Summary:
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.
Publication Date: February 4, 2013
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.
Publication Date: February 4, 2013
Alienated was definitely a book that surpassed my
expectations. It was sweet and fun, but there was also a wonderful message of
tolerance that shined through. I loved the characters and I thought the premise
was wonderful, a breath of fresh air after reading a slew of alien invasion
novels.
Cara was a character I liked from the beginning. She’s
funny, sassy and not afraid to stand up and fight against the injustices in the
world. She’s not thrilled at first to host Aelyx, but she decides to embrace it
and goes out of her way to make him feel welcomed. She had great chemistry with
Aelyx and it was sweet how her fiery personality blended with his stoic nature.
I loved her relationship with her parents too and her mom and dad were probably
my favorite secondary characters.
Aelyx was a good contrast to Cara and although I didn’t love
him at first, he grew on me. It was interesting to learn about his planet and I
thought the author came up with some creative descriptions for L’eihr and its
inhabitants.
The plot isn’t chock full of sci-fi elements and is more
driven by the romance between the two main characters. Another central plot
point is how the town reacts when they feel threatened by the presence of the
aliens. Things turn violent and the novel became very suspenseful as the danger
closes in for Aelyx and Cara.
My one complaint is I felt the ending was very rushed. Many
of the major plot points were resolved within pages and I also didn’t like how
willing Cara seemed to be to risk her friends and family for Aelyx. Her actions
in the final third of the novel didn’t seem to fit with her early
characterizations.
Overall, I really loved Alienated and I can’t wait for the
next book! I believe the next one is set on L’eihr and I can’t wait to learn
more about Aelyx’s world.
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this novel for review!
