Alienated

I've read this book with lots of high expectations and with no doubt, the book was amazing. It lived up to the hype and it it intrigued me from the very first page. The characters are strong and funny. They make you laugh and cry and in a jumble of emotions. This is a book you definitely want to read. It's a book of the lifetime

I loved the characters, especially Cara. Her sarcasm and epic personality amazed me. She didn't act butt hurt all the time like normal girl characters, she dealed with what life through at her and didn't complain. I also loved how Aylex learned to love and care for Cara, and humans on earth. Overall great book!!

This book had the perfect mix of humor, romance and drama. I really enjoyed it. I'm more of a romance reader so it did take me a while to get through this book. But I have to say, it was refreshing from my usual books that have my emotions running all over the place. Overall I enjoyed reading it and have picked up the second book.

Melissa Landers is a master of romantic tension and humor, and she blends them both into this awesome YA sci-fi novel! There are laughs in this book from page one, as well as a fantastic slow-burn romance between human and alien. Plus it hits on social issues and has a compelling plot. This book was so much fun to read...I literally laughed out loud several times. Laughs + swoon + a fast-moving plot. This is an excellent YA debut from Melissa Landers!

I had read great things about Alienated, reviews that seemed to be written by people who knew what they were talking about like they reviewed books for a living and so despite my gut telling me not to I bought the book anyway. People said that their wasn't an instant romance and that it slowly grew but I have to say that the way the author skipped months and months ahead making it seem like the two main characters had been friends for that long and had only grown closer made it seem like to me that the love connection was quick and I didn't like that at all. I found the book to be boring and slow, uninteresting until the very end in the last like three or four chapters and when I read the end I thought, "What the hell?" for more than one reason.
The whole book was cheesy and the only really good parts were the make out sessions between Cara and Aelyx and that's about it. And the romance between Cara and Aelyx? That itself was ridiculous and cheesy, I couldn't believe that someone would, actually write something like that. The romance didn't feel natural and the exchanges between Cara and Aelyx were stupid and not funny at all. I felt slightly embarrassed for reading it and slightly disgusted but was pissed by the end of it. I don't care how much someone loves someone else you don't change your mind about him just because the person you love offers up something that is precious and valuable to him.
I say don't buy the book. I wasted good money on this book. The price is ridiculous for such a stupid book. If I had bought it in paperback I would have returned it or sold it to Half Price Books. I know for certain that I WILL NOT be reading the second book.

   Melissa Landers is the answer to my needy SciFi prayers! I was raised on Star Trek. I would live in a planetarium if I could. Space fascinates me. But I struggle with science fiction books. They usually seem too stuffy or drawn out for me. And there aren't many SciFi novels to be found in YA anyways. But I just knew I'd love Alienated when I first saw it. The cover absolutely sold me, and oh my gosh. It kept that promise. Alienated is the YA SciFi book I've been waiting for all my life!

  Cara is such a good character. She's your typical overachiever with an extra dose of fiesty. But the arrival of Aelyx in her home as an alien exchange student turns her world upside down. Landers does such a fabulous job at showing how Cara grows over the course of this book. I was so impressed with her when I finished this book. I totally want to be her new best friend!

  Aelyx and his culture were so intriguing to me. The author was able to introduce a whole new world to me without making it an info dump. That's a feat! I was giving Aelyx a lot of side eye in the beginning, but he quickly grew on me. I think I may even like him more than Cara at this point! I'm a total L'annabe!

  Everything about this book is seriously great, y'all. The world building, the climatic ending, the characters, the science fiction elements, the romance; it's all so amazing! There was absolutely nothing that I did not like about this book. Seriously! Go pick up Alienated right now! You will NOT be disappointed!

When I finally got Alienated, I sat there with it and was like, oh gosh, what was I thinking. The cover, the blurb . . .not my thing. I almost didn't read it.

