ALTERED by Gennifer Albin

Rating: D
Synopsis:
Life. Possibility. Choice.
All taken from Adelice by the Guild—until she took them back.

But amid the splendid ruins of Earth, Adelice discovers how dangerous freedom can be. Hunted by soulless Remnants sent by Cormac Patton and the Guild, Adelice finds a world that’s far from deserted. Although allies are easy to find on Earth, knowing who to trust isn’t. Because everyone has secrets, especially those Adelice loves most. Secrets they would kill to protect. Secrets that will redefine each of them. Torn between two brothers and two worlds, Adelice must choose what to fight for.

In this thrilling sequel to Crewel, Adelice is about to learn how tangled up her past and future really are. Her parents ran to protect her, but nothing can save her from her destiny, and once she uncovers the truth, it will change everything.

My thoughts on the book:
I'm not sure what I expected from this book, but I know I thought it would be much better than it ended up being. Crewel was a good read. The idea was unique, and the world was intriguing. This post-apocalyptic/perhaps past/alternate reality planet earth was dull and lifeless. The world-building itself was fantastically done, and Albin's writing was top notch, but the setting and characters just fell flat. Things that should have grabbed me didn't, and by the middle of the book, I just didn't care what happened. I kept hoping it'd get better, but it just got worse. I don't think I'll be continuing this series. 

All of the characters got on my nerves really bad in this novel. Adelice needs to grow up. In some parts she shows her strength, but in other parts, she's just a bratty teenager. I feel like she could have been a bit more complex and intelligent, though she did impress me a few times. Erik was okay, but nothing to write home about. Jost was such a whiny brat. I couldn't stand him. Dante wasn't half as mysterious and intriguing as he had the potential of being. Kincaid wasn't as creepy as he could have been, either. The characters were just a big let down. 

Adelice's cavalier attitude made me feel like there was no urgency to the situation. She just frolicked off into every stupid thing she could find, not worrying about the consequences. Because of that, and the fact that her stupidity repeatedly got them out of problems she'd gotten them into in the first place, I didn't feel any suspense while reading this book. Everything would be fine because that's how the author wanted it to work out. I felt that the previous installment had much more dire consequences for Adelice's actions. The pacing of the book was super slow, and for the majority of the novel, Adelice and company are safely locked away in an estate. Scary, huh? The ending was slightly better than the rest of the book, but not enough to make me want to continue the series.

Overall, this book was a let down. It wasn't terrible, and there were some good things about it, but it didn't hold my interest very well. I'd say only read this one if you were absolutely in love with Crewel.