Altered

Mar 28, 2013 JennRenee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-2013-winter-blog-tours

I read the synopsis of this book and knew I had to read it. It sounds so incredible and completely different than the reads I have had for a long while. I thought it sounded a little like the old asylums from way back when they were really cruel to the patients, then added in some pretty cunning, horrified, and revengeful teenagers to make things right... yup sounded just right for me. And it was. Loved the book. Every page made me read the next and I couldn't put the book down. Very interesting...more I read the synopsis of this book and knew I had to read it. It sounds so incredible and completely different than the reads I have had for a long while. I thought it sounded a little like the old asylums from way back when they were really cruel to the patients, then added in some pretty cunning, horrified, and revengeful teenagers to make things right... yup sounded just right for me. And it was. Loved the book. Every page made me read the next and I couldn't put the book down. Very interesting story and characters. There were a few things in the book that I think could have been done a little better, as in switching point of views and introduction of characters... but other than awesome book.

The book is based around three teenagers and their journey as they entered into a new boarding school and realize it is not what they signed up for. The school is experimenting in behavioral modification and they believe in using extreme methods, and the punishment doesn't always seem to fit the crime. By the way... everything is a crime in this place. Cussing, frighting... duh... but also things like chewing gum in the wrong place, wrong time, or even the wrong way. So the three teenagers befriend some other kids in the school and they decide to do something about all the wrongs that have, do, and will be done in this so called school. To add more to the mix... these kids are very smart, very creative, very sly, and they seem to have some special gifts to add to the mix.

Loved the book! really it was an awesome read from page one to the last page. I think the story was amazing. The realism in such a dark fictional story... I don't think there are schools out there like this... at least I hope not.. but the realism of once upon a time asylums like these did exist for crazy people that weren't always crazy. The story easily made me angry but also made me laugh and pretty much say "way to go!" It was totally kids against authority but the authority was so evil it was great. The storyline had a type of creepy old sci-fi horror to it and I could almost see it happening in black and white inside my mind. The story flowed very well but the pov changes did not. This is really the only main issue I had with the book. I was a bit confused for a while every time the pov changed. Once the kids were pretty much all together it went pretty smoothly. I love different character point of views but I like it at chapter breaks and this book did have them throughout the chapters without notice. Such a minor problem in my opinion though. The rest of the story was excellent.

There were so many characters too really like in this story.. The three main characters, Joseph, Toni, and Charlie...then there were secondary characters that were just as awesome... Ann, Lieutenant, and Anton. I really loved them all. It's very hard to say who was my favorite.. but I did have a little more of attachment to Joseph and Ann. These kids were all very smart, gifted, and really not the ones to mess with because they mess back. They are all from different backgrounds, different issues, but all have the same problem... this stinking school. I loved watching them interact and come together to take control of their awful situation.

Great read. I really really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone wanting something different, fast paced, and a bit creepy.(less)

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Dec 17, 2012 ☆∞Bella's Bookshelf∞☆ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: amazon, goodreads-review, review-2012, boarding-schools, whats-your-story-book-tours

REVIEW
This book interested me for a few reasons. A few are personal, and one of them was because I saw the name Maia Szalavitz in the "For More Info" section.
I have spoken to Maia on a few occasions and am a huge fan of her work. She works tirelessly for children. She is an advocate for children sent to these schools all over the USA (and world) known as "Therapeutic Boarding Schools".
They are basically centers of emotional, verbal, and sometimes physical abuse disguised as boarding schools o...more

REVIEW
This book interested me for a few reasons. A few are personal, and one of them was because I saw the name Maia Szalavitz in the "For More Info" section.
I have spoken to Maia on a few occasions and am a huge fan of her work. She works tirelessly for children. She is an advocate for children sent to these schools all over the USA (and world) known as "Therapeutic Boarding Schools".
They are basically centers of emotional, verbal, and sometimes physical abuse disguised as boarding schools offering therapy.
What goes on in these places to kids from 10-19 is reprehensible and sadly, legal.
One of the biggest perpetrators of these crimes against children was shut down in the last year. A group of ex students got together and decided to save other children from the severe abuse they were put through.