I say that because I came into the book prepared for the worst and thankfully it wasn't like that. It wasn't my favorite book. I won't continue the series. I thought there were aspects that didn't work for me(like everyone hating the aliens EXCEPT for this one family. Was just way too implausible and us against them.) There were details I think could've been fleshed out more. I thought that for being aliens, they really weren't that alien.

But I kept reading and wanted to finish the book. I though the way the plot played out was intriguing with each side having opinions that not only made sense, but felt developed. The characters were nicely built up and the idea of "how do you make someone feel welcome who's from a totally new culture" was done well.

Overall this had a lot of nice touches to it and no huge, glaring "bleh" moments for me. I just didn't really enjoy it enough to continue to the next book and felt it would've done better going a bit deeper.

Catching up on my summer reviews, so I'm trying to remember specifics to a bunch of books. Apologies for the sparseness of particular details.(trying to remember that far back!)

I loved the premise of Alienated: an exchange program for teens between Earth and a newly discovered planet, L’eihr. Cara has been selected to host one of three L’eihr students coming to Earth. And then next year she’ll take her turn on L’eihr. Of course Aelyx is gorgeous and feelings develop.

Many humans aren’t happy with the presence of aliens on Earth. The next level of racism and discrimination abound in this book, from threatening notes to outward protests. I really disliked that part of the plot. Cara loses her boyfriend and her best friend over housing Aelyx. It was pretty realistic, but it was too painful to read.

This book started off being pretty good, but about half way through it got a little too angsty and ridiculous. Aelyx had a secret plan to sabotage the alliance between Earth and L’eihr, but I think I missed the why of that whole part of the plot.

The first in a series, which I will not be continuing, Alienated wasn’t what I was hoping for. I listened to the whole thing on audio at 1.25 speed, so maybe I missed things, but it seemed like it jumped around a lot. I kept feeling lost in the plot.

I don’t know. I’ve said it before. I need more than a slow-burn romance to hold my attention. I just didn’t love this one.

Blog: Opinionated Book Lover

Originally published at A Kernel of Nonsense blog.
Even after two years of making contact with the L’eihrs, an alien race similar in appearance to humans, the foreign creatures are still a mystery. And for Cara Sweeney, prospective journalist, mysteries are meant to be solved. When she is offered the opportunity to participate in the L’eihr Exchange Ambassador Program, the chance to expand her blog reach and the scholarship money are hard to resist. What Cara doesn’t anticipate is the strain this arrangement puts on her relationships and the public animosity toward Aelyx, the L’eihr student ambassador, and herself. As Aelyx and Cara grow closer, social pressure begins to mount and the secret Aelyx has been keeping threatens everyone.

As a character Cara is driven and quirky, she has a can-do attitude and isn’t afraid to shout what she believes. I found myself shouting my own support for her throughout the book. Aelyx, though a little rigid at first, eventually finds his own humanity while living among humans. I’m going to be a little nitpicky and say that it would have been nice for Aelyx to develop another meaningful relationship with someone other than Cara, because I felt that his character needed a little more depth.

And can I just say how much I love Cara’s parents? They don’t get a lot of page time, but it’s nice to read a young adult novel where the parents are actually present. Melissa Lander’s book could have done with a little more detail about Cara’s mother’s medical struggles which might have had me a little more emotionally invested in the story. I was most intrigued by Alienated whenever Aelyx described the dynamics of this home planet L’eihr, where an emphasis is placed on the people as a whole instead of individual needs.

If you’re looking for a book with a lot of depth then this one isn’t for you. On the other hand, if you want a fun and easy read, I’d say dive right in. Alienated can be sweet at times, funny, and make you root for humanity when in other books, you might just condemn it.

There is only one way to describe this book: half adorable hilarity and half serious. It's a beautiful combination of both. While we sit here laughing to our hearts content, the underlying themes of extreme xenophobia and judgment are definitely prevalent throughout the novel, making this one great journey.

