{eARC Minute Review} Altered by Marnee Blake

Altered by Marnee Blake 

A new adult romance from Entangled's Embrace imprint...

When "normal" ends, survival begins...

The sickness came on suddenly and violently. When it was done, waitress Blue Michaels was different in a really strange way. And the entire town of Glory was dead...except for her.

Only that's not exactly true. A handful of people made it, including U.S. Army Specialist Seth Campbell, who was caught in the wrong town at the worst time. He's fierce and protective, and way too good-looking. As much as they need a leader—as much as Blue wants to trust him—there are too many questions and not enough time for answers. Now they are hunted. But what their pursuers don't know is each of them has strange new powers. And they'll use their "gifts" to survive...no matter who stands in their way. (Blurb via Goodreads)

{Details} Kindle Edition, 277 pages.Published December 28th 2015 by Entangled: Embrace. Source: eARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

{Rating} 4/5 - I really liked it!

{Review}

Really enjoyed this one. The plot caught my attention from the beginning, the characters were believable and relatable and the pacing had a great mix of action and exposition.

I liked the two main characters, Blue and Seth, together and as individuals. They're both strong and determined and want to protect others. The romance is there but it's more of a way to heighten tension than a huge plot point, which I liked.

The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger - characters in peril, lots of unanswered questions - and will leave you waiting for the next installment.

Waiting on Wednesday (75) Reborn (Altered #3) by Jennifer Rush

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, created by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on: 

Reborn (Altered #3) by Jennifer Rush

An action-packed, romantic, and suspenseful third book in the Altered series.

The Branch is in shambles, but Anna, Sam, Cas, and Nick can't rest easy. Remnants of the organization lurk unseen and the flashbacks to their old lives are only getting stronger--especially Nick's.

Following scattered memories and clues from his Branch file, Nick sets off alone in search of answers and in search of the girl who haunts his dreams. But the sleepy town where she lives in full of secrets and Nick soon learns that uncovering their shared past may have deadly consequences. (Blurb via Goodreads)

Expected publication: January 6, 2015

What are you waiting on?

{YA Review} Erased (Altered #2) by Jennifer Rush

{YA Review} Erased (Altered #2) by Jennifer Rush

They thought they had escaped. They were wrong.

After fleeing the Branch with Sam, Cas, and Nick, Anna is trying to make sense of the memories resurfacing from her old life. At the same time, she's learning how to survive in hiding, following Sam's rules: Don't draw attention to yourself. Always carry a weapon. Know your surroundings. Watch your back.

Then a figure from Anna's childhood reappears. Is it a Branch setup, or could it be the reunion Anna has hoped for? Uncertain of where her loyalties lie, Anna must fight to learn the truth -- before she is betrayed again. Ultimately, the answers hinge on one question: What was the real reason her memories were erased?

Jennifer Rush delivers a thrilling sequel to Altered in a novel packed with mysteries, lies, and surprises that are sure to keep readers guessing until the last page is turned. (Blurb via Goodreads)

Purchase: Amazon + BN + The Book Depository

{Details} Hardcover, 288 pages. Published January 7th 2014 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Source: library

{Rating} 4/5 - I really liked it!

{Review}

 "Like clockwork, I awoke after midnight and immediately had the urge to go see Sam." (page 1, line 1)

Exciting. Action packed. Twisty and turny.

Erased is the long awaited sequel to Altered, see my review here. The story picks up a few months after Altered ended, they are still on the move, keeping ahead of the Branch, delving into their pasts.

I liked that Anna was becoming stronger, training to take care of herself. The romance between Anna and Sam takes a back seat in Erased but there were still tender and sweet moments between them. Sadly we hear little from Cas but Nick does get a bit of a storyline though not enough in my opinion.

Without giving anything away the blast from Anna's past is a big of a doozy, making her question herself and everything she thinks she knows. I can't say much more - go read Erased! I thought the ending was a bit rushed, there isn't much in the way of debriefing which was surprising, a LOT of BIG stuff happened.

