ARC Review: Alienated by Melissa Landers + Alienated #2 Cover Reveal

Alienated by Melissa Landers
Series: Alienated#1
Published by Disney Hyperion on February 4, 2014
Pages: 352
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Add to your Goodreads TBR shelf.

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.

[sc_embed_player fileurl=”http://mereadalot.net/muzak/Britney%20Spears%20-%20Alien.mp3″] <- Click  the play button for this review’s theme song.
(Alien by Britney Spears) 

 

“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” -Bill Sweeny, Alienated

Na-Nu, Na-Nu! Calling all Earthlings! Pick up a copy of Alienated at your local bookstore today!

 

Check out my psychological analysis of interview with Melissa here.

From a distance, he’d seemed unremarkable, but up close, his appearance intimidated her. Taller than any of Midtown’s athletes, his fitted uniform outlined every solid curve of muscle in his chest and arms, the fabric straining visibly against his broad shoulders. One strand of honey-brown hair had escaped his clasp and fallen against the outside of his angular jaw, and when he glanced at Cara, her stomach dropped to the floor. It was his eyes that’d left her stunned- not brown like the rest of him, but the most exquisite shade of silvery gray. Holy crap, did they selectively breed for looks, too?

Aelyx (pronounced A-licks- Yes, that’s right.) is our main extraterrestrial hottie in Alienated. He’s a L’eihr participating in the exchange program and his Earthling guide is Cara Sweeny.Aelyx’s kind believe they are light years ahead of the human race in every way, and he enters this exchange program with ulterior motives. Despite being an alien Adonis in the looks department, Aelyx’s hot appearance and superiority complex give Cara the chills. Their first meeting gets off to an interesting start, and Melissa Lander’s humor and wit shine and dazzle from the pages of this book as Aelyx begins to warm up to Cara and her human ways.

An involuntary smile curved Aelyx’s mouth. Leaping gods, there it was again–though he found nothing particularly entertaining about the girl, she’d already elicited this reaction in him several times, starting with the moment she’d removed her undergarments and revealed her bare, round bottom. Her skin was even paler than he’d thought possible, so translucent it practically illuminated the darkness, and he’d finally understood why humans called the act mooning.

(I’m flippin’ obsessed with Amy Pond from Doctor Who and think she would be a great Cara!)

Cara Sweeny is a firecracker. She’s at the top of her class and the top of her game when it comes to the debate team and juggling her home and social life. She’s a well rounded individual and was chosen to be Aelyx’s host based on these merits.

Initially hesitant to take on this new role, Cara quickly out weighed the cons with pros despite the problems it might cause with her long-time boyfriend and closest gal pal. The majority of Cara’s school and town are against this friendly ”alien invasion” . What Cara’s contemporaries don’t know about Aelyx and his race scares them, but Cara hopes to neutralize most people’s hate and fear towards the L’eihrs through blogging about the whole experience.

Just when I thought Alienated was going to fall short in the romantic department, Melissa Landers shocked my socks off with one of the hottest scenes I’ve read in a YA Sci-Fi  novel. It’s the kind of steamy and sexy that’s twice as effective because everybody still has their clothes on. It spiked my pulse and it was something different and refreshing than any romantic scene I’ve read in a while.

He gazed at Cara–sunset hair framing her scarlet-flushed cheeks, lips parted, eyes closed, lost in the moment. By the gods, she was exquisite. His heart swelled inside his chest. This human had captivated him, and her body’s response gave him hope that she felt the same way.

Alienated is Science Fiction and social commentary at its best– cleverly cloaked in one of THE COOLEST FRIGGIN BOOK COVERS I’ve ever seen. Alienated is the kind of book that you take to the restroom with you (Ughhhh. Yes. I just wrote that out-loud); you won’t want to put it down. Melissa Lander’s witty writing style and smart humor drive this book home in Tardis-style fashion. It’s just a book but there is SO much more to it than that.  Alienated will have you laughing out loud one minute and questioning your social norms the next. 

The world and character building are as vivid as the cover. Aelyx and Cara are as likeable and exciting as main characters get, and forget about your formulaic ”stock characters” – there’s nothing ”stock” about Melissa’s colorful cast of friends, family, and antagonists in this story. They are as brilliant as the MC’s and make for a fantastic and engaging reading experience.

If you didn’t already jump up and leave to buy a copy of this book in the middle of my review, than you can hop on over to YABooksCentral. Those lucky bastards got the coveted spot of ”cover reveal” for the second book in the Alienated series titled Invaded, and they are featuring a giveaway. Click on the cover for the deets.

 

Aliens are making their way back into mainstream media in a BIG WAY. The CW recently aired the pilot of a new show called Star-Crossed starring Aimee Teegarden and Matt Lanter. The beginning of this show was reminiscent of Alienated but had a darker tone.

Jump back 15 years and Star-Crossed reminds all of us alien enthusiasts of the Roswell High books by Melinda Metz and the beloved television show Roswell which still has a dedicated cult following.

And of course, we can’t forget the Lux aliens introduced to us by Jennifer Armentrout a couple of years ago. How do you feel about aliens? Do you prefer them to Vampires and Werewolves?