To me this book was excellent. It was not about vampires or fairies. It was about teenagers. Real life.
It is fiction but so much of it could be real. These kids are kids we could know, have known, or walk by on the street.
Aubrey shed the light on a real issue, very few know about, in a way that keeps people entertained and curious to learn more.
I loved the strength of the characters in this story. They stuck to their guns despite what the consequences would and could be.
I was very surprised to learn how young Aubrey Colleti is now and was when she began working on this story.
Her writing shows a depth and insight I rarely see from one so young. I wished I would of interviewed her.
She blended real life and something..special into her characters.
I personally love a lot of these YA books that are set in boarding schools. They never fail to entertain and leave me wanting more.
Her style took a bit of getting used to. I wished for more description. I wanted to be totally immersed in certain scenes and I wasn't.
It was tad bit disappointing. It was not enough to take my interest away however.
I love a tale that makes you think, makes you want to take action, makes you mad, glad, sad, etc.
This book has all of the above.
I am beyond excited to read book 2 in this series. I want to see where these characters I grew to love end up. (less)

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Aug 26, 2011 Lalaine ( Ficbookreviews ) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: signed-arc

This book is about these teenagers sent to Altered Academy for some reason that they didn't know about. They thought it was just a normal boarding school. After finding out that they do horrible punishments for those who defies the rules, students were scared, but Toni Ann and Joseph's group " not-so-ordinary kids" have declared a war, a war that will measure their friendship and their strange abilities to escape this horrible Academy.But someone betrayed them, and that messed up everything, wil...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Megan (The Book Babe) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-on-my-site, received-for-review

Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.

Freaking A. I seriously am not doing too well after finishing Altered. WHAT IS THIS? THE FREAKING SCHOOL IS A HOUSE OF HORRORS. I don't understand it all-- AT ALL. What kind of a school has electroshock treatments for DELINQUENTS? I mean, I've heard of alternative schools, but they're usually of the artsy kind. That one was just freaking HORRID.

Sadly, I can't say that I loved this book. I liked it, that is all. As you can see, one of my biggest i...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Jesse Kimmel-Freeman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Let's just start off by saying, WOW. I really liked the book, but since it's written from so many different POVs, the world gets very confusing at times. It makes you feel like maybe you belong locked up too. I love the characters and storyline. I want to know what happens next. This book leaves you wanting to understand more. It's like an itch that is sitting waiting to be scratched by book 2, hopefully. It's easier to relate to some of the characters than others, but this is something that hap...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Maxine Wright rated it 5 of 5 stars

Hi I'm Toni. No, seriously. I've been friends with the author for about 12 years now, and then she started writing a book. Some of the characters are based on real people, some aren't. Toni is one of the "real" ones, and while I am the template for her, what really impressed me about this book was how Aubrey altered (haha see what I did there?) Toni and other "real" characters. As an author, it is often easy to stay on the surface. But Altered stands out for the depth each character has, the mul...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Leeswammes rated it 3 of 5 stars

Altered by Aubrey Coletti

3 stars

J. Alter Academy is a school taking in pupils from the local area as well as boarders. But it seems that the boarders are all there for a reason: they were sent to the school because no other school wants them.

The regime at the school is harsh and there is a special punishment for boarders: shock treatment in the basement. As if this isn’t bad enough, a new method for controlling the pupils is introduced, and that is one step too far: the pupils make plans to sabo...more Altered by Aubrey Coletti

3 stars

J. Alter Academy is a school taking in pupils from the local area as well as boarders. But it seems that the boarders are all there for a reason: they were sent to the school because no other school wants them.

The regime at the school is harsh and there is a special punishment for boarders: shock treatment in the basement. As if this isn’t bad enough, a new method for controlling the pupils is introduced, and that is one step too far: the pupils make plans to sabotage the school and run away.

Early on, the reader discovers that these special pupils all have supernatural skills, such as making fire without matches, or telekinesis. They use these skills in their attempts to sabotage the school. Are they crazy, delinquent kids, or kids with special powers that should be cared for in a different type of institution?

