Review: Altered by Jennifer Rush

Title: Altered 

Author: Jennifer Rush
Publisher:  Little Brown and Co.
Publishing Date: January 1st 2013

Pages: 336
Genre:  YA Sci-Fiction

Series: Altered #1
Source: ARC Paperback provided by DAC ARC Tours

  

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

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

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

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

I must admit that the cover of this book drew me in right away and when I read the synopsis I knew it was a book I had to read. I was very excited when I received notice that I would be getting the ARC to review. I dove in as soon as I got the book and I was unable to put it down. I was invested in the story from the very beginning. Wonderful characters, tons of action, mystery, and deceit, and a great storyline. I was pleasantly surprised that the book superseded my expectations.

Anna has been raised in a home with a lab in the basement and in that basement is four boys in separate cages. When she was old enough to be trusted she was given the opportunity to help with the research that surrounded the 4 boys. During that time she became friends with the boys, interacted with them on a social level and even fell for one of them. After growing attached some higher power in the Branch decides the boys are ready for whatever they were being trained and tested for and were going to take them to another location. The boys had a different idea and planned an escape. Anna finds herself in the middle of it and ends up having to tag along. Along the running and hiding Anna learns a few things about her family, the boys, survival, betrayal, and relationships.

I cannot say it enough… I loved this book. It grabbed me from the very beginning and I found myself on a wild ride. I fell in love with all the characters and was amazed with the mystery and betrayal in the story. I am usually good at figuring out the story before the end of the book, this book gave me suspicions and I found I was right about a few but there were still things that took me by surprise. I was able to smile, laugh, cry, and yell while reading this book. The story is very fast paced and things were happening constantly, as soon as I thought I could breathe again, I found myself once again holding my breath.

The book was full of action and intrigue but I think what made the book go from great to awesome for me were the characters. I really can’t say who was my favorite character. The boys were all just superb, each one with a unique personality. Sam so sweet but still the leader, cared about his family and friends but also had the ability to disconnect in order to drive everyone to safety. Nick was the ultimate bad boy, always angry and mouthy but something just made me love him oh so much. Cas was the smart one, very intellectual and very caring and Travis was the clown, funny, sarcastic, a really good laugh. Anna was an awesome heroine. She starts off scared and sappy in love, a little whiny but in the end she hardened up and fought for her life.There was a bit of romance in the story but it’s not overwhelming. The romance is a part of the story but not the focus. The focus is the secrets, deceit, and of course running from bad guys. I really liked the fact that the romance was not the focus. Its nice to enjoy a good action packed book for a change.

Absolutely loved it! Extremely happy I read it and it will be bought for my personal bookshelf.