Title: Altered
Author: Jennifer Rush
Publication Date: January 1, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 323
Age Rating: Readers above the age of 13
My Opinion: 8/10
Hi, Readers!
Have you seen the movie Abduction, starring Taylor Lautner and Lily Collins? If not, basically, a boy finds out that his entire past was a lie and he goes on a big adventure while trying to escape some bad guys. The plot line of Abduction is very similar to that of Altered, in a good way. The novel has lots of plot twists and mysterious references to the past, giving it an edgy feel. However, it is definitely a book geared towards a female young adult audience (like me!).
Four boys live in Anna's basement. They are the test subjects of The Branch, a mysterious agency that Anna's father works for. Anna is not entirely sure why the boys are locked up, but she knows that they are dangerous and unstable. They are also her best friends. One day, agents from The Branch come to take away Nick, Cas, Trev, and Sam. They do the unthinkable and escape, taking Anna with them, and drive to a safe house. Because of the escape, Anna begins doubting her father and her past with the knowledge that The Branch is hunting her as well. The five teenagers must work together to discover how their pasts are all intertwined and follow the clues to discovering who Anna's real family is, all while escaping dangerous agents of The Branch.
My favorite part about Altered is the perfect mix between action and mystery. Sure, there are loads of fight scenes and weapons, but the five teens also have to solve the mystery of why they are being followed by The Branch. For example, my favorite scene is when Anna goes shopping for new jeans at the mall, all happy and thoughtful about the boys, and then The Branch shows up and she must escape safely while surrounded by hundreds of innocent onlookers. Sadly, the mystery of Anna and the boys' past is not solved in book 1, but it does make me want to continue the series.
Altered definitely caters towards a female young adult audience in the way that Nick, Cas, Trev, and Sam are described. Anna is the main character, and she has a major crush on Sam, so her thoughts are romantically inclined. Additionally, Anna is not as involved in the fight scenes as the boys, so she focuses more on telling the readers how she can either escape to safety or try to step in. I was not especially pleased with Anna's role as the protected female who can't win a fight, but she shows strength mentally throughout the book.
Overall, I did enjoy reading Altered because of its mystery and excitement, and also because of its somewhat realistic feeling for being a science fiction novel. Each night that I picked it up to read, I wondered what would happen next, and that is why I would definitely recommend that you grab a copy of Altered. The second book in the series is Erased, which will become available for purchase on January 7, 2014.
Happy reading!
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| A fan-made collage of the four boys in The Branch program |
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| Erased, the second book in the Altered series |
Overall, I did enjoy reading Altered because of its mystery and excitement, and also because of its somewhat realistic feeling for being a science fiction novel. Each night that I picked it up to read, I wondered what would happen next, and that is why I would definitely recommend that you grab a copy of Altered. The second book in the series is Erased, which will become available for purchase on January 7, 2014.
Happy reading!
Hi Katie,
ReplyDeleteYou should definitely be linking up to teachmentortext.com, as your posts are great! People would be really interested to see what you are reading! I am so proud of you for continuing to blog. It takes a lot of discipline. Great job!