The dialogue was very realistic, especially the way the school managers talked to the children was spot-on. However, there was too much dialogue for me. I love dialogue in stories, but I need a context too. I would have liked more description rather than diving straight into yet another conversation in apparently another situation.

I liked it that the story made me think about the (seemingly delinquent) pupils even when I was not reading: was the school right to treat them harshly (although the school definitely took it too far), or were the pupils innocent and capable of living under a less strict regime? I was on the side of the pupils the whole time, but never felt they were justified in their attempt to sabotage the school. Also, I wondered why the day pupils didn’t tell their parents how abominably the boarders were treated.

There was a love story that was really well done. Nothing soppy romantic, these were damaged teenagers and they took their relationship very slowly and with the necessary hurdles. I liked it how these two teenagers came together and how their romance was build out slowly to something more meaningful.

While the book starts out very good, in the end, I got bored. But the actual ending was interesting and opened quite nicely the way to a next book in the series. There was no cliffhanger, though. The book can easily be read stand-alone.

It was a book with some interesting ideas to think about. It wasn’t quite what I expected, but I think a reader of YA age would probably enjoy it a lot.(less)

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Dec 07, 2012 Stephanie Ward rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tour, for-review, owned, will-trade

'Altered' is the first book in a young adult series that focuses on three different main characters - Toni, Charlie, and Joseph - as they arrive at their new boarding school. This school seems to be a lot different than other schools - the main problem being that they are experimenting with "behavior modification" techniques on their students. Will our three outcast heroes be able to uncover the truth behind all the lies at the Academy and expose them for what they really are? Or will they be mo...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is one crazy wild ride. The Academy... a place for kids that cause problems and no other school wants them. Its the new home for Toni, Joseph, and Charlie were they quickly find that the teachers act extremely odd, you are always being watched, and that you have to be very careful what you say out loud. Altered brings us into the lives of those three and a couple other boarders as they discover why everyone acts so odd and why they have such a tight hold on the students.

There are so ma...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Suzanne Rooyen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was written by Aubrey Coletti between the ages of 15 and 18. A teen wrote this book and I think it shows in the way the characters interact and behave. It gives a truly unique perspective on the events in the story even if that perspective is somewhat immature.

First Line: “The headmistress opened her private files, and logged the date before beginning.” – Not the most enthralling opening line but it does hint that something ominous is about happening and lends a sense of foreboding.

Wha...more This book was written by Aubrey Coletti between the ages of 15 and 18. A teen wrote this book and I think it shows in the way the characters interact and behave. It gives a truly unique perspective on the events in the story even if that perspective is somewhat immature.

First Line: “The headmistress opened her private files, and logged the date before beginning.” – Not the most enthralling opening line but it does hint that something ominous is about happening and lends a sense of foreboding.

What I Liked: The premise. A bunch of troubled teens are brought together in a reform style school and start discovering that maybe they're not just 'troubled' but special. I liked this underlying thread of optimism although it was a minor thread and was often stomped on by the bleak series of events unravelling in the plot. The cast of characters. The author managed to filter the story through multiple perspectives giving us a glimpse into each of the teen's lives. I really appreciated the ambition of this approach and how well the various characters were portrayed, as well as the ethnic and socio-economic diversity present in this book. I would've liked to know more about Melvin though but perhaps that'll come in the next book.

What I Didn’t Like: I struggled with several parts of this book: The violence and abuse leveled at these teens just floored me. I'm a teacher of 14/15 yr olds myself and to think that any teacher could stand by and do nothing as these kids are tortured and abused just made me furious to the point where I wanted to hurl the book across the room. Now, according to the preface of the book, schools like this one apparently exist. I'm not sure I can believe that and if they do then that is just appalling and the administrators and parents need shock therapy of their own. The age of the teens. These kids were mostly freshmen, as young as 14. This book contains heavy swearing - I know how foul teenage mouths can be - but the language got a bit much. I also know that teens as young as 14 are having sex but I don't want to read about it in romance-novel style detail. There's one scene I actually skipped because it made my feel too uncomfortable.