We begin the novel by meeting Cara, who I adored. She's sassy, smart, and she simply does what is right. This is my type of girl and I absolutely loved her characterization because she felt so real to me. Anyway, she is responsible for hosting one of three of the world's first foreign exchange students. And by that I mean a legitimately foreign alien from another planet--L'eihr.

This alien is named Aelyx and I really enjoyed him as well (almost more than Cara). Sure, he's tall and handsome, which is awesome, but he is also used as a huge source of comic relief. Comparing the world he grew up in to the Earth was really interesting to me. He sort of reminded me of a Vulcan. I'm making this comparison because Vulcans were the first aliens I was ever introduced to as a child and also because of the lack of emotional understanding and connection to the world. Both races are very analytical, logical, and structured while the human race is full of insane humans who are ruled by their emotions. Landers made these two worlds collide exquisitely and drawing comparisons between the two led to many laughs and fascinating new discoveries. Plus, watching Aelyx's journey of self-discovery and growth was beyond awesome too. He wasn't just a science experiment, he was a being with a past, present, and a future that was struggling to adapt in a world where he is hated that he doesn't really understand. He also despises most of the food, so that sucks.

The relationships in this book were, without a doubt, my favorite aspect of it. There was kissing, there was crushing, there was awkwardly throwing yourself at people because you don't know what to do. It was perfect. But the familial relationships were amazing as well. Cara's parents are so full of love and justice, I couldn't have asked for them to be written any other way. We need more people as sacrificing and steadfast in their beliefs as them.

But, with all things aside, this fun-loving book is forced to get serious fast. Most of the human race doesn't like the L'eihr's. They're aliens that are stepping foot on their planet, after all. The threat is obvious and it is only doubled due to the fact that their technologically is astronomically better than ours. Talk about light-years ahead of our time. This made me, as a reader, really interested to learn about their devices, but I understand why people would be freaked out. Anyway, this threat keeps mounting and the population goes nuts. It was almost like a cult was formed and there was death threats, physical threats, picketing, rioting, a lack of safety. You name it and it was forced upon Cara and Aelyx and the two other sets of exchange students throughout the world. All of this tension keeps mounting until it explodes at the end in a way that had me flipping pages to see what happens.

The ending, unfortunately, came as no surprise to me because of certain events that happened throughout the novel. However, it certainly made me excited for book two to see what else Landers has in store for us. There are little things that I didn't like about the book, like how Cara handled her friendship with Tori. I also didn't like her final decision made in the novel, though it's necessary for the series to continue. But, all little things aside, this book was both adorable and serious and perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better introduction alien adventure that certainly has me anxious for book two. Landers came out with a solid debut that easily promises more amazing shenanigans and space exploration to come.

This is the perfect read for those looking for a hilarious sci-fi that also explores deep themes of prejudice and xenophobia. It makes you think, but it makes you laugh so hard that you cry as well. What more could you ask for?

Cara, an honor student in her high school, was chosen as one of the first alien exchange students with L'eihr. They look human, but are a genetically engineered race, cloned to weed out imperfections, like greed, hate, humor and love. Before she goes to their planet, a L'eihr exchange student, a boy named Aelyx, is sent to Earth to live with her family and join her in her classes at school. At first, Cara is not thrilled with this idea, but after Aelyx's arrival, and the horrible reception her classmates and town give him, she is determined to show him that humans can be warm, friendly and honorable, at the risk of alienating herself from her friends at school. Aelyx, growing up a clone, has never felt love, or affection, and at first is appalled at the emotions humans exhibit. After awhile, Cara breaks through his barriers, and sacrifices everything to do the right thing by him.

I read this book the weekend of June, 12th when news of the horrible mass murders in Orlando were revealed. I couldn't help but draw parallels to the bigotry and hatred I was reading about, with the information that was being sent out through the airwaves about why someone would kill innocent people in a nightclub. Yes, this book is a Young Adult fantasy romance, and was probably not meant to be taken as seriously as I did, but the message that Melissa Landers delivered was more poignant than perhaps it would have been had I read this book a week earlier. The United States in this imaginary world, was filled with hate groups, leaders spewing filth, and violence directed at innocents, just as I have seen in my real worlds recent political ads and the domestic terrorism we witnessed on TV this weekend. Whereas I don't have an answer or a resolution on how to solve our real worlds problems, Melissa Landers seems determined, in this series, using this alien storyline, to work towards peace, resolve bigotry, and save a world. I admire the message, and wish that it was that easy in the real world.

