Melissa Landers

Alienated

Sarah Sammis

As so often happens in a trilogy, the last act is rushed. The two main characters go from tolerating each other to being passionately in love. Meanwhile, all the stuff that's been stewing in the background has erupted, leaving the book to end on a whopper of a cliffhanger.

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Emelie

3,5

My rating for this book changed a lot. It started as a 3, the first half was 5, the last 100 pages was just 2 and the last chapter made it to 3 again.. Overall i give it 3.5 stars! x')

Menna Khaled

i adore this book .great way of interpreting the futur. can't wait for the 2nd book.

Sven Test

**Please keep in mind that this was my first review and was written on May 15, 2014**

Alienated is about a normal high school teenage girl, Cara Sweeney (pronunciation: Care-a). Cara’s goal is to get into a prestigious college and the only way to do that is if she lets a L’eihr (alien from planet L’eihr) stay in her home. By doing so, the government will pay for any college she applies. She accepts without really knowing that her life is about to change drastically.

When I first started reading Alienated, my first thought was that it seemed a lot like the television show Star-Crossed. As I continued reading, I noticed that the things that make them similar are aliens and the interplanetary relations, along with wanting the aliens out of planet Earth. The story line is way different and I find it so interesting.

I found the book to be a bit slow, like a drama but the plot always kept me going. I wanted to know more about how everything would turn out. There were parts in the book that got me teary-eyed and parts where I couldn’t stop laughing. This book won’t let the readers down.

When I finished reading, I wanted more. It leaves a cliffhanger as to “what happens now?” that you just need to read the second book.

Steysha

Lovelovelovelove it!!! The fans of the Lux series will totally like it =)

Jaclyn

"Either you'll starve," she said. "Or I'll kill you with my cooking. Either way, you're screwed." 
"Completely fashed." He agreed. 
"I can see the headline now," Cara choked out. "Midtown girl slays exchange student with flatbread, ends alliance negotiations." 
"L'eihrs retaliate by forcing humans to eat Sweeny's creation, " he added. "Ending all life on earth." 
She burst into another fit of giggles at that before gasping "What a terrible way to go."
"The worst," he agreed. But at least he'd be in good company."  

THIS BOOK WAS SO MUCH FUN TO READ! It was light, quick, funny and fun but still had a small serious tone. I flew through it and couldn't put it down. It kind of reads like a contemporary, so easy but still filled with a captivating and fun storyline. 

It reminded me a lot of the Lux series (which is also a amazing series that everyone should read!) but only the with a twist. In this book humans already knew aliens existed for two years and now they're trying to make peace by sending three exchange students down to different parts of earth. Cara gets picked to to host Aelyx in her home and this brings  a lot of complications  but also  so much fun  
The way this word reacted to having an alien exchange student around really reminded me of the way people would react. The government is so involved in this process and there are riots and so much anger but also some people are accepting. It's a mix and it's so realistic! 

I loved the double meaning of the title too. Cara loses a lot in this book by being so welcoming to Aelyx and she's such a strong character and very easy to relate too. I mean, if I hand the chance to host a hot alien in my house, I so would!! And guys, she has a BLOG. And we got to see a few blog post and they were so funny and I loved reading it. I definitely would be constantly checking it, if it was real! 

And Aelyx is definitely  HOT.  in the beginning he's hard to relate to and feel anything towards. He doesn't like humans and doesn't want an alliance. We get dual point of views so it was really great watching him fall for Cara and go through so much development!! The character development in this book was prefect. There was no insta love and we really got to see there relationship grow and it was so beautiful to see 

THE ROMANCE WAS OUT OF THIS WORLD. 

 Ha. See what I did there?  

But really it was so so cute and I loved Aelyx figuring out his feelings and what they meant and it was SO SWEET. And it was HOT. OMG

 "It felt good, almost unearthly, and even though his lips never left hers, she felt the kiss  everywhere . Powerful hands moved to her shoulders, slip down the bare skin of her arms to her thighs and tugged her forward. Heart pounding, out of control, she climbed into his lap, straddling his thighs."  

