{Review} Altered by Jennifer Rush

Altered (Altered #1)

Jennifer Rush

Pages: 323
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Format: Hardcover

Source: Library

Age Group: Young Adult

Date Published: January 1, 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’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.

Altered was a fast-paced, fun read. It wasn't incredible, and had a few rather large plot holes, but I enjoyed reading it. I mean, I did finish it in like 2 hours yesterday, so that's gotta count for something right?

Anna has 4 boys living in her basement. Her dad works for this group called the Branch, and she thinks the boys are genetically altered super-soldiers or something. She doesn't really know, but she likes the boys. She's been sneaking down into the basement/lab for years to hang with them and stuff. One of them hates her guts for no apparent reason (Nick), she's in love with one of them (Sam), and she's buds with the other two (Cas & Trev). Through a series of surreal events, the boys kill a bunch of agents working with the Branch and break out, taking Anna with them on her father's request. So begins a dangerous road trip to find clues about the boys' pasts (they all have amnesia).

The plot is fun and action-packed, with lots of fight scenes (and a couple make outs too). And there are a couple of unpredictable plot twists (also some predictable ones too). My main problem with the book is that I just don't understand Sam and Anna's relationship. He says a lot of weird things to her, and she gets all pouty, but then it doesn't matter anymore? Because...? And then they're a thing? And they... like... each other? I don't know. They bothered me. I think I just wanted more development of their relationship before they started making out.

That's not to say that I didn't like them as characters (separately of course). Anna was kind of an adorable badass, and Sam was all broody and sexy with his tattoos and scars and mysteriousness. Anna kicks butt several times in the book, and that was exciting. I like that she doesn't have great skin and looks like hell for a lot of the book (she mentions that she doesn't have her face stuff and her face suffers and heck yes because I have that problem and thank you for that in book). I feel like a lot of heroines are depicted as looking pretty and good still after not showering or anything and I know there are people out there like that, but I like that Anna isn't. I mean, the boys even tell her she looks like hell. (I liked Anna).

My other favorite character was Cas. He loves food and was sarcastic and obnoxious all the time, and I love him. He was like a big, easily distracted toddler. 

My other problem with this book was that there's no explanation of what was done to the boys or anything. I'm not even quite sure what was so different about them. This may be because of my Fringe obsession, but I feel like I wanted some scientific crap (even made-up scientific crap) in there, because this was a sci-fi book. 

Anyways, this was an enjoyable read. I do recommend reading it if you just want something fluffy to take up your Saturday afternoon.