I have already checked out the second book in the series, Invaded, curious to read if Cara gets any better reception from the people on L'eihr. There are several books in this series, and hopefully, this author will find a solution that could provide a little hope, even if just in a fantasy world.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Copyright 2016 Deborah Kehoe A Chick Who Reads All Rights Reserved

3.5/5

Aliens. Humans. A type of foreign, really foreign, exchange student program. However could this go wrong? The aliens that gave the world a cure for cancer, asking nothing but peace in return. Aliens that travel from far, far away to meet up with other civilized species. A huge radical group that wants nothing to do with the aliens and wants them gone from our land forever, and a small contingent of teen aliens that are introduced into our communities, schools and families. Alien teens that feel that their race is far superior to ours.

You learn about how the L'eihr’s live, replicate, etc. You learn that even though they come with emotions that are so strong against us, that if treated with affection, they learn to do the same in return. There is so much going on with the L'eihr race, but the reader is left in the dark about a lot more than they should be. This is a good first book in a series, but it could have been way better, stronger and put together.

You are given romance, light hearted moments, fear, sabotage and so much more. Who is the worse perpetrator is the question. What is happening to our Earth is another. Who in their right might would house someone that could present a danger to their child is even another. How things get so out of hand with so little actual violence makes the story downplayed in a way that it shouldn’t.

I liked the story, I look forward to reading more, but I think that a prequel would be a great idea before going further into the story as it is. The author gives us some info, but so much more is missing. I want to know more about the aliens introducing themselves to us. How was their presence felt at that time, how did society react, how did they appear?

This is a good book for teens and adults alike. I good scifi book that holds the potential to be an outstanding series. I just hope that the author develops the story a bit more and gives her reading audience more information and less questions.

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 16 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.}

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Bigotry, xenophobia, cultural appropriation (including skin-darkening).

Two years ago, the planet L'heir made contact with Earth, using superior technology. As a show of good faith, they cured Eileen Sweeney of cancer. (Did they cure anyone else? If not, why her? Not sure if this was explained.) Now, Aelyx is a L'heir exchange student in the Sweeney home.

Of course, there's a romance between Aelyx and Cara Sweeney. But in Midtown, the Sweeneys and the high school teachers seem to be the only ones who don't hate Aelyx and the L'heirs.

Cara's best friend and ex-boyfriend have joined the local chapter of bigots. (We later learn they're "not like the others" in the group, but it's an ORGANISATION OF BIGOTS, and they're in it.) Cara receives threatening messages from "humanists" wanting Aelyx out of town, and preferably off Earth. Bill's kicked out of his favourite pub, Eileen's kicked out of her book group, and Cara has no friend left except for Aelyx.

And a girl named Ashley. A group of people call themselves "L'heir Lovers", seemingly a welcoming committee. But they definitely fetishise L'heirs, and even appropriate L'heir culture: low ponytails, beige clothing, and DARKENING THEIR SKIN. The L'heir Lovers use self-tanner, but in this context it most definitely is cultural appropriation, if not some kind of blackface.

There is definitely bigotry in this novel, but there's also xenophobia. The "Patriots of Earth" hate L'heirs, but they also fear them. This means that instead of attacking Aelyx personally, they pick on the Sweeneys instead. Afraid Aelyx will fight back? It seems to turn the story into one of how allies are treated, instead of how the actual marginalised are treated.

Aelyx and his fellow "ambassadors" do not want to be on Earth. They want Earthlings to hate them, to kick them out back to L'heir. This is where the story becomes very timely, even though it was published almost two years ago and I only read it now.