Bonus Points: The loyalty these kids had for each other. That really endeared these characters to me even when they were foul-mouthed angst-ridden brats.

Rating: I'm torn about the rating. Although this book was written by a teen, I'm hesitant to recommend this book for teens considering the content and generally dark theme. Comparing it to other YA novels I've read I couldn't give this book more than 2 stars. Had the characters been older, say around 18, and handled their situation with a little more maturity and less melodrama I would have been more comfortable with the language and sexual content and would be fine rating this 3 or 3.5 stars for an upper YA or adult audience. For this reason I'm going to recommend that people decide for themselves, but potential readers be warned that the content in this book probably isn't suitable for younger readers.(less)

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Dec 08, 2012 Nina rated it 5 of 5 stars

This fast-paced, extremely suspenseful book (I'm still anxiously awaiting the sequel!) is perfect for anyone fond of stories about teens fighting the system. The relationships the characters develop (both friendships and some romance) are very sweet and believable, as Coletti created diverse cast of strong characters with well defined personalities. The "bad guys" are equally strong, and I grew to hate them with a passion as the story went on, so it's really satisfying to see how the kids deal w...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

The story opens by introducing the reader to the Academy. This is a school that takes in all kinds, but one things remains the same. Every boarder at this school is there because no other school wanted them. Starting out like that makes Altered very intriguing. Especially once it is discovered that all the characters have a common link. There is something different about them all. Something unnatural. These are characters who are very easy to relate with, even if you don't always understand what...more

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Oct 08, 2011 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Altered was nothing like I'd expected it to be--it was way better! When I started out reading it, I was a bit wary, because the perspectives jump between characters rather quickly, which confused me as to who was who for a while. But eventually, I got the hang of it, and the story started getting extremely interesting.

It's set in a school that is supposed to be a sort of reform school for kids that no one else wants, or kids that would have gone to jail. But all then, as we read on, we see kids...more Altered was nothing like I'd expected it to be--it was way better! When I started out reading it, I was a bit wary, because the perspectives jump between characters rather quickly, which confused me as to who was who for a while. But eventually, I got the hang of it, and the story started getting extremely interesting.

It's set in a school that is supposed to be a sort of reform school for kids that no one else wants, or kids that would have gone to jail. But all then, as we read on, we see kids being punished in very unorthodox ways--being tied down to a metal table and electrocuted to the point where it burned their skin, sleep deprivation, food deprivation, and then eventually having permanent shock wires placed on the kids, so that the teachers could shock them whenever they wanted. It was pretty sick what was going on, and sicker still that the teachers thought they were doing something good by torturing the children. Honestly, you don't 'cure' bad behavior with more bad behavior. It's like beating a dog over and over again; it might be submissive for some time, but one day it will have had enough, and it's going to turn around and bite your damn hand off.

Each of the main characters has a very distinct personality, even though there were quite a few of them and in the beginning it was hard to pin point who's perspective I was reading. I think that was one of the only flaws of the book, that the transitions from person to person weren't clear enough until a few sentences, sometimes paragraphs, into the section. But all of them shone through in their own way. Ann, my favorite character, was fiery and unafraid to speak her mind. Charlie was crazy, but not crazy at the same time (I know, but you'll get it if you read it.) Joseph was willful and wittily sarcastic, but also sweet at times. Toni was the more 'normal' of them, but she had her own problems too. But, along with their quirks and eccentricities, each of them also had something more, something... unnatural. (This is where a slight paranormal element comes in, but it's not so much as to make this a paranormal novel.)

I was on edge the entire time I read Altered. I kept wanting to just jump in the book and tear the school down until not a brick was left standing, that's how intense it was. One thing that did bother me though was towards the end, it mentioned that some of the characters were 14 years old, and that didn't really sit well with me considering some of what they did, and how they acted. I think it would have been better if they were older, especially one scene in particular that kinda made me cringe when I thought about how young they were. But the way they were written was really interesting, because they spoke pretty accurately for a lot of teenagers today, and that made them feel real.

