Alienated (Alienated Series #1)

Taken from my Blog YA Book Spot:  First off that cover drew me in. It’s so beautiful and amazing. Simple too. I know how we all say we never judge a book by its cover but, come one, we all do. This is far from being a boring cover. It’s out of this world. Get it? Because aliens? No? Okay I’ll stop now. The one thing that I love most about Alienated is that there really isn’t any war against another alien race. If you watch Star-Crossed on the CW then it’s basically like that. There are protesters and a radical group; people trying to pass laws that don’t give L’eihr’s their rights. In this book it’s politics that matters. That’s refreshing. What I love is how Melissa Landers also mentions past history, like the 1960s civil rights movement. Alienated is basically the civil rights movement, but with a twist. Besides the plot, I also love Cara. I read that some people didn’t and I don’t get how. At first I thought I was really going to hate her. That she would be this stuck-up girl towards Aelyx, but instead she was actually extremely welcoming. Cara went out of her to make Aelyx feel comfortable and I love that she stood by him, even when her boyfriend didn’t want her to. Cara is also one of the strongest characters I’ve read. No, she’s not brandishing a weapon like she’s in Dauntless. What makes her strong is the fact that she stood by her decisions, stood by Aelyx, even though so many people turned their backs on her. Cara always kept her head held high. That’s true courage to me. So often we find ourselves changing our beliefs based on others opinions. We need people like Cara in this world. I loved when she said, “This is how discriminatory legislation gets passed- people know it’s wrong. but they’re too lazy or too scared to take action.” That last part has to be my favorite. Cara is so opinionated but doesn’t care what people have to think.Aelyx. Dear lord I love him. I loved seeing him grow as a character, seeing all those human qualities he picked up. Oh my god, and the best scene had to be when Aelyx googled kissing. He reminded of a little kid. A whole new world indeed… Alienated isn’t full of action, but it’s full of choices. It’s about standing by your beliefs no matter what. There’s no race against an evil alien race, but instead a fight against humanity. It’s about overcoming prejudices. See, the problem isn’t just the humans, but also the L’eihr’s. I want to see them work together. I love Cara’s relationship with her parents, with Aelyx. Forget fighting with hands, we need more characters like Cara: characters who fight with words. Melissa Lander’s writing is beautiful. I could feel the characters emotions. I swear, after reading this book and wanted to have a debate with everything. 

* eARC was provided via Net Galley in exchange of an honest review. Let the ranting BEGIN!! I'm pretty sure the next book trend is going to be Aliens. Vampires, werewolves, zombies and dystopian novels trend has had its glory days, now aliens get to have a go. I fell in love with aliens way back when I read the Lux series By Jennifer Armentrout and another author has finally answered my prayers! More Aliens. Give. Me. Now. Please C: All that aside this novel was amazing and I am totally looking forward to the sequel! In the beginning, it was kind of hard to get into the story and a bit confusing. That's mostly because of the amount of alien words being thrown in without a translation (if there is one). This novel introduces a new race of aliens. Formally known as L'eihrs (I wish I knew how to pronounce that...). They, of course, are superior beings and think of us mere earthlings as useless beings who would eventually kill their planet if transported there. I just fell in love with Aelyx. I just loved how he spoke proper english and the rants going on in his head before he got to know Cahh-ra (as he called her) and her/our planet is just too funny to describe. Though he had ulterior motives, of his own, for coming down all is forgiven. Cara and Aelyx's romance was just too cute. Eric (le boyfriend) was a pushy bastard trying to get in Cara's pants. He lost all my respect after I discovered that tidbit of information. No means NO. Deal. With.It. Cara took too long to realize that the kind hearted, nice guy he was in the past, wasn't there anymore. Tori surprised me. She's the so-called BFF and she abandons her second half because of peer pressure. Up to that point I understand, but what she did less than a week later made her an unforgivable b*tch to me. It's called the girl code, learn it. Cara was an interesting character to say the least. She was smart, determined, had her mind made up and stubborn to boot. Though at the end of the novel she didn't keep her consistency, since she forgave Aelyx for something that to her was UNFORGIVABLE in less than 10 pages. P.S. That cover is just out of this world!! (I S2 Alien jokes teehee) Favorite Quotes: "No living creature could tolerate a kick to the reproductive organs." "That's what you said about Skittles. I vomited a rainbow afterward." "Think Satan wants to borrow my snowblower?" (LOL, I just couldn't resist) "Loving me didn't stop you from lying or playing God."

