Alienated - Melissa Landers

Title:        Alienated
Series:      Alienated
#:                   1
Author:    Melissa Landers


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.


I've never read a book on alien exchange programs before, or well much on aliens actually. But I liked the idea which made me pick up this book. 

It was easy to keep reading and I didn't want to put down this book, the story was always moving it kept me locked and focused at all times. I found the story easy to keep up with and the writing easy to read and follow.

While reading this book you get to switch between Cara and Aelyx's perspectives giving you a clear understanding on both characters, their thoughts, feelings and what they want. 
I liked Cara straight away, bum bearing scene and all. But Aelyx, or the A-licker, took a while for me to warm towards, from gagging on chocolate to being a smart ass it took a while for me to care about what happened to him, his alien friends or his planet.

I like reading books about aliens and the future or alternate worlds, because then you can make whatever technology or rules you like. In this story our aliens were very advanced because they made a breeding program and then only the good genes were reproduced and they were even grown outside of wombs.
This, I liked.
Then not long after I read this book I watched Man of Steel, and I got to thinking, that's similar to the book I just read, on Superman's home planet they have this breeding program based on genes and breeding for a purpose, (i.e. bred to be a soldier) having no choice in what you do when you grow up. And they weren't born naturally either.
I couldn't help but think of the similarities.
But that is the only bad point I have.

I thought the story wrapped up nicely at the end. Yes there is a book two, but sometimes I like to have an open ending like this one, room for my brain to imagine what it wants.

4 out of 5