I definitely recommend Altered to anyone looking for a really intense novel, and one that has constant action and suspense. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.(less)

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Sep 13, 2012 Anie rated it 5 of 5 stars

When you read a new book from an unknown artist you never know what to expect.
Maybe you picked the book because the blurb sounded interesting or a friend gave you a tip…or maybe you just liked the cover.

When I first started to read “Altered” I already knew that the artist had talent. I knew she could write. None the less was I amazed by how good this story was and how well written.
First of all is the story original, something that seems hard to do these days. Sometimes we think we saw everything...more When you read a new book from an unknown artist you never know what to expect.
Maybe you picked the book because the blurb sounded interesting or a friend gave you a tip…or maybe you just liked the cover.

When I first started to read “Altered” I already knew that the artist had talent. I knew she could write. None the less was I amazed by how good this story was and how well written.
First of all is the story original, something that seems hard to do these days. Sometimes we think we saw everything and nothing can really surprise us anymore. But a story like this one which is so inventive but at the same time something that feels so real and has a background is pretty rare.
But a good idea isn’t everything. The implementation is important. The author introduces us to her characters perfectly and she has a good feeling about how much information she needs to give the reader so they have enough to almost “see” what’s happening without getting lost in details. It never gets boring, she finds the right tone. She builds the pressure, without over doing it. Miss Coletti has a wonderful writing style. After the few first pages the protagonists feel like people you know… you laugh with them, you cry with them. Sometimes you hate what they do… sometimes you love them, you understand them and sometimes you don’t. But you’re always with them. That’s the most amazing thing.

After I read the first chapter I could hardly wait for more. And it got better with every new page. It’s a story that is timeless. With characters that will remain in your mind. And maybe that’s the most important thing in a time where we sometimes feel like everything is replaceable, we saw everything, not many things are really that significant that they deserve to stay in our mind, that we want to hear more about them. Well “Altered” will stay with you. You’ll want to hear more. And if you asked me, you’ll want to hear more from Aubrey Coletti too.
And I’m pretty sure you will.
(less)

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Jan 26, 2013 Joe Jaffa rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book!!!! Fantastic writing by a new emerging author. The story - which is unlike any other that I've ever seen - grips you, and pulls you in from page 1. From early on, I felt like I knew the characters, and that they were good friends of mine. Each of is very distinct and has their own unique, special personalities. I felt gripped with suspense throughout the entire read - it was very tough to put down! The way the book changed the POV between the different characters throughout wa...more

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Aug 16, 2011 Aubrei Kamilah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

first off i need to say that i got this book from a first reads giveaway(yay!)I enjoyed reading this book. It was about a few different kids being put into J.Alter Academy, a boarding school for kids with special talents. To keep the students from acting out the administrators use shock treatments, sleep and food deprivation, etc. The kids try to act out against the school, and that process is what the books about. Personally, i think the beginning of the book had alot going on. It was manageabl...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Johanna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: source-blog-tour, challenge-2012-ebooks, format-ebook-arc

Altered is the type of book that will have you in suspense the whole time. The complexity of the plot and the characters contributes to this element of anxiety and thrill. The story centers around a group of teenagers new to a boarding school, the likes of which would probably give you the creeps, Bates Motel style. This is the sort of school you would send a troubled teen to, when you didn't want to deal with him or her. This sort of school would also be known as a reform school, where they spe...more

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Feb 05, 2013 Lisa (Lost in Literature) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: received-for-review

* Originally posted on Lost in Literature.

Just think... one day you're in a normal school, and the very next day your parents are sending you away to a boarding school for children with "behavioral issues". But is that all this school really is? The gang, made up for four teenagers, quickly realizes that there may be more to their being sent to this school, more than just issues at home that their parents want fixed. Are they "special" children? Are they there for a reason? They meet other child...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: september-2011, atomr-book-tours, january-2013

Altered is one of those stories that draws you in and keeps you reading because you just have to know what happens to the characters. It is a story told from multiple characters but it is done in a way where things flow smoothly and you are able to get a picture of the way things are for each character and where that character is at at the time the story is being told.