Super hot alien but...GIMME NOW! Seriously, I've fallen in love with aliens. After avoiding the little green monsters my entire life, I've become obsessed. Obsidian, Star Crossed, and now... This book was awesome. No NA or X-rated scenes *score!*, no insta-love or super unrealistic character traits, character development, awesome sauce plot line, engaging writing and...of course, an exquisite ending. They say you always remember the beginning and end of things, and I guess that's really true. What do I remember? Attitude changes, revelations, secrets and change. especially change. A lot of people are scared of change. Heck, IM scared of change. But this book....taught me change isn't always bad. We can think we're doing really well and yet at the stop of a hat that can all break apart. It taught me to be strong within myself and to stick with my beliefs. It also taught me aliens are hot. It taught me that even people who appear to have their life sorted can be lost. It taught me I'm not alone and sometimes that's all you need. This book was engaging, interactive, accessible, relatable and more! I can't WAIT to read the next one! (No seriously, February?!? -.-) all I want now is to hold it in my hands...Gerd dermit please appear in Aussie book stores!!

I picked up this novel late at night, around 1am, because I couldn’t sleep and I planned to read until I was tired enough to go to bed. What ended up happening is a sleepless night for me as I tore through this novel, unable to put it down. The story of Cara and Aelyx was extremely intriguing, and I just adored it. It was awesome to see this alien planet and its people attempt to make an alliance with the Earth, and to see just how both the residents on L’eihr and Earth responded–especially because their thought process was similar: no. From the get go readers know that neither the people of Earth nor Aelyx and his team want this alliance–the Earth is scared for its safety and the L’eihr’s are highly advanced beyond humans–so neither humans nor Aelyx and his team understand the purpose of an alliance. That being said, animosity and tension fills the story as Aelyx and his team come to earth in a good will gesture–staying for an exchange program that will end with Cara going to L’eihr with Aelyx for her own exchange program… should the alliance actually work. The novel really takes a look at what would happen should aliens ever make contact—if they exist. And, it shows that even though we believe ourselves to be extremely advanced, should fear strike our hearts, we very well could have another civil rights movement on our hands. Aelyx is not welcome, and as tensions rise, so does the risk. It reminded me a lot of the Little Rock Nine as I read, with Aelyx going to school amid the picketers and violence, with the shunnings and threats against any who supported him. In truth, it shows just how bigoted a fearful nation can become when met with change. Now, to be fair, Aelyx and his team are not innocent bystanders in this. With the truth hidden inside the government, a truth Aelyx doesn’t even know, he and his team are indeed trying to sabotage the alliance, but it’s not made clear how until the middle of the book, when other truths are made know. And when they are? Well, everything is put into perspective fairly quickly and we learn that nothing is as it seems… and, should the alliance fail, it means dire circumstances for not only earth, but also L’eihr as well. Shrouded in mystery, this novel kept my attention from start to finish, and finish I did, right in time for my work alarm to begin blaring. It’s mysterious with a slow budding romance, and I really liked that all my questions were answered, especially when it came to the romance between Aelyx and Cara. As Aelyx points out many times, love is not really a part of his culture, but the way Landers weaves together the story and the hidden answers is perfect. I adored this novel and can’t wait for the next installment, though I have some reservations about the newest character we meet at the very end, Jaxen–who I foresee becoming a problem for both Cara and Aelyx. Five amazing stars.

I loved this alien aspect of this novel. It gave it a sci-fi feel without all of the more technical stuff. It was just enough to make it interesting without eclipsing the novel. The plot line was interesting to read and definitely kept me engaged. It was a pretty easy novel to understand, with the exception of some of the slang that Aelyx used. But eventually, you can figure it out. The novel ended with a bang, and kept me hoping for more. I can’t believe that I have to wait an entire year for book two!

