Altered by Jennifer Rush

Altered #1. Little, Brown Books (Jan. 2013) Own

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.

Anna discovered four boys living in her basement four years ago. She didn't know why they were there or who they were and neither do they. Sam, Cas, Nick, and Trev have lost their memories so that they don't know anything about their past. They only know they are being held prisoners by a company called The Branch. They all have abilities that have increased their strength, decreased their aging, and each has an extra something that fits their personality. They have been altered and all they want is out. When The Branch comes to take them away they are ready for them and escape with Anna - the girl they have befriended for four years. But Anna has some unknown secrets of her own that are just about to hit the surface and change the way Anna looks at who she really is.

So this was a pretty awesome idea. I thought it was going to a bit weird at first trying to explain how there are four guys in Anna's basement and she didn't do anything about it right away. It could have been explained better but I've got say the plot is very unique. I love originality in books so things were going well already from the start. 

I was able to distinguish all the characters fairly easy which is hard to do with so many at one time. It helped that there was only one POV but I can also argue that having multiple POV's would have helped me get to know the boys more. Although, that would ruin the mystery of their past lives and the mystery that is solely Nick. I guess I like the moody, brooding boys but I feel like Nick reacted the most real out of everyone so I liked him more than the others. He was clearly pissed at being stuck in a lab for years not knowing who he was. I'm sure slowly he didn't really care as long as he got out. He's also pretty loyal and I don't know I pictured him with Anna more than Sam.

Anna is obsessed with Sam which was probably the only negative this book had. She could have been shot and killed but let's worry about what a guy thinks of me. I know teenage girls including me would think these things but it came to be too much. There comes a point where you just get over it and focus on not dying. She does have some great artistry skills so I'll give her that. The way her art was described was beautiful.

I liked Sam but for some reason I like Nick better. I do like that Sam is clearly the leader and has very loyal friends. He gets things done and has a fog of mystery to him like Nick. Well they all do but none so more than Sam and Nick.

Cas is the funny one. He loves to eat and mess around. He's a big goof ball which I like about him. Everyone else is pretty serious. Trev is the book nerd who can spout out quotes whenever asked. There are some tender moments between him and Anna where you can really see how even if there was a glass in between them she is pretty much friends with all of them - except Nick of course.

There are many secrets surrounding not just the boys but Anna and it was fun figuring them out. All the boys have scars and Sam has this tattoo of a tree that means something. They are all important things that bring them to the truth and the secrets lying within The Branch. 

The Branch is your typical evil company who alters people so they can use them as weapons. They chase the boys and Anna the whole way through the book. At the head is Connor who has this super creepy vibe with Anna. Apparently a bunch of things are revealed with him and someone else in the prequel which I couldn't help get. I will definitely continue on with this series mainly because there is so much left to learn and the plot is so good. I just hope Anna stops fixating on Sam so much and brings her badassery in the next book that I know she has in her.