The parents Sweeney don't make sense. One moment they don't want Cara and Aelyx to have sex in their house, the next they're convincing the teens to escape to L'heir together. It seems like a complete turnaround.

While ALIENATED may be marketed as a fun and relaxing read, its problematic contact makes it not as fluffy as you'd expect. It's disappointingly focused on the treatment of allies rather than the marginalised, and Midtown - kind of like Anytown, USA - is seriously disturbing with its bigotry, xenophobia, cultural appropriation, and teens with rifles.

I sure didn't expect that.

The story :
The Aliens made their apparition and aren’t welcome even if they give a cure for cancer. They are always people who think that the Aliens are only there for reproduction.
Cara is accepted for being a part of the exchange program student and Aelys will be her L’eihr student. Cara will see her friends changing sides and turning against her and Aelyx.
The relation between Aelyx and Cara will build up, deepened and we’ll see the real objective of this program.

The characters :
Cara is intelligent, strong and wants to have a successful life. She agreed for the program because she saw the benefit in it. She love debates and her talent is going to be put on test because few people want Aelyx in their city. Her best friend and her boyfriend won’t talk to her. Aelyx will be there for her even if he considers the humans less intelligent than L’eihrs. Even when everyone is against her she stays strong and tries her very best to make Aelyx comfortable and to treat him well.

Aelyx is arrogant, pretentious, distant, intelligent and he came on earth with a hidden and not very praiseworthy objective. Things on his planet are more advanced so he talks down to everyone on Earth. But even if he doesn’t like the humans, Cara is the first for which he feels something and he doesn’t really want to live her behind when he will leave. They have different social rules and don't date for fun. They are paired up. Cara will be the first person to break his shell.

Extract :
"I studied your history while I was still on L'eihr." And with a smirk that had become his own personal signature, he added, "It didn't take long." He returned his attention to the copy of Advanced Binuclear Theories the science teacher had lent him. Maybe he should read How to Avoid Acting Like a Pretentious Ass instead.

My review :
The description of the planet L’eihr is amazing, it’s well done and with the author’s great storytelling skills, you can picture the planet in your head even we’re in earth most of the time. The whole exchange program thing is very clever because it’s the best way to discover the lifestyle of someone.
The romance between Cara and Aelyx is kept at slow pace, making the swoony scene between them special. It’s honestly one of the sexiest kissing scenes ever.
This book contains several subjects as the racism, the family support and the friendship. In different level, this book make me think of the future, the humanity future and sadly it’s not hopeful.
This is the beginning of a great series, I like the characters and the story. And I absolutely love this cover, she’s amazing and describe very well Earth and L’eihr. I can’t wait to read the next book and discover L’eihr and see who is really Jaxen.

I received Alienated in return for an honest review from the publisher Disney Hyperion via Netgalley. Cara has been giving a once in a lifetime opportunity the only thing is she didn’t ask for it. She’s been picked to be one of the three humans to host one of the L’eihrs the aliens. In return she will get to spend time on their home planet as well as have college paid for. It’s an amazing chance for her future after all thanks to the aliens they cured her mom’s cancer. They can’t be all bad? She will be able to blog all about her experience which is hard to refuse if she wants to be a journalist.

Cara isn’t sure how she feels about losing her brother off to the alien planet and having to live with a strange boy. He’s attractive, hates all earth food and happens to beat her in chess every time. Yet as the two start learning more about each other Cara finds that he’s not so bad. She tries finding a food that will allow Aelyx to eat instead of being stuck with his supplements. However Aelyx has an agenda of his own. With the help of his friends those who are also on earth they planned to sabotage any attempts for the two beings to live together. The more he learns about Cara the more he knows he doesn't want to leave her. As Cara loses all her friends and even her boyfriend she finds herself falling for Aelyx and he her but can the two find happiness? What about all his plans with his friends? What about the angry humans who want them to leave? Will they survive?