The book has answered a lot of the questions about Anna and the boys which leaves me wondering what's going to happen next in the Altered series? Book three is called Reborn and the blurb says: "Book 3 is told from two different, alternating perspectives--a change from both Altered and Erased. In a sea of darkly ponderous dystopian and angst-filled supernatural, this series provides a refreshing read with just the right balance of action, mystery, humor, and romance." Intriguing!

{Book Blitz} Altered (Devoured #3) by Shelly Crane

Title: Altered (Devoured #3)

Author: Shelly Crane

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

Publication Date: April 29, 2014

Cover Designer: Regina at MaeIDesign

Event Organized By: Literati Author Services, Inc.

~ Synopsis ~

Enoch is tested. 


His brother is human, the thing he hates. He watches as the brother he knew is stripped away by his love for Clara. He's never hated someone as much as he hated her...but the bond forced him to not only want to protect her, but feel things he never had before. 


When a girl needs his help, that split second decision changes his whole world in one instant. 
A Devourer's Fate...

 

Add the Series to Goodreads

~ Devour (Devoured #1) Synopsis ~

Clara has it all. A wrestling star boyfriend, popular friends, all the right school activities...pretty much a perfect life...up until her parents died. Now she lives with the Pastor and his family and though they take good care of her, she feels alone. Then her boyfriend, Tate, starts to show signs of trouble when a new guy, Eli, comes to town. Clara is fascinated with him but hides it until something happens. Eli confesses to her that she gives him something he's never had before...something he needs. Everything is about to change for this normal pretty popular girl in a supernatural way. 

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes

~ Consume (Devoured #2) Synopsis ~

Eli and Clara's story continues as she tries to finish high school. Eli is as over protective as ever and Tate and his group of friends are no help. They wait for the Horde, always looking over their shoulder. But the ever annoying but strangely prophetic bird begins to become more of a chatter box and Eli learns something that could change some things. Not just for him and Clara, but Devourers everywhere.



Then an unexpectedness guest comes forcing Eli to flee with Clara, leaving her temporary family behind. She is thrown into his world of underground 'traitors' and learns much of his past. They meet many new people and creatures along the way to freedom. But when tragedy strikes the two, will Clara see the monster in Eli? Can she handle his strange world and awful past? Will one of them lose their life forever...

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes

~ About the Author ~

Shelly is a NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY bestselling YA author from a small town in Georgia and loves everything about the south. She is wife to a fantastical husband and stay at home mom to two boisterous and mischievous boys who keep her on her toes. She loves paperbacks, coffee, and candy corn, and to spend time with her family and friends, go out to eat at new restaurants and site see in the new areas they travel to, listen to music and also LOVES to read.

Her own books happen by accident and she revels in the writing and imagination process. She doesn't go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately, even in the middle of the night, where her best ideas are born.

Connect with the Author: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Shelfari | Tumblr | Google+ | Pinterest | We Heart It | Spotify

{YA Review} Altered (Altered #1) by Jennifer Rush

{YA Review} Altered (Altered #1) by Jennifer Rush

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. (Blurb Via Goodreads)

{Details} Hardcover, First Edition, 323 pages. Published January 1st 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Source: library

{Rating} 4/5

{Review} A fast paced, intriguing, keep you on the edge of your seat, gasp out loud, OMG book. It's a very twisty and turny novel in the best way. Just when I thought I knew where it was going, the story would turn on me. I read on the elliptical and I was so engrossed that over an hour passed in a blur of flipping pages.

I loved all the characters in their own way. The complicated boys with lots of secrets. Anna, sweet, sheltered, caring for all the boys, especially Sam, in the ways she could. There's a lot we still don't know about them, I'm looking forward to reading more of the series and finding out.

The next book, Erased, releases January 2014. I hope it's just as good, I already have high expectations.

~ My thanks to Nicole of The Reader's Antidote for bringing my attention to Altered, the cover caught my attention when I saw it on the 'Upcoming Antidotes' side bar of (her review here). ~