Altered (Altered #1)

Anna lives with her father and four boys. The four boys, Cas, Trev, Sam, and Nick, all reside in their own individual cells in the basement of Anna's house, as a part of The Branch.

Anna knows there's something different about them, but she doesn't know the details. They're potentially dangerous; after all, she isn't even allowed in their cells unless they have been exposed to a sleeping gas. Sometimes at night, she sneaks down to see them, especially Sam, with whom she has a special yet mysterious connection.

When Connor and Riley, Branch officials, arrive with the intention of taking the boys away, Anna fights back and she and the four boys flee. Together they journey from place to place, following cryptic clues and piecing the truth together.

What is The Branch? Why have they kept the boys locked away for so long? What has The Branch done to them?

What has The Branch done to Anna?

I bought this book on impulse. It was on sale in the kobo store and I was in a book-buying mood.

I'm so glad I bought it.

I loved the writing style! The author described things in intricate detail and the relationships between the characters evolved significantly throughout the book. I found myself stepping into Anna's shoes every time I resumed reading, and I absolutely understood every single one of her decisions as if they were my own.

Each of the boys were unique and I often found myself appreciating the fact that they weren't the cliché boys you find in YA books all too often. They weren't perfect, they weren't strictly good or bad, and they each had their own personalities. They weren't "copies" of each other or other YA characters, they were original and that made this book very interesting.

I also found the plot of this novel incredibly original and intriguing. The mystery of the characters' situations, identities and futures were explored thoroughly, I was constantly forming my own theories on their life stories and circumstances. While I'm a big fan of paranormal stories, this sci-fi mystery was a pleasant surprise and a breath of fresh air. It had me wondering if I should pursue more sci-fi novels in the future.

Another thing I appreciated was the lack of love triangles. Love triangles can be engaging and emotional, but sometimes they can become cliché, and the idea of romance, ruined. While there was definitely some tension between Anna and the boys, there was no real love triangle. There was romance for sure, but it was balanced and didn't overpower the other aspects of the story.

A very enjoyable read! I am looking forward to getting hold of the sequel.

I recommend this book to readers of YA, sci-fi and mysteries, and to those tired of love triangles. If you want an intriguing mystery with a hint of romance and amazing characters, this book is for you.



This review can also be found at http://fortheloveofbooksreviews.blogspot.ca/2015/05/altered-by-jennifer-rush.html

In Anna's basement, there's a secret lab where four very handsome, very dangerous young men are kept as an experiment. When they eventually escape, Anna ends up having to go along with them. As she becomes closer to their leader, Sam, Anna realizes that she might not just be the normal young girl she thought she was. If you're looking for a super quick read with a good deal of action, superhuman type guys and a bit of mystery, this book might be right up your alley. If you're looking for something deep and intricate, you'll probably want to look elsewhere. The writing style is quick and decent, and the plot is interesting, if not particularly complicated or twisty. But hey, I didn't really pick this book up for its twisty-ness; I wanted something that was basically Bourne Identity series for the YA crowd, and I think Altered did a good job of fitting that desire.

PS- Nick. I flippin' love Nick. I loved him since we first met him in the lab, continued to love him even when he was rude to Anna (because, seriously, he had valid reasons) and I loved him all the way to the end of the book. If he wasn't so prickly, I'd hug him; the man is sexy and dangerous, muscular, genetically enhanced and a giant among giants. I was more intrigued by him than by Sam, Trev or Cas (though I love them all, too...yes, all of them). So, yes, Nick is my favorite.

Ehhh…what to say about this book? First of all, it reminds me of Elemental series which I didn’t like. It was a little bit better, but still not good enough.

I wanted to start this year with a paranormal novel since I haven’t read one in ages. They usually end up disappointing me. There aren’t many PRN novels I enjoy. Maybe it’s because I’ve grown up and a lot of tricks authors use don’t work on me any more.

As the blurb tells you, Anna runs with ‘altered’ boys after they escape from secret agents. She has a crush on Sam who is a leader of the group. Other boys are Nick, Cas and Trav. Nick is as I put it like a grumpy old grandpa; Cas who is offering a comic relief and is always hungry and Trav, Anna’s best friend who has a photographic memory.

There aren’t many boring parts of the book except the start but the story was way too predictable and had a lot of holes. I wasn’t fond of the number of killings in it. Way too many people died like it was no big deal. The mole was so obvious and I knew who would get shot from the start.

Romance was not believable and I didn’t see why should Anna and Sam be together. Sure he was tough and very protective towards his friends. But all in all, nothing new.

What I did like about this book were the characters- Nick and Cas and that amazing cover. Cas was a goofball and Nick was there sort of like my representative. He would say the things I felt. The cover was eye catching and the tattoo on Sam’s back has a lot to do with the storyline, though when I found out what it represented I thought it was a little bit too much.

