it is but she gets this horrible feeling and when they reach the basement and the branch gets ready to take the boys Anna jumps in to save them but it is Sam who acts quickly getting the boys and Anna out of the house.
On the run Sam and the boys and Anna have to figure who they are and why they are like this. They know that their minds have been altered but they have to solve clues that Sam left before he was taken into custody. As they piece information together they start to unravel the mysteries behind their real lives and who they were. They are trying to stay under the radar because the branch is looking for them and will stop at nothing to get them back to where they belong. On the run they must learn to survive and adapt to situations quickly but the biggest thing is to stay away from the branch.
What will they do? What will happen to the boys once they find a traitor among them? Will Anna be able to handle the secrets and lies told to her? Will Sam be able to decipher the codes to find out what happened to them? Come along for the greatest adventure ever. Altered has so many twists and turns and yes a little romance that it will leave you breathless!
May 5, 2016
I think the fact that I read this book in only 2 days, which is something I very rarely do, already shows how much I loved it.
There was so much action, tension and mystery in it, so that I could not put this book down because I always wanted to know what would happen next. And the hot boys made this even more enjoyable <3
What happened near the end was so unexpected and I still cannot believe it actually happened :O
There was no bad cliffhanger at the end, so I think this book also works well as a standalone. But I will definitely pick the next book up when I get the chance to, because I want to learn even more about the characters and what their lives will be like now.
This book deserves so much more attention in my opinion. If you have not read it yet, go read it!
There was so much action, tension and mystery in it, so that I could not put this book down because I always wanted to know what would happen next. And the hot boys made this even more enjoyable <3
What happened near the end was so unexpected and I still cannot believe it actually happened :O
There was no bad cliffhanger at the end, so I think this book also works well as a standalone. But I will definitely pick the next book up when I get the chance to, because I want to learn even more about the characters and what their lives will be like now.
This book deserves so much more attention in my opinion. If you have not read it yet, go read it!
January 23, 2016
Kitap gerek kurgusuyla, gerekse karakterleriyle beni benden aldı. Şaşırtmayı bilen kitaplar benim için her daim üç adım öndedir. Amnezi de böyle bir kitap oldu.
Cas'in şapşallıkları, Nick'in aksiliği, Trev'in zekâsı ve tabii ki Sam'in o lider, her şeyi kontrol altında tutma havası çok güzeldi. Anna da benim için güçlü kadın karakterler arasında yerini aldı bile. Tamam bazen tam bir aptal âşık havalarına giriyordu ama sadece birkaç cümleye kendini toparlıyordu. Yani her şey dozunda verilmişti kitapta. Ben çok sevdim, hatta bayıldım. Şimdi sırada Pegasus'a ikinci kitap için yalvarma vakti!
Cas'in şapşallıkları, Nick'in aksiliği, Trev'in zekâsı ve tabii ki Sam'in o lider, her şeyi kontrol altında tutma havası çok güzeldi. Anna da benim için güçlü kadın karakterler arasında yerini aldı bile. Tamam bazen tam bir aptal âşık havalarına giriyordu ama sadece birkaç cümleye kendini toparlıyordu. Yani her şey dozunda verilmişti kitapta. Ben çok sevdim, hatta bayıldım. Şimdi sırada Pegasus'a ikinci kitap için yalvarma vakti!
January 31, 2016
Ganz anders als erwartet.
Es ist nicht nur eine 08/15 Liebesgeschichte. Das Buch ist richtig spannend und alles andere als kitschig. Ein paar Hintergrundinformationen hätte ich gerne noch, aber die gibt es ja vielleicht im zweiten Teil :)
Es ist nicht nur eine 08/15 Liebesgeschichte. Das Buch ist richtig spannend und alles andere als kitschig. Ein paar Hintergrundinformationen hätte ich gerne noch, aber die gibt es ja vielleicht im zweiten Teil :)
Read
September 4, 2012Hot boys and a fast-paced ride. A blast to read.
January 13, 2013
Altered was definitely a very pleasant surprise for me. It's always such a lovely treat whenever I encounter a paranormal book with a fantastic, unpredictable plot yet with very likable characters. Not to mention, a number of hot, hot, hot boys. Altered was such an amazing and fantastic read. I enjoyed almost every part of it (especially Cas!).
And yes, I do think the Merrick brothers have finally found their competition. I remember Brigid Kemmerer saying something about the boys here too...
And they indeed are!
Anna was a character I appreciated quite a lot. She appears to be a bit vulnerable but she has very real and honest personality. What I admire most about her though was the genuineness of her relationship with the boys. She may not be a very kick-ass heroine and though sometimes, she tends to seem a bit of the damsel in distress, her faults and flaws where overshadowed by how much she treasures and loves Sam, Cas, Trev and even Nick. In the end it was her loyalty and love for the boys that pushed her to be brave and strong and do some pretty kick-ass moves too.