Can you imagine one day you are living a normal life and the next your parents have placed you in this boarding school for child...more

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Sep 13, 2011 Bonnie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-request, my-library-in-print, owned-and-read, dystopia-ecotopia-pa, my-whole-library

Altered has the running theme of nurture vs. nature, a subject of which I’ve always been interested in, and it’s one of the elements that attracted me to the story. I also found the environment issue was an aspect to make me question allegiance to characters and certain groups; who undoubtedly are the bad guys and good guys? I enjoyed this idea because so often in fiction, unlike the real world, there is a clear division between whom you should be cheering for and while you begin with an obvious...more Altered has the running theme of nurture vs. nature, a subject of which I’ve always been interested in, and it’s one of the elements that attracted me to the story. I also found the environment issue was an aspect to make me question allegiance to characters and certain groups; who undoubtedly are the bad guys and good guys? I enjoyed this idea because so often in fiction, unlike the real world, there is a clear division between whom you should be cheering for and while you begin with an obvious side here, that question of nurture vs. nature can throw you off by showing there are alternative sides to everyone. In Altered the focus on an alternative side is more about the students rather than the apparent villains, something of which is less common than the other way around, nonetheless I found it refreshing being able to read a story where the ‘good’ characters are not completely spotless themselves.

Of course the school is a horrible place in many ways, but at the same time I was pondering if these teachers had a point in how they delivered their ultimatums to their students. On the other hand all the students are given choices on how to behave, but the methods of punishment are downright unsettling. I was left asking myself the question; have these kids gone too far or were their actions justifiable?

The concept, granted a harsh reality for the characters, is an excellent way to make the reader question what is right, what is wrong, and to show each decision incurs a consequence whether it is good or bad. These are all ethics everyone, young adults especially, should be taught to question and realise yet there’s a certain age group I would say Altered is marketed towards and it is not of the younger side of adolescence.

The age of the characters in Altered is what surprised me the most, I’m not sure what to make of it as yet, but their ages were not apparent to me in the beginning. It probably doesn’t help that I’m not completely familiar with the American school system either, what age is allotted to freshmen, juniors, and seniors for instance, but I was still surprised when their ages were specifically mentioned later in the story. I don’t feel this is because of the language content, which is on the high side (one reason why I would recommend it for an older audience), but more because of their emotional maturity and behaviour. I’ve read a lot of YA over the last few years, most of it written by adults, and I believe the students reactions may be fitting to reality compared to assumptions about innocence adults eventually create for youth in their own minds.

As for the writing itself, there is a lot of dialogue in Altered with the majority of the story, plot twists and motives, being delivered in this way. Personally I don’t have a problem with this technique to help further a plot, especially if the dialogue gives the reader a chance to learn more about the characters, and when done right I find it can quicken the pace.

For the rest of my review please visit www.bookishardour.com (less)

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Sep 15, 2011 L.E.Olteano rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-review, reviewed, received-for-review

Jesus Christ!! This book had me gritting my teeth so bad, I think I ruined my dental work!

Ok, so first thing I’m gonna say is, these are the most believable YA characters I’ve read in a while, perhaps a long while. They’re slightly on edge, and gutsy, and rash at times, and tumultuous, and tons of fun. They feel solid, because they feel irrevocably real. I will make a very mean comment and say perhaps it comes easy to Aubrey Coletti to write such teen characters, since she worked on this for 3...more Jesus Christ!! This book had me gritting my teeth so bad, I think I ruined my dental work!

Ok, so first thing I’m gonna say is, these are the most believable YA characters I’ve read in a while, perhaps a long while. They’re slightly on edge, and gutsy, and rash at times, and tumultuous, and tons of fun. They feel solid, because they feel irrevocably real. I will make a very mean comment and say perhaps it comes easy to Aubrey Coletti to write such teen characters, since she worked on this for 3 years, starting when she was 15. Not to say one can’t write strong characters of other ages then they themselves are, but I do believe when you’re writing teen characters, it helps to be a teen. Don’t throw things at me, I’m just saying!!
Plus, it feels like the characters have the right mind-frame. They act their age, in conflict, in love interests, in friendship.

