BOOK REVIEW: Alienated by Melissa Landers

Name: Alienated (Alienated #1)
Author: Melissa Landers
Number of Pages: 344
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Date Published: February 4th, 2014
Source: Bought
Rate: 4.5/5

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

[GOODREADS][B&N][AMAZON][BOOK DEPOSITORY]

Since the Lux Series I have always been in a alien invasion/alien-human romance story. I don't know what it is about those extraterrestrial beings and the whole idea of them coming to earth...or even the idea of them already being on earth fascinates and astounds me. I guess that is why I could not help but pick up Alienated by Melissa Landers. I tried not to get my hopes to high with this book and compare it to the Lux Series, as I did not want to be disappointed. However, I was far from disappointed.
  
  The first few pages of Alienated were hard for me to get through and I really don't know why. At first Cara was not my favorite character...actually at the beginning she was by far my least favorite character. She was snooty, was the leader of every school club that existed, and was with a jock of a boyfriend. Yah...reminded me way too much of those awful highschool days. Of course, the book is based off highschool and a foreign...okay like another planet foreign exchange student named Aelyx. 

It was after reading the first hundred pages, or so, that I truly got a feel for the characters and not just Aelyx and his crew but of Cara as well. I started to understand why Cara was the way she was and I actually started to connect to the character on a better level then what I started with. Cara - while is a very intellectual being - is very down to earth and protective of her beliefs. She is a believer that one day things will be perfect between the L'eihrs and the humans. 

Of course, since Cara was also a blogger it just gave me one more reason to actually like her. Us bloggers got to stick together! 

The relationship development between Cara and Aelyx, while slow, was very interesting to read. It was not too fast - like in most books - in fact she particularly did not even want to host one of the first alien exchange students. So their relationship was definitely rock at the beginning. However, that did not stop her from wanting to make Aelyx feel like he was at home and neither did the rest of her family. 

Another huge love for this book was the family dynamics. Especially the parent's of Cara. They are the most awesome parent couple's I have ever read. They aren't those strict parent's that you read about nor are the broken family. Let's just say those two are very touchy feelie! It was too funny to read. 

I loved reading the difference between humans and L'eihrs. Especially on a neurological level - the difference in the brain structure was magnificant to read. Melissa Landers definitely made sure to give such distinct characteristics between the two to make them very much so human and alien. I also loved the fact that Alienated kind of takes place in a futuristic time period. But it is not by 100 years it would be more like 15-20 years from 2015. The population over growth and environment issues escalating to mass extremes. 

All in all this was a fast pace, cute, and down right scrumptious read. Yes, there were a few problems that I had here and there but that will not stop me from picking up the next book! 

BUY IT!!