I love Cara she has a blog how could I not connect with her right away. She’s smart willing to do what’s right even risking everything for love. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about Aelyx he’s kind of frustrating but the more I got to know him and learned about his people it all made sense. I’m glad she had Aelyx when everything with her friends didn't work out. They each have toxic friends but together they find happiness.

I have had this book on my TBR list forever so when I received an Arc I was super excite. I couldn't wait to dive into the story as reviews quickly started popping up around the blogosphere. I’m still new to the whole alien concept but after Alienated the concept has become my new favorite. I love the characters in the book they are easy to connect with engaging and stole my heart I couldn't help getting sucked into their lives. The concept of finding the advanced L’eihrs in space was unique and refreshing I like the idea of them being humans who have advanced far beyond us. The author has created a concept that sounds believable almost as if it could happen in the near future. For me Alienated was hard to put down it’s just one of those books that you have to know how it will end. The author has written a beautiful story that captures the heart as well as the imagination. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next in the series. One of my new favorite books I just really loved everything about it. There are a few steamy moments but mature teens as well as adults will enjoy the book.

Beam me up Scotty because this book really surprised me. This was a great start to a new series, and I can tell it'll just get better in the next book. When I originally read the description of this book, I thought it was going to be sci-fi all the way, not much emphasis on the romance. However, I got quite the opposite. The romance is balanced very nicely with the sci-fi element of this book, and works extremely well, as it is easily one of the best and most loveable parts of the novel. At first I was a little worried that I wouldn't understand what was going on because the novel basically just drops you right into the story. However, as the story progresses (and with the 3rd person POV), you quickly get the whole picture, and understand pretty much everything.

The plot to this novel is relatively simple, and while in most books this wouldn't work very well, in Alienated, it works perfectly. Because of the simplicity of the plot, the reader is never extremely lost or confused. It's all pretty much straightforward, and the element of aliens never overshadows the characters or the romance that blossoms throughout the story. One of the things that aided in helping the reader understand everything that was going on was the 3rd person POV. We are treated to both Cara's and Aelyx's perspective. I honestly think that this book would have been nowhere near as good if there wasn't alternating perspectives. The story would have been extremely confusing if the story would have just been told from Cara's POV. The dual POV is extremely well done, and both characters have their own unique voice.

I really enjoyed reading both Cara's and Aelyx's (said like A-licks) perspective. Cara's character progressed over the course of the story, and it was interesting to watch her transformation. She quickly becomes a very strong, independent, and fiercely noble person. She stands by her beliefs and doesn't back down when everyone is against her. She was also hilarious and spunky, which is always a winning combination. Aelyx was amazing. I absolutely loved him. Yes, he's extremely arrogant and standoffish in the beginning, but as he spends time on Earth and with Cara, he loosens up, and we see a brand new side of him that is simply swoonworthy. He constantly had me laughing when he tried to "fit in" with American customs or wording. I loved his explanations of things, and I especially loved watching his transformation into a caring, loving guy.

While it's no secret that love blossoms between Cara and Aelyx, it's not an insta-love thing, which is something I greatly appreciated. They took the time to get to know each other, and they had a friendship first. They didn't just fall head over heels in love with each other at first site. However, once their love blooms, it's a hold-on-tight roller coaster of feels! You'll be rooting for them every single step of the way!!

This was an exciting, original, and heartwarming start to a brand new series. The writing was fabulous, and Ms. Landers has a great talent for weaving an extraordinary tale. She has the flare of a seasoned author, which is very rare in a first-time author these days. I am eagerly anticipating the next in the series, and I'm sure it'll be a hit! I definitely recommend checking this book out if you're looking for a quick read that will instantly sweep you off your feet. It has humor, action, romance, and a hot alien. What's not to love? Check this out now. Happy reading :)

Fans of Eileen Cook and Claire Lazebnik, add this book to your to-read list asap! I know, I know, neither of those authors have written anything remotely science-fiction-y, but think of this as their writing style and humor with sci-fi elements mixed in. Ahhh, now that sounds more like your cup of tea, right? Well, I certainly was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this book. My argument was that anything with such a jaw-dropping cover can’t possibly have a great story to match. I now humbly admit that I was so, so wrong.

