Review: ALIENATED by Melissa Landers

Alienated by Melissa Landers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sixteen year-old Cara is top of her class, Valedictorian. But it’s her passion that gets her noticed by the recently landed aliens, winning her a scholarship and a student exchange with the L’eihr.

The L’eihr came in peace offering a cure for cancer and saved Cara’s mother’s life. She trusts Earth’s new visitors and is hopeful for the program. Then she finds out she’ll have to host one of L’eih’s own in her home and throughout high school. This will definitely put a cramp in her style. She doesn’t realize how much until her world begins crumbling around her. To make matters worse she begins liking the L’eihr exchange student, Aelyx – a lot. And worse than that – she begins falling in love with him.

Are his feelings the same? His stoic presence is difficult to read. As Aelyx becomes comfy in Cara’s home she discovers he could be hiding something, something that could affect the entire planet.

This was a fast and enjoyable read. The back and forth between Cara and Aelyx is sweet, heartfelt, and fun. And their first kiss is quite steamy. Wow. Their relationship spurns an outcry from the public that we’re very familiar with in present day: Angry protests against the aliens -- though the aliens have never shown hostility only assistance in helping Earth. But the public’s fear becomes threatening to Aelyx and even to Cara and her family.

There’s plenty of tension, it’s downright scary near the end, and there’s a lot of humor. I found myself laughing throughout ALIENATED. I also love that Cara keeps a blog. She’d hoped the blog would allow her 1million readers to understand Aelyx and his kind. Did it help? You’ll have to read the story.
My adrenaline raced toward the conclusion. And Bam! I’m left pinning away for Book #2, which comes out in February 2015.

~ Karen

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