Now the boys. Let's start with Sam. He was aloof, mysterious, a bit standoffish but he was a great leader and friend. It was actually the opposite of what I had imagined of him but I still end up really liking his character. He seems so serious and distant most of the time but he always took great care of everyone. Nick was the gorgeous bad-boy in the group. He was rude to Anna and seems to really dislike her. He had a very bad and awful past that forced him to have that kind of attitude and thinking. Trev was the levelheaded, rational and smart one among the boys. He had a close relationship with Anna and considers him her best friend. He loves to read books and always ready to give advice and quotes for Anna. He was a character that was so easy to like and trust but... And last but not the least, my favorite, CAS! He was an easy-going, laid back kind of guy who never seems to get his stomach full, always demanding for food but he was also very sweet, funny and really really charming. He was the kind of friend that you would need when everything is just too intense and overwhelming. Who would make you laugh and put a smile on your face when thing started to feel too stressful. I remember asking Jennifer if I can have him and she said HE said YES!
So move over girls! Cas is mine. Hahaha! Just kidding. I'm really not that selfish. Contact me and maybe we could make some arrangements. Lol!
As for the plot, I just loved it! I love how it mixes some mysteries and actions.I enjoyed how they try to figure out what really happened through the small clues they had. It was fascinating and what made it more really good was the unpredictability of it. It was hard to guess or calculate what's gonna come out and what's gonna happen next so all you'll be able to do was just to continue reading. I just have some slight issue with the romance although I still enjoyed it and I do think that Anna and Sam were really great couple. However it was just that I wish a few more convictions were added that it was indeed real since it was hard not to worry that it might just have been caused by the alterations. But we're only on the first book so I think I can oversee it and I'm sure more explanations and developments will come of the following books.
Overall, Jennifer Rush did an amazing job in delivering us a story with such fantastic yet unpredictable plot, awesome action-packed scenes, shocking twists and discoveries and lovely but amazing characters. I enjoyed it very much and I'll be sure to have an eye on this series. I highly recommend this.
This review is also posted at Book Overdose
And yes, I do think the Merrick brothers have finally found their competition. I remember Brigid Kemmerer saying something about the boys here too...
And they indeed are!
Anna was a character I appreciated quite a lot. She appears to be a bit vulnerable but she has very real and honest personality. What I admire most about her though was the genuineness of her relationship with the boys. She may not be a very kick-ass heroine and though sometimes, she tends to seem a bit of the damsel in distress, her faults and flaws where overshadowed by how much she treasures and loves Sam, Cas, Trev and even Nick. In the end it was her loyalty and love for the boys that pushed her to be brave and strong and do some pretty kick-ass moves too.
Now the boys. Let's start with Sam. He was aloof, mysterious, a bit standoffish but he was a great leader and friend. It was actually the opposite of what I had imagined of him but I still end up really liking his character. He seems so serious and distant most of the time but he always took great care of everyone. Nick was the gorgeous bad-boy in the group. He was rude to Anna and seems to really dislike her. He had a very bad and awful past that forced him to have that kind of attitude and thinking. Trev was the levelheaded, rational and smart one among the boys. He had a close relationship with Anna and considers him her best friend. He loves to read books and always ready to give advice and quotes for Anna. He was a character that was so easy to like and trust but... And last but not the least, my favorite, CAS! He was an easy-going, laid back kind of guy who never seems to get his stomach full, always demanding for food but he was also very sweet, funny and really really charming. He was the kind of friend that you would need when everything is just too intense and overwhelming. Who would make you laugh and put a smile on your face when thing started to feel too stressful. I remember asking Jennifer if I can have him and she said HE said YES!
So move over girls! Cas is mine. Hahaha! Just kidding. I'm really not that selfish. Contact me and maybe we could make some arrangements. Lol!
As for the plot, I just loved it! I love how it mixes some mysteries and actions.I enjoyed how they try to figure out what really happened through the small clues they had. It was fascinating and what made it more really good was the unpredictability of it. It was hard to guess or calculate what's gonna come out and what's gonna happen next so all you'll be able to do was just to continue reading. I just have some slight issue with the romance although I still enjoyed it and I do think that Anna and Sam were really great couple. However it was just that I wish a few more convictions were added that it was indeed real since it was hard not to worry that it might just have been caused by the alterations. But we're only on the first book so I think I can oversee it and I'm sure more explanations and developments will come of the following books.
Overall, Jennifer Rush did an amazing job in delivering us a story with such fantastic yet unpredictable plot, awesome action-packed scenes, shocking twists and discoveries and lovely but amazing characters. I enjoyed it very much and I'll be sure to have an eye on this series. I highly recommend this.
This review is also posted at Book Overdose
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