Book Review: Alienated by Melissa Landers

Alienated (Alienated #1) by Melissa Landers 
Genre: Young Adult (Science Fiction/Fantasy Romance)
Date Published: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Disney Hyperion

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.

Alienated is the first book in the Alienated series by Melissa Landers. Cara's personality really pulled me in to her world. She's fun, witty, and sticks to her guns. I love how she stood by Aelyx when the world turned against him. Their friendship started off a little rough, then became cute, before it started forming into something more than friendship. They are pretty darn adorable together. If an alien race were to show up in real life, that were so close to us as humans like these guys were, I can see the response of people being pretty similar to how they were in the book. The author captured this aspect of humanity pretty well. I can't say I like any of Cara's friends very much, even the ones who came around in the end. I feel like they showed their true colors, and I'd never trust them again. Alienated was such an easy book to get into. Time flew while I read. I'm a little worried about the next book as it seems like it might be following the pattern of so many second books in other YA book series by separating the lovebirds. That always irks me. Hopefully, it won't. But, even if it does, I'm still anxious to see what's in store next for Cara and Aelyx.

Don't forget to check out my review of the other books in this trilogy!

Melissa Landers writes romantic sci-fi for teens and the young at heart. ALIENATED and INVADED are now available from Disney Hyperion, and UNITED, the third book in the trilogy, will release in August, 2016. The first novel in her new series, STARFLIGHT, launches February 2, 2016.

To learn more about Melissa Landers and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.