This book was nothing like I expected. Of course the premise drew me in, but the events that were going on throughout the book had me on EDGE. And obviously by the cover, there were so many hot literary guys, so that was definitely a plus too lol
Sam, Cas, Trev, and Nick have been in Anna's basement since she could remember as part of a genetic altering experiment run by her dad's job. Suddenly her dad's boss decides its time to remove the boys from their spaces in their home. The boys use this time to escape and take Anna with them. During their time on the run, Anna finds out more about Sam and how they are more connected than she thought.
From the premise alone I was so excited to read this. And the hot guy on the cover... Um yes please. When I was finally able to crack it open though, I didn't want to close it again. It was everything that I wasn't expecting. There was fighting, guns and shooting, and a huge mystery. Everything that makes an amazing book! I was on edge with all the nonstop action and got upset when I had to do real life things like work or cook!
As for the characters. I love how each had their own voice. Especially the boys, since they had been held captive for so long.I was able to connect with every character and their emotion instead of just one or two. This is a difficult feat since this is a single person POV.
In Altered, Jennifer Rush delivers a thrilling, action packed story of survival that will leave you stunned and on the edge of your seat.

Altered by Jennifer Rush
ARC received through trade
Published by: Little Brown BFYR
Release Date: On Shelves Now
Reviewed by: Middle Sis Jenn
The Sisters Say: Action-packed and intriguing

Danger lurking around every corner, conspiracies threatening to push loyalties, and desire pulsing to be released—Altered is perfect! It’s The Bourne Identity for teens, only better—with a plot that puts a high speed chase to shame. Full of mystery and suspense, romance and intrigue, Altered is a MUST READ!!!

Before reading Altered, I was in a reading slump. The books I had read were good, but not great. You know, they weren’t the kind of books that you text your friends and family to read right away. But Jennifer Rush blew my bore streak right out of the water! Altered drew me in from Chapter 1, and the hits just kept coming from there! Page after page, I was drawn deeper into the secrets of her world; and by the end, I wanted to turn right back to page 1 and read it all over again!!!

The best thing about Jennifer’s debut novel was that every character had dimension. I felt like they each had a depth, and even though their secrets went deep and many were not revealed, I still felt like I knew each one. This was a huge feat, too, since there were so many characters that were in the spotlight. You have Anna and the 4 guys that she goes on the run with, and each of these 5 characters is a main character in their own way. I was thrilled that Jennifer was able to bring such life to so many without it taking away from the story or confusing me amongst them.

My favorite character was one that many readers will dislike—Nick. He is angry and brooding, and he makes it no secret that he dislikes Anna. Yet, there is something so vulnerable and truthful about him that I just couldn’t help but open my heart to him. I liked his in your face attitude and his rebel without a cause actions. It was sexy and provided great conflict amongst the five as they were running for their lives.

Anna and Sam are technically your two main characters, even though the other 3 boys take much of the spotlight. I really enjoyed the romantic tension between these two characters, and I found myself rooting for them to get over their secrets and fears and just get together! Anna was intelligent and strong-willed, and she definitely held her own against the four superhero-like guys. On many an occasion, I thought she was going to shove her fist in Nick’s face! I liked her bite-me attitude, and she definitely made me run the gamut of emotions. And Sam…you can just tell he is constantly thinking of everyone else before him. Now, normally a guy that is too sweet just rubs me the wrong way, but Sam had his superhero alter-ego, so that evened him out and made him extremely sexy!!!

Altered fills the gap in the much needed YA genre of romantic suspense. It felt like I was reading some of my favorite adult romance suspense authors (Lori Foster, Maya Banks, etc.), only with teenagers. I loved it! There just aren’t many YA books out there (I would even venture to say there aren’t any!) that are like Jennifer’s novel. Rough and seductive—where around every corner lurks a secret and an assassin. It was perfect! I wouldn’t change a thing!
I HIGHLY recommend this to all fans of YA and even Adult romance. There isn’t any sex or naughty content, either, so it’s safe for all teenagers. Yet, I even think fans of adult romance will enjoy this book!

This book was nothing like I expected. Of course the premise drew me in, but the events that were going on throughout the book had me on EDGE. And obviously by the cover, there were so many hot literary guys, so that was definitely a plus too lol
Sam, Cas, Trev, and Nick have been in Anna's basement since she could remember as part of a genetic altering experiment run by her dad's job. Suddenly her dad's boss decides its time to remove the boys from their spaces in their home. The boys use this time to escape and take Anna with them. During their time on the run, Anna finds out more about Sam and how they are more connected than she thought.
From the premise alone I was so excited to read this. And the hot guy on the cover... Um yes please. When I was finally able to crack it open though, I didn't want to close it again. It was everything that I wasn't expecting. There was fighting, guns and shooting, and a huge mystery. Everything that makes an amazing book! I was on edge with all the nonstop action and got upset when I had to do real life things like work or cook!
As for the characters. I love how each had their own voice. Especially the boys, since they had been held captive for so long.I was able to connect with every character and their emotion instead of just one or two. This is a difficult feat since this is a single person POV.
In Altered, Jennifer Rush delivers a thrilling, action packed story of survival that will leave you stunned and on the edge of your seat.