Review: "Altered" by Jennifer Rush

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.

---

Altered was actually such a thrilling read and honestly, I couldn't imagine a better-scripted-version of this book. It's well written with characters that seem to come to life from the pages and a plot so twisted and suspenseful!

I love how each and every one of the boys is incredibly different from one another. Sam is cloaked in mystery and no one seems to know anything about him, whereas there's Nick - always angry, Cas - so mischievous, and Trev - the intelligent and literary boy. I think my favorite character was probably Cas. He's like the comic relief guy who only cares about food and having fun.

Of course, Anna has to love someone and obviously, it's Sam. However, I didn't mind them as much. I usually hate all YA love stories but this one seemed more real and true and deep than other relationships. I liked how their relationship develops from a tiny thing into something more realistic and good. And I love that there is no love triangle. There is part of the story that alludes to a possible triangle but it isn't full-fledged.

The story itself was wonderfully developed. It starts out as a small lab project and then you learn about how big-scale it actually is and how each thing ties with each other. This book was a full thrill ride filled with betrayals (Oh yea that part literally blows your mind), secrets, suspense, and twists and turns.

Overall Rating: 5 stars