Holy batman... this book! I was lucky enough to read Alienated last year, thanks to NetGalley, and in all honesty, when I made the request I was only expecting for it to be a fun, light, alien-themed read which I would hopefully enjoy---little did I know it would end up being a 5-stars-rating-favorite-of-the-year-oh-my-god-I-need-a-physical-copy-so-I-can-hold-it-close-to-my-heart book. I adored the protagonist, Cara, she’s kind, she’s loyal, she’s smart, she’s a nerd, she’s outgoing, and she’s one of the few people who aren’t prejudiced against aliens, on the contrary, she wants to know more about them, so she gladly accepts one in her home as the result of an intergalactic high school exchange program. (Sounds kind of silly, right? It's not!) These aliens, the L’eihrs, and humans have a nearly identical DNA, and physically they look the same, but among other things, L’eihrs just don’t react or feel things as humans do, because their emotions are completely repressed in their brains. The story has a lot more going on, but nothing was more pleasing to me than Cara and Aelyx's relationship. They go from total strangers to friends, and then to lovers, slowly, deliciously, and without even noticing what's happening. And did I mention L'eihrs don't enjoy touching that much, and are kind of grossed out with the idea of kissing? Yeah, so much fun to see how Aelyx's opinion changes as the story progresses. At some point Cara actually volunteers to show him how humans kiss and long story short: IT WAS HOT. I was really worried throughout the whole book though, because from the beginning it’s clear that Aelyx is hiding something, that he has a double purpose to be on Earth and I feared that this secret mission of his would be too much for Cara to forgive in the end, and I just couldn't stand the idea! I need my Cara and my Aelyx together or the world doesn't feel right!! To this day, I can't believe the amount of feels this book gave me, it was so, so good, fun, romantic, unexpected, and I cannot wait for the sequel---oh my God, 2015, WHY DO YOU HATE ME LORD. Recommended!

I could not put this book down! Melissa Landers is an amazing new science fiction writer! This book was very, very exciting and I highly recommend it.

Wow! What a read. I knew it was going to be good, I had high expectations, but words cannot describe how much my expectations were just blown out of the ocean with this book. The cover is beautiful, colourful, everything I want on my shelf, the story is well written, and I cannot wait for the next one. A great addition to my bookshelf, with love, sci fi, action and fantasy all built into one

  I'm not really sure what to think of this one. I was really expecting something completely different from this... Like maybe a little more serious. I'm not sure how to put it, but this was not how I was thinking this book would turn out. "People fear what they don't understand." 3% (e-ARC)       When I heard about this book I was all on board. But unfortunately, as I started reading it, I was not really a huge fan. The writing style is extremely juvenile. It seemed more like an MG novel. I get some people are quirky and silly, but the entire school? Yeah it just seemed like too much. And for them to be so angry at her, with the rest of the book being so silly, I never took them too serious. It all just seemed like a huge joke. "It's common knowledge that shiny rocks are preferred among human females." 21% (e-ARC)      And then I'm upset because I really felt like there was absolutely no plot. I felt like I was just reading through this ----------------. Yes I knew that it was semi pitched as a mystery, but geez, I knew everything as soon as it happened. And there was absolutely nothing to set it apart from any other YA novel I've ever read. Which is such a disappointment because I was really looking forward to this one. "Sexual reproduction and food- human's two favotite subjects." 53% (e-ARC)      Now the only thing I DID like was the humor in it. There were a couple of times I was happy that I read the majority of this at home because I laughed out loud so many times. There were so many quotes that I write down wanting to add to my review just because it was funny. "How can we understand what we've never experienced and adapt without making mistakes." 92% (e-ARC)      But overall, there was nothing really "over the moon" about this one. (Pun intended.) It read like any other YA novel and the writing style took it from a "regular" YA novel to a "regular" MG one. I think I would've enjoyed this more had it been pitched as an MG.

Intergalactic foreign exchange students?!? Yes! I'm not really the best at writing reviews but please take my word for it that Alienated is the perfect mix of intrigue, romance and adventure!  At first Cara Sweeney and Aelyx don't care for each other, and that is putting it lightly. The only reason Cara is going along with the whole alien foreign exchange program is so she can get into a good college. Of course I knew Cara & Aelyx would quote "fall in love" in the book, what I didn't expect is author Melissa Landers making me feel as if I were seeing things through Cara's eyes, it was nothing short of amazing! Melissa has a way of making her characters jump off the page and right into your heart.  If you enjoy romance along with adventure, this book is for you!

