REVIEW: Alienated by Melissa Landers

Alienated (Alienated, #1)
by Melissa Landers
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: Feb. 4th, 2014
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Romance, Paranormal
Pages: 344
Buy at: Amazon, B&N, Book Depository
Add on: Goodreads
Find the author at: website, Facebook, Twitter

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.

Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5 out of 5 stars)

My Review:
Two years ago, aliens from the planet L’eihr made contact with Earth. They have the same DNA as humans, but are highly inexpressive…and unnaturally good-looking. Cara Sweeney is in for the surprise of her life when her principal informs her she’s won a scholarship to host one of the alien exchange students. She’s initially excited because this alliance secures her future at an Ivy League school and gives her a chance to be one of the first humans to learn more about L’eihr, a great opportunity for a budding journalist. Things don’t turn out quite like she anticipated when Aelyx arrives and and people in her small town start to grow more and more paranoid. Aelyx may be stoic and infuriatingly intelligent, but as Cara gets to really know him their friendship crosses over into something more and she discovers she would do just about anything to protect him. It will take all Cara’s fiery passion and persistence to survive what happens next and potentially save the planet.

When I first read the synopsis for this book, I admit it sounded a little silly to me. Alien and human teenagers falling in love and saving the world? It reminded me of the short-lived CW tv show from last year, Star-Crossed. What I found was far from being just silly, it was a really good story. Alienated was everything I expected but nothing I had envisioned, if that makes any sense. The characters were intelligent, witty, and the kind of fictional people you’d actually want to hang out with in real life. In spite of feeling like the world was against them, the two main characters stuck with what they believed was right and I really appreciated that. To my surprise, the author had me rooting for Cara and Aelyx’s romance from the very beginning. And to top it off, the storyline was filled with just enough suspense and action to keep my eyes glued to the page. Overall, this was a fantastic example of a young adult sci-fi novel. Exciting, enticing, and oh so fun—Alienated is a story easy to fall in love with.

For fans of authors like Jennifer L. Armentrout, Amie Kaufman, Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon—Alienated is not to be missed in the YA genre. It’s perfect if you just want to read something different. I couldn’t put it down—book two, here I come.

{Content Warning: Recommended for ages 15 and up. There is a lengthy scene of a couple making out, talk of hooking up and fooling around, and other suggestive comments. It also contains some minor bad language.}

I really had a lot of fun with this book and wanted to show you guys how I envisioned Cara and Aelyx! I thought Cara sounded a lot like Emma Stone and Aelyx like a young Chace Crawford.
Have you read Alienated? If yes, how did you picture these two characters? Thanks so much for reading! Comment below. 🙂