Early Review: Reborn by Jennifer Rush

Reborn
by Jennifer Rush
Read: July 22, 2014
Published:  January 6, 2015 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: NetGalley (THANK YOU, Little BROWN, BYR)
Category: Action, Secret Government Organizations, YA
Series: Altered #3
Find: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository 


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 consequence.
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What I love -
The Altered Saga is made of very readable, fast paced books that keep me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. This series is always strong on action and has great fight scenes. Reborn is no exception to that. If you're new to these books, the set up reminds me a little bit of the Born Identity series, without the international espionage. After following Anna's narration and relationship with Sam in Altered and Erased (click the titles for my reviews), we finally get a chance to hear from fellow team member Nick. 

The narration in Reborn is split between Nick and a new character, Elizabeth, who has her own connection to the Branch and Nick. Of course this means we get to find out more about the dangerous and shadowy Branch that has controlled these characters for so long. Even though they're no longer in the organization, Nick and gang are still on the run and unable to settle down or even remember all of their pasts. In this book, it's not always clear who is trustworthy, and that added another layer of danger to the story. 

Nick has always been hard and closed off. He carries so much anger inside of him, and doesn't like to get close to people. But Nick is beginning to have more flashbacks, and he's not sure why he keeps seeing this one girl in them. Elizabeth is different from Nick. She has her own secrets, and is closed off in her own way - more by being quiet and shy, but she has recently begun coming out of her shell and making more friends. Once Nick and Elizabeth meet, I enjoyed watching them begin to care for each other, and Nick's protective instincts come out towards Elizabeth. In return, her scarred but sweet nature helped to open Nick up. It was rewarding to see them both come out of their shells and fight for their futures. 

What I wish-
While I've enjoyed this series, I have come away from each book wanting a little more out of them. More story. More depth. More character development. More romance. This one is no exception. It is another wild ride, and I love Nick. But I wanted more of him and Elizabeth, especially of them together. It takes them a long time to meet and for anything to happen between them. They are very different in many ways, and I would have like to have seen more of the connection between them. I also thought we'd learn more about Nick's broader past. His connection to Anna is never mentioned, and this book mostly focuses on a small part of his history. Does he not remember it? Maybe he just doesn't want to remember some parts. However, it's always better to want more than less, and overall, this was an enjoyable addition to the series. 

Love Triangle Factor: Mild - It took these two some time to meet and come together, and they both had other interests (or in Nick's case, interactions) before they met.  But they weren't torn once they started getting to know each other. 

Cliffhanger Scale: Series conclusion, but definitely room for more installments. I'd love to see a story for Trev and Cas.