First off, in Alienated it seems like there were two Caras.  Cara in the beginning I really liked, she was intelligent and outright funny.  Beginning Cara wasn't oblivious to the things happening around her, she asked the hard questions.  But, the Cara at the end of the book was the complete opposite.  That Cara was oblivious to the things happening around her, and didn't press people to answer her hard questions.  It's almost like someone switched her out with a love driven, take everything at face value, gullible person.  What happen? Why after googling, "How to cheer someone up," does Aelyx sudden like hand holding, hugging, and kissing?  Aelyx and Cara were friends at first but then they were immediately in love.  Their progress from friends to boyfriend/girlfriend relationship was like a cousin to insta-love.  How come all of a sudden Aelyx can "silent speech" with Cara?  I thought human brains didn't have the capacity to "silent speech?"  I need more of an explanation.  Also, at this point is when the book takes a turn for the worse.

I loved this book. The characters are great, the story line is very original, the plot moves well, and the dialogue is fantastic. Plus the cover is gorgeous. I'd definitely pick this up if I saw it on the shelf.

Cara Sweeny is not a happy camper. She is not happy to find out that she is going to be playing host to the first alien exchange student. In fact, she doesn't want to even tell her parents that she had been chosen. Good thing her principal already told them for her and they couldn't be more excited to have this special honor. When Aelyx and Cara meet, things don't quite go over the way they were hoping, in fact, Aelyx gets to see Cara and her naked backside before even seeing her face. Talk about making a first impression. There were times that I laughed out loud at the hilarity that is Aelyx because of the way that he speaks, he really is a pretty funny guy. And I loved the fact that this wasn't my usual go-to book genre (I usually read more new adult than I do young adult) but this book was actually really awesome and it wasn't something I could easily predict. I am very anxious to see how Cara and Aelyx will cope with a separation and the introduction of a possible third love interest is something I'm craving to know what happens. Although I feel like Jaxen is more of a "I plan on making life difficult for the both of you instead of taking your lover from you" kind of guy. This was definitely a cute read and I can't wait to see what happens next.

I was a seriously excited about this book when I first Read the premise Last year. It sucked to have to wait a year for it to come out, but I was definitely anticipating it. I was concerned after reading some early reviews right after the release, but I am happy to say I was not disappointed by this book. It lived up total hype. I can't wait for the next!!

I love, love, love this book! Melissa's book is so unique and brings out social issues of humanity and what makes someone human.  You have Cara who is just been granted to be part of a student exchange program from L'eihr. She has a boyfriend who hates the L'eihr race and is part of HALO a L'eihr Expulsion Act. Her best friend Tori is not to comfortable with the idea of a L'eihr being in their town either. Cara is conflicted since the L'eihr shared the cure for cancer saving her Mom.  Aelyx is from L'eihr and hates the Human races and belives his race is far superior do to evolving in technology and breeding only the best qualities in there future generations. Aelyx meets Cara and soon learns how to feel and think for himself. Cara breaks down his defenses and sees what it really means to love and be part of something bigger. This book was interesting from well just the cool aspect of Aliens to the steamy romantic parts. This book will be my treasure forever that I will read over and over again. Melissa captured me into this world and I could not put this book down. I am giving this 5 out of 5 stars and can not wait for book 2 Invaded!

This book is amazing.I had come across this book on good reads and I must say that it was intriguing from the title. I had wanted to know how the "Alienated" title matched the cover. The story is written very well and the content is well.. For a lack of a better word thrilling! I was on the edge of my seat with my heart pounding by the end of it. Cara is just your regular teenager, except she has a spitfire tongue and a passionate spirit and man does her world get rocked when the seemingly dull and lifeless transfer student who just happens to be an advanced alien life form enters her life. What happens next is a story that rivals Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Star crossed takes on a whole new literal meaning that young adult readers will love. Five (trillion) stars. Loved it! Can't wait til book #2!

