The Altered: Plague Within

by Maria DeVivo

Two years after the closing of the Altered Re-Assimilation Centers across the United States, infected-turned-back-human Griffin King is trying to rejoin a vengeful society that is still rebuilding from the outbreak years before. While various forces align against the Altered, a new breed called the Ferals look to bring about a second wave of the virus with the help of a black market drug known as The Black Death. Walking the lines between the humans and the Altered, and compelled to continue the work left behind by his former caretaker, Dr. Holston, Griffin is both helped and hindered by faces new and old. But in a fractured landscape on the verge of war, how can Griffin be sure who is friend and who is enemy? This time, if he chooses poorly, he may not be so lucky.

207 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 8, 2020

About the author

Maria DeVivo writes horror and dark fantasy for both a YA and adult audience. Each of her series has been Amazon best-sellers and have won multiple awards since 2012. A lover of all things dark and demented, the worlds she creates are fantastical and immersive. Get swept away in the lands of elves, zombies, angels, demons, and witches (but not all in the same place). Maria takes great pleasure in warping the comfort factor in her readers’ minds – just when you think you’ve reached a safe space in her stories, she snaps you back into her twisted reality.

Reviews

[Jonathan Pongratz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first book in this series, and I loved this installment just as much!

Two years after the events of the first novel, Griffin's life has changed quite a bit. He's got an Altered girlfriend named Amber and a job as a janitor, but life is far from perfect. The politics surrounding the Altered are increasingly heated, people discriminate against him and his kind daily, and Amber seems to be pulling away from him. To top it all off, a surprise visit from Dr. Holston suggests that the Altereds' struggles may be even worse in the near future. Can Griffin help sort out this mess and avoid catastrophe, or is history doomed to repeat itself?

What worked most for me in this book was the worldbuilding. The first novel had me aching to know more about this alternate version of Earth on the outside, and I got that and so much more . The politics, how the Altered situation was handled, everyday life, every little detail was engaging and kept me coming back for more.

Griffin seems to have settled into his new life, but he is forced into action with Dr. Holston's visit and this brings about some really great character depth and progression, especially in his relationship with Amber.

I really loved the parts with little Tony in them. He is an enigma and also super cute! His Altered mom Crystal care for him shines through. Eugene was gross, but he's kind of that gross methy kinda guy so that felt authentic to me regardless of the ick factor.

Plot was really important in this book, especially with the events that occur and how they ramp up. I liked that we spent more time in the present since we established Griffin's past, and it made this story feel even more cohesive and easier to follow. There was plenty of action throughout and some shocking developments I didn't see, and I love how that kept me on the edge of my seat.

If you want a great, epic zombie adventure, you can't get much better than this!

[JulieAnn Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the second book in the series, The Plague Within did not disappoint. Maria DeVivo has an amazing way of dropping us right into Griffin’s mental state while still keeping the plot moving at a fast pace.

Griffin’s struggle with new responsibilities and new enemies—as well as his internal conflict with both his past and present—is moving and engaging, and I was often excited to pick the book up again. I also loved meeting the new characters, and the introduction of several new locations really increased the tension!

I’m already on to book 3!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was book 2 of The Altered Experience and oh my goodness!! The ending is electric and makes me want to start book 3 IMMEDIATELY! I did find that the first half or so of the book did go a little slow for me but the last quarter to half made up for it. I was honestly expecting this book to pick up right where book 1 ended but instead it was flash forwarded by 2 years.

The political arena of this book really felt like modern times, as in, today. People protesting, violence, hatred. It all rang very true as I feel like that’s the world we live in already.

4 stars

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a perfect continuation to book 1, with a lot of “edge of your seat” moments. I absolutely could not put this book down, as is true with most of Maria’s books but i loved the really unique spin on zombies and seeing Griffin’s journey as an altered vs other altered’s around him. I’m very eager to learn more about Troy and where he falls into the story and what his uniqueness combined with Griffin’s uniqueness will help what’s currently going on in their world!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ann Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second book has Griffin with a job and a girlfriend, Amber. No one trusts the altered and a dangerous new drug causes devastation. A compelling story with great world building, intriguing characters and plenty of surprising twists.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another winner in the Altered Experience series, it continued the story perfectly and had that feel that I enjoyed from the series. Maria DeVivo was able to weave this tale and world worked overall and left me wanting to read more in this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.