Book Review: Alienated by Melissa Landers

Alienated (Alienated #1)
by Melissa Landers
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Source: Library
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Summary: 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.

Review: I have been dying to read Alienated ever since it came out in February, but I never had the time to pick up a copy and read it. I finally broke down and snagged a copy from my library and ended up devouring the story in one day. 

Cara works hard to get what she wants, so when she finally snags the position of valedictorian, she's more than thrilled. What she doesn't expect, though, is to be the one valedictorian in the US to be chosen to host an alien exchange student. With a scholarship offer that will allow her to attend her dream school, Cara can't refuse, despite the repercussions from her community and fellow classmates. When she first meets Aelyx, Cara doesn't know what to think. Aelyx is very intelligent and looks exactly like a human, but he's cold and distance when it comes to human contact. Cara attempts to get to know Aelyx and make him feel comfortable on Earth, but her friends and classmates are far from thrilled by the alien invasion. Threatening notes show up in Cara's locker and the anti-alien movement becomes more and more restless. The more she spends with Aelyx, though, the more she finds herself falling for him. But what Cara doesn't know is that Aelyx is hiding a secret that could destroy any relationship their planets had hoped on having, and destroy the only relationship Aelyx has ever cared for. 

I'm sorry, but I just have to start off by saying how much I absolutely adore the cover for this book. Seriously, can a book look any more gorgeous? Ah, I love it. Okay, now that I got that out of my system, onto the story. From page one, you know that Cara is a girl who goes after what she wants and doesn't let anyone stop her. I loved how strong her character was because you definitely need a girl like that to deal with a guy like Aelyx. I loved loved loved Aelyx's character and how he was used to the customs of his own planet where they didn't reproduce for pleasure, but rather were paired to create the best genetic offspring. With not much emotion or physical contact with other people, Aelyx comes off a bit cold and stiff and very patronizing. I love how he is just so much smarter than humans and really evolves as a person once he lives on Earth and in Cara's home for awhile. 

While it takes a little bit for Cara and Aelyx to begin to open up to each other, I love how their relationship really progresses from pretty much nothing to something a lot more. They don't initially get along, especially since Cara is so used to being the best at everything. Aelyx really challenges her intellectually and Cara challenges him emotionally. I loved their banter and the intense chemistry they ended up having once they let their walls down. I was obsessed with their relationship once things got going and literally could not stop reading. Oh my gosh, and that ending! All of the drama and conflict that happens within the last hundred pages of the novel definitely made up for the slow beginning. I don't know how I'm going to wait until February 2015 to figure out what happens next in Aelyx and Cara's story! 

If you can't tell, I loved this book. While it was sci-fi, the sci-fi elements weren't overbearing for the entire novel and it felt like you were reading about regular teens dealing with falling for someone they definitely shouldn't be falling for. I loved both Cara and Aelyx and how they had some pretty serious issues to deal with, especially with the discrimination they were facing from people at school and Aelyx was facing with his secret mission on Earth. Oh, and the romance wasn't too bad either! If you haven't already, you should definitely pick up a copy of Alienated by Melissa Landers. If you want a quirky YA romance that deals with aliens in a fun way and has some action/conspiracy thrown into the mix, Alienated is the book for you.