First, can we take a moment to swoon over this cover?? The colors, the whole layout. SWOON! Okay, now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, I must confess that I know Melissa, however, my review is my honest opinion. This story was hilarious! It was also cute and fun and suspenseful, but also laugh-out-loud funny! So, far warning if you’re reading it in a public place. Luckily for me, my husband is used to my noises while reading. (He only interjects when my sobbing becomes so much it shakes the couch.) I thought the plot was all-around great. Cara’s reasons for doing the exchange is solid, but then her emotions get even more involved and it’s even better. The community’s reaction to Aelyx and his two friends is what I imagine would actually happen. And, the romance between Cara and Aelyx is adorable and sultry. (And, if you get that reference you get a cookie!) I can’t wait until Invaded comes out next year. (NEXT YEAR????? SOB!) Even if science-fiction isn’t usually your thing, I highly recommend this book!

I was actually lucky enough to get an ARC copy of Alienated from the publisher all the way back in May. But at that time I had some issues with reading, and I could never make myself pick the book up. And then I started thinking I would dislike it, since I'm still unsure about that summary. But today I decided that I needed to read it. Since it's coming out in a few days and all. And because I thought I would probably enjoy it. I hoped. And then I read it. And I loved it so, so much. It surprised me. My love for this book is big. I'm so glad that I ended up loving it. I found the writing to be pretty amazing. Though I had a few issues with how the people were talking and such. But mostly I really loved it. And that was great. I was sucked in from the very first few pages. And then I just could not stop reading until I had finished the book. Though, I do have something to say about that ending. Which I will be getting to pretty soon :D Alienated is told from two different point of views. The point of view of Cara the human, and Aelyx the alien. And I kind of really loved them both. So much. They were both amazing characters and I loved being inside both their heads. Cara is such a sweet girl. Well, for the most part. And I loved reading about her family, because they were adorable. Though I wish we had gotten to know even more about them all. Even her brother. In the beginning Cara has a boyfriend. And oh, I kind of really hated him. I'm sure he was sweeter earlier on, as in years ago, like Cara says. But now he was a total a*. And I'm happy that didn't last long. Though, sure, he does one good thing at the end. But that does not make me forgive him. She also has a best friend. At first. And I did not like Tori much either. First she was awesome. But then she changed and I hated how much she hurt Cara. And I don't think I would have ever forgiven her for what she did. I'm not sure how I will talk about this book. I won't share too much about the plot, because that would be kind of spoilery. And it was amazing reading this book without knowing what would happen. And I really enjoyed this book. Sure, it had a few flaws. But I loved it and I'm rating it with five stars. I enjoyed the characters. I loved getting to see Cara and Aelyx get to know each other. I loved how Aelyx spoke, the things he said. This book was funny. And I wasn't expecting that. Which is why I loved Alienated so. There is a lot of things happening in this book. And I loved all of it. Though, to be honest, most of it kind of broke my heart. Alienated was full of feels. And I couldn't have loved it more. We learned about the sort-of-aliens and how they were. And I loved that. Aelyx was so different and I adored him. But I wanted to know more. So, so much more. Cannot wait for book two. I even loved the school scenes. Because they were pretty creepy. There is a lot of creepy in this book. And lots of creepy people. I won't say more about this book. Just that it is amazing. And I really enjoyed it. And that there is some romance in this book. And it's amazing and it made me swoon. Though it did give me some heartbreak. I wish they had talked a bit more about this one thing. But then, I didn't really blame Aelyx for not saying anything. But I do wonder why Cara didn't see that it isn't that easy to choose between saving your own planet or someone else's planet. At least, I don't think it is. I understood his hesitation about sharing. I'm dying to read the sequel to this book. And I just wish the wait was shorter. But still. There is one thing that's bothering me about this book. The ending. I liked it, but it also broke my heart a little. And thing is, it hadn't broken my heart if this character hadn't been introduced. I feel that Jaxen will make the sequel into a love triangle thing. And if that happens, I'm out. So, please, don't let that happen. There does not need to be a triangle. Cara and Aelyx have an amazing love story to explore. <3 I want to give a huge thank you to the publisher, Disney Hyperion, for the print ARC copy of this amazing book. <3 Thank you so much for the chance to read it early. And I'm so so sorry that I waited all these months to finally read this book. But also glad, as I'm not sure I could have survived a year and a half for the sequel, hih. Though now I must wait a whole year for it.. I hope it goes by fast. I need more. <3 I think you should all read Alienated. It is an amazing book and I think you will all fall in love with it.