Now, the bit that had me chewing through my dental work was the plot. Man, the plot!! I thought I was gonna have a heart attack a few times, for various reasons. One, and the most personal, is it reminded me a lot of my high-school. Now, if you’ve read the book, you may find my comment odd, so I’ll explain; it was strict, very strict, very very strict, very demanding, extremely exhausting and emotionally draining, and there were a lot of brainiacs that could breeze through inhumanly complicated things that you worked five shades of your butt off to barely manage. They weren’t telekinetic, or psychic, or pyrokinetic, but they seemed supernaturally smart. And although our suspicions were never proven right, we often speculated there’s some dark torture chamber somewhere in that huge, fort-like building, that had bars on all windows and closed gates during school hours. *shudders* It was that sort of thing that you dread with every fiber of your being while you go through it, but appreciate its value and impact and treasure it when it’s over. Plus it made really good friends out of your classmates, because nothing unites teens like a common enemy, and boy did we feel under attack !!

So the mood of the book put me right back in that state of mind. It was like a book-long flashback, and it was terrifying. Because on top of my real experiences, this world was built, with these poor kids, tortured basically, and it freaked the hell out of me. So much so, that I would have put the book down, were it not for these incredibly awesome characters. So, I believe, this book must be a certain hit with YA readers, and young adults; it’s fast paced, edgy, intense, fun, challenging, intriguing…I mean, it has it all!
I had an ominous feeling about where the story was going, but I thought all that tension would be resolved in a positive way. It wasn’t, really. I found the ending to be sort of crushing, sort of desolating, therefore sort of gorgeous. But it’s not the end-end, because this is going to be a series, so there’ll be a sequel, or two or three.

I loved the writing, because it had a captivating rhythm to it. It was fresh, young, colorful, with every character having its own unique and charming voice. The dialogues were very fun, and well made, and that made for a very dynamic read. The descriptive side was less of a focus, and that might prove maybe a bit confusing at times. Especially in very tense scenes, I kept trying to look for some “stage directions” that would build a clear picture of the room, or building, or gates involved. Now this is a matter of taste, some readers like to be given lavish, or more succinct descriptions, and some prefer to have as little of them as possible, possibly none at all. True, descriptions slow down the pace of the read, they give your adrenalin levels time to decrease, they involve your rational, contemplative side.

This is more like a 3,5 really, but I just loved the characters so much, I’m making it a 4 butterflies. What would have made it a home run for me? More descriptive passages. Not a bunch of it, but enough to give me a clear mental picture. I would have liked the slightly slower pace that would have given the read, as well. I’m feeling too old for these kinds of adrenalin levels…

There’s a lot of action, some love side notes. It gives a real perspective over young adults, and young adult behavior; there’s a love story going on, but as I’ve said, it’s more of side note, a tangent, as the focus doesn’t rest on one main character, but on a group of them.

Overall, I say give it a try. It has that something, that je ne sais quoi, that makes for a very fun and energetic YA read.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 04, 2013 Crystal Paglino rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

See my review at http://crysbookreviews.com/2013/02/01...

1 like · like · see review

Dec 08, 2012 Christina Wilder marked it as to-read

Shelves: ya, thriller-thriller-night

This looks like the kind of book that Fallen SHOULD have been.

like · see review

Apr 23, 2013 Sacha marked it as to-read

Feb 28, 2013 Ginny Wheeler marked it as to-read

Feb 18, 2013 Marie marked it as to-read

Feb 17, 2013 Blood Bone and Muscle marked it as to-read

Feb 15, 2013 Nikki marked it as to-read

Feb 06, 2013 Hollow May marked it as to-read

Shelves: 12-series

Feb 05, 2013 Debbie at Snuggling on the Sofa marked it as to-read

title link	preview: Altered
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11794477-altered?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355063586l/11794477.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11794477-altered?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Altered by Aubrey Coletti[/url]

Altered (The Academy #1)

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