I’m actually glad that this is only the first book in a series, because I definitely want to read more about Cara, Aelyx, the L’eihrs, and how the heck they’re going to be able to establish an alliance between earth and L’eihr after they messed up the fragile trust between these two planets so spectacularly. I, personally, wouldn’t want to live on Leihr because everything there seems to be grey, brown, and...bland. And emotionless clones. Generations of them. In stark contrast to earth’s vibrant colors, emotions, freedom, and the right to live your life any way you choose, Leihr’s improved technology, cool gadgets, and medical advancements are the only things I found interesting about that drab planet. No matter what my personal outlook of L’eihr is, though, I have to hand it to the author for creating another way of life that is as alien in its ways, systems, and beliefs, as the realization for world peace is to us.

But, this is after all a love story, and not War of the Worlds (although that could become a possibility in later books, I suppose). Anyhoo, everyone knows Cara and Aelyx is going to fall in love somewhere along the way, right? So, of course this happens, but what made me enjoy their developing romance is the way it gradually evolved into I-can’t-live-without-you love instead of I-want-to-rip-off-your-clothes lust. Even though they fall in love little by little, there was nothing cheesy or overtly about it. Pretty much just your standard romance you’ll find in most YA books, but without the mush.

What the story lacks in new and refreshing romance, it makes up for with two strong protagonists and a well-imagined plot loaded with conflict. Visually Alienated would make a great tv series or movie, and I especially appreciated the finer details in the differing contrasts between our world and life on L’eihr. The debate Aelyx and Cara had at one stage sharing their conflicting points of view on freedom and democracy provided me with food for thought. The argument was refreshing and I admittedly favored Aelyx’s opinion because – if you really think about it – he has a few valid points. Their banter and Cara’s thoughts are loaded with humor that endeared her to me even more than the fact that she oozes self-confidence; and although she’s not the most popular student at school, she shines academically.

I enjoyed this book for various reasons; only some of which I shared here. Alienated is a unique read and is as entertaining on the inside as the cover is visually stimulating on the outside. Fans of romance and sci-fi would find a lot to love about this book, and although it doesn’t hold a candle to other romance novels in this same genre, it is still a unique and memorable read.

My Thoughts: We are introduced to Cara who is smart. She gets good grades and has a few close friends, and a boyfriend. She is chosen to host a boy from another planet. The planets are trying to merge, and this is the perfect opportunity for alliance the government believes. I'm not sure if you can really call it that but I'll say it anyway.

Aelyx and a few others come to earth. And Cara’s brother goes to his planet, and next year Cara will join her brother. It’s chaotic yet exciting. Aelyx comes and Cara meets him, and things are awkward and a little bit intense. But Cara can relate to him. She understands him, she tries to be his friend and help him. She knows this must be weird for him. And he thinks Cara is a bit weird too. He hasn’t had too much real interaction with girls so this is a new thing for him. He’s known girls but never really “known” them the way he gets to know Cara.
There are a lot of people against this allegiance and it gets somewhat scary for the two of them.

I really don’t even know what to say about this one. I want to go on and on, but since it doesn’t come out for a while (as I write this review) I don’t want to give everything away. This is either going to be one you love like me or that you find a bit weird. Personally, I thought it was creative and sweet and interesting.

I loved the plot, I loved the characters, and I loved the way everything happened. I really connected with the characters and that is what made this one so enjoyable for me.

Just give it a chance and see what you think.

Overall: A wonderful 2014 debut! Cute, quirky, romantic and a must read for young adult fans! I can’t wait to read the next one, I’m excited!

Cover: Love! Love! As soon as I saw this cover I wanted to jump up and down. I loved the colors, I love the people, its a beautiful and amazing cover!

What I’d Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes
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Taken From Princess Bookie