Erased

November 1, 2013
Anna and the boys are still on the run from the Branch, the mysterious organization that shaped them into human weapons of mass destruction (Altered, 2013). Grocery shopping and training for combat, they hide out in a cozy cabin like a heavily armed Snow White and three dwarves, their uneasy domesticity troubled by flashbacks of pre-Branch life. Anna's primary concern is with the family she'd forgotten: her sister, Dani, and their parents. Learning that Dani is alive and held by the Branch, Anna seeks help from Trev, the fourth boy, admitted Branch agent and questionable ally, to free her. As flashbacks proliferate, the dizzying plot twists and turns (or, like Anna and Nick's intense relationship, is left dangling). Key developments pivot on characters readers haven't met or are delivered in lumps of "while you were sleeping" exposition. Combat aside, Anna's fairly passive: experiencing flashbacks, reading files, listening to witnesses describe events that occurred long before the story's present timeline. The frantic pacing and underdeveloped characters are dizzying, distancing, occasionally boring--like hearing a detailed account of someone's dreams--so dramatic events (and an accumulating body count) that should move readers have little emotional resonance. Building suspense is Rush's strong suit, but, less earth-shattering than foreshadowed, the tidy resolution feels like false advertising. Lowering the stakes and piling on the violence makes for a disappointing sequel. (Science fiction. 12 & up)

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February 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-After the shootout at the end of Altered (Little Brown, 2013) and an emotional visit to her parents' gravesite, Anna and "the boys" are keeping a low profile. Double-crossing Trev is still with the Branch, while Cas, Nick, and Sam, the other three genetically altered trained assassins who used to live in Anna's basement, are dealing with flashbacks from their erased memories. Anna also has flashbacks-to life with her lost sister, Dani. When Dani is spotted on a grocery store security camera, the foursome set out to find her. Pursuing Dani to Delta camp, the teens discover another disturbing layer to the altering process: some boys are brainwashed and programmed to respond to code word triggers. As more memories begin to surface, computer files are altered, people thought trustworthy turn out to be working for the other side, and Anna learns a shocking truth about her own past. While social drama and a slight romance builds between Anna and Sam, the action overshadows the relationships in this book, with straightforward writing and fast-moving chapters. The characters are older teens (the boys are in their 20s but have aged slowly due to their alterations), and their language reflects this. The book's heavy technology focus and themes of big government conspiracy will attract readers who enjoyed Michael Grant's BZRK (Egmont USA, 2012) or Suzanne Weyn's "Bar Code" books (Scholastic). Best for libraries needing a deep collection of slightly futuristic action and adventure or where the first book was popular.-Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX

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