#196 Book Review: Altered

Altered
Release Date: 1 January 2013
Author: Jennifer Rush
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Source: Publisher for Review
Format: Paperback
Where to Buy:  Fishpond | Booktopia
More Info: Goodreads

Summary:

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.

Cover:
When I first saw the cover, I thought it looked cool but had no idea how it represented the book. Now that I've read the book, I finally understood that the guy in the cover represents Sam and the tattoo on his back with the tree branches!

Story:

Four genetically altered boys, one girl who's about to find out the truth behind her life...

When I first heard of Altered, I knew I had to read it! The intriguing premise about four genetically altered boys kept locked inside a lab and a girl in love with one of them? Well count me in! Unfortunately, Altered didn't quite live up to my expectations although I did overall, enjoy the book.

The strong point of this book is perhaps its premise. The concept of genetically altered boys who have no memories about their past besides the skills they obtained is mysterious and makes you curious of what their secrets are. Anna and the four boys' escape from the farmhouse begins the journey of unlocking the secrets behind their pasts. Digging these secrets are fun, but somehow when the secrets are revealed, they fell quite flat to me. The climax of the story was quite disappointing and the story wasn't quite as hooking as I thought it would be. The ending however, was satisfying and it made up for some of the things that I didn't enjoy in the story.

Characters:
Personally, I love the four boys although Sam can be quite annoying with his brooding and mysterious behaviour. He leads Anna and then makes her think that he hates her. Cas is perhaps the 'clown' of the gang,  with Trev as the reliable friendly boy and Nick as the 'angriest' one. Anna cares for all the boys but deep down, her heart belongs to Sam. Anna and Sam's relationship can be quite frustrating at times, because sometimes it seems as though Sam and Anna has no relationship at all. Trev was the most surprising character when his secret was revealed. Nick who seemed as though he was constantly angry about his life is actually quite a sad character while Cas, what can I say besides the fact that he's always...hungry? I do enjoy reading about these characters although sometimes I did find them quite flat and annoying.

Overall:
Can you imagine living in a house where four genetically altered boys are kept confined in your basement? Well that basically sums up Anna's life, before she is on the run with the four boys after she discovers that they are all in danger. Altered is an enjoyable read overall, although the story sometimes fell flat to me. However, don't let this stop you from reading the book. Altered might just be your cup of tea!

3 Forget-Me-Not flowers for Altered!

Thank you Hachette Australia for the review copy!