I absolutely ADORED 'Alienated', I think i've only read one other aliens-on-earth YA book so I didn't really have any expectations going in but the few expectations I did have were completely blown away. It will be very very hard to be beat in the future. I really enjoyed the idea of intergalactic exchange students, and now going to another country for one will just seem amateur. Cara and Aelyx were a slow-going thing, it wasn't love-at-first-sight they worked at getting to know each other and each others customs. Once they hit the romantic stage though... damn. They turned it up. I definitely swooned, a lot.  There is definitely enough drama to keep you from putting down the book- or at least I COULD NOT put it down. If hot aliens are your thing yeah, you should definitely pick this up.

Right from the start I was hooked because ALIENS! Ever since I read JLA's Lux series I've completely fallen in love with aliens so I was excited to see Lander's take on aliens, and I wasn't let down! Lander's created aliens that resembled humans physically, but the didn't feel the same emotions and humans. In fact, they were kind of detached when it came to feeling emotions which was a very interesting concept. Cara was a character I loved right from the start. Initially, she doesn't want to take part in the exchange program, but she decides to give it a chance because she'll get a full ride to any college of her choice. Cara had a strong spirit and fought for what she believed in. She went out of her way to make Aelyx feel comfortable and welcome. She was an amazing character. Aelyx was snarky, arrogant, sweet and I completely fell for him. Even though there were times that I wanted to shake him, I still really loved him. It was pretty hilarious seeing Aelyx trying to adapt to Earth because he was completely out of his comfort zone.  Aelyx and Cara's relationship is one of my favourites ever now. It was a slow developing relationship (which I loved), so it allowed them to become friends and get to know each other. And then when the romance blossomed, they had some extremely hot make-out sessions. *fans self* Melissa Lander's sure knows how to write make out scenes!  The story line really surprised me! There was a lot more to it than I initially expected. Cara was being targeted by the Anti-L'eihr groups. She was being threatened and people were acting violently towards her. Some of the things that happened to her actually made me sick to my stomach. I couldn't believe people would take their protests so far. I also enjoyed uncovering Aelyx's 'mission' and finding out what he was up to. The ending was craaaaaaaaaaazy! And that's no exaggeration! It was completely unexpected and I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen. I'm super excited for Invaded now because I have to know what's going to happen next!  Overall, I really really enjoyed Alienated. I loved the aliens, the story line, the romance and everything else! I need Invaded now!

Since reading The Host by Stephenie Meyer and The Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout, I love reading books with aliens. Alienated is a great example of that genre.  It is a story of overcoming prejudice and staying strong in the face of bullies and hate. At times it was funny, the differences between the races and the blog posts were sometimes hilarious. Cara and Aelyx maybe couldnt be more different, from different planets, but when love is in the way there is no obstacles they werent willing to fight in the end. I was really angry plenty of times while reading the book beacuse it is frightening how people allow hate and prejudice to cloud their judgment and how they think violence is the answer. To me, that is just plain stupidity. I loved Caras parents and how they are loving and smart people. I loved both Aelyx, who is so special and sweet and stoic, and I loved studious Cara, who didnt allow her friends and boyfriend influence her and how she stood up for herself and Aelyx despite all. I look forward to the sequel, the ending was great but still there is plenty more to tell.

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. http://opinionatedbooklover.com/review-alienated-by-melissa-landers/

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

Alienated is the first book in the Alienated series by Melissa Landers. Cara's personality really pulled me in to her world. She's fun, witty, and sticks to her guns. This was such an easy book to get into. Time flew while I read. I'm a little worried about the next book as it seems like it might be following the pattern of so many second books in other YA book series by separating the lovebirds. That always irks me. Hopefully, it won't. But, even if it does, I'm still anxious to see what's in store next for Cara and Aelyx.