Review: Altered by Jennifer Rush

Title: Altered

Author: Jennifer Rush

Publisher: HBG Canada

Publication date: January 1, 2013

Genre(s): Young Adult (Science Fiction/Dystopian)

Source: NetGalley
Format: Digital ARC

Pages: 336

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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 have to be honest and say that I started Altered with very low expectations. When I read the synopsis, I was intrigued, but I was wary that the romance plot line would overtake, be rushed, and to put it bluntly, get me gagging and rolling my eyes. But Altered? Damn, this book was one HELL of a ride! It was exhilarating, exciting, action packed, and fast paced; I was scrambling to catch up with the characters and plot and I loved EVERY single minute of it! 

The story begins with giving a brief history of how four boys ended up in Anna's basement. Anna, who is our main protagonist, lives with her single scientist father and helps him in everyday testing and charting of the four boys. What I found to be rather odd was that she did not question the ethicality of imprisoning the boys as if they were experimental lab rats. Still, I was soon sucked into the different and interesting personalities and characters of each of the boys. We find out that the reason for them being a science experiment is that they seem to have enhanced human skills and powers. However, what I loved was that this book didn't really get into their powers and the conspiracy, but we were given the time to get to know each character and actually invest in them and care about their outcome.  

The plot was so skillfully constructed that I found myself holding my breath countless times during the countless action scenes. The lovely Rush wasn't afraid to trick her readers and manipulate their emotions, and I am so glad. Lately not many books were able to captivate me emotionally and I am happy that Altered was able to accomplish that. The ending was spectacular but was also a cliffhanger to keep the readers anticipating and needing the second installment. I have read Altered a couple of weeks ago and I still remember everything. What comes down to rating a book is how much the reader enjoyed it, and I couldn't have enjoyed Altered more. This book will be getting a reread in the future, that is for sure.