 SO MUCH SEXUAL TENSION IN THIS BOOK.  

IT WAS SO BUILT UP THAT WHEN IT HAPPENED IT WAS PERFECT. 

And the humor in their relationship was hysterical to read. 

 "“To be honest, I don't know what qualities you ever saw in him. I can tell why he chose you, but-"
"Oh yeah?" Cara's spirits lifted as she sensed a compliment coming on. "Why do you think he chose me?"
"It's obvious." He swept a hand to indicate her loose curls. "Your long, shiny hair, healthy skin, and bright eyes show that you're well-nourished."
"Uh, thank you?"
"I'm not finished."
"Go on then."
"You're clearly intelligent." Then he felt the need to add, "For a human."
"Gee. That's so sweet."
"But Eric was probably most attracted to your wait-to-hip ratio." For a split second, Aelyx resembled a human boy as he leaned back and peered at her caboose. "Hips of that width are likely to pass life offspring without complication." 
Cara nearly swallowed her own tongue"”  

SO GOOD. But yeah if you love hot aliens and are craving a really fun scifi book then I highly recommend!

Gabrielle Canzano

THIS BOOK HAS BROUGHT ME BACK INTO THE LOVE OF READING. I was falling away from reading and I had bought this book around the time it came out and literally read it last night. Just finished it today (August 26th) and had not put it down until I read that final sentence. Didn't even get a wink of sleep XD I screwed my self over but it was worth it because this book is amazing. Beautifully written and just wanting you to keep reading to know what's going to happen next. Can't wait for the new one

Kari Finkle 

This book was a perfect mix of romance, mystery, adventure, and most of all ALIENS!! Cara and Aelyx's relationship is the perfect symbol for acceptance between two different people. Even after countless threats, dangerous experiences with Leihr haters, and the loss of her friends, they stuck by each other. They never gave up hope of a future where both planets could live in harmony. Though Aelyx had different intentions for Earth, it was because of his love for Cara and her trust in him, that he not only uprooted his sh'alear but he uprooted his heart from the gray, bland hole that was lost in his planet. Alienated was beautiful, enchanting, and just simply riveting! I can't wait for more :D

Micol Scalabrino

Me two days ago: I'm gonna reread the first book and then dive into the next.
Me while reading: well...
Me after finishing it: what the hell, why did I like it so much back then?

My vote: 2.5

Candyce Kirk

3.5 stars

There are a lot of stories out there these days where aliens come to Earth. Like any story, when the L'eihrs will come to live with humans, not everyone is very happy. I thought in many ways that this seemed similar to some protests these days. People get so wrapped up in not wanting something, that they won't stop and listen. That becomes so dangerous.

Let's get back to the story. Cara is a star student and chosen as a host for one of the L'eirh students. I loved her though. She's sarcastic and I love that she wanted to keep a blog. Even though once feelings started developing, I think that took over a lot of how she was reacting.

Aelyx isn't really happy about this whole exchange program and is willing to do anything to stop it with the two other students being sent to Earth. He was a lot of fun though. Just trying to find him something to eat created some hilarious moments. I loved how smart he was. It was fun seeing that play out in different situations, especially once he started realizing things weren't all black and white.

Near the end there are a lot of discoveries and different plot twists. Some of them really surprised me, but I kind of wish this started playing out sooner instead of concentrating so much on Aelyx and Cara together. Of course, I'm all for the romance, but this was pretty much insta-love and took over too much of the story at times.

I have to say I love how the author started to make the characters realize there is more to everything than they know. Humans aren't evil, but the L'eihrs aren't all innocent either. I am definitely curious to see how the rest of this trilogy plays out! Especially after that ending!

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.

Kristen

2.5 stars.

Overall, I began enjoying this story at the halfway mark, or a little after. It was very shallow, and most of the conflict focused around high school drama. The characters were all essentially stereotypes: the hot but stupid jock, the backstabbing best friend, the popularity-hungry lying b*tch. The only characters that experienced a lot of development were Cara and Aelyx. 

I rolled my eyes quite a bit. Granted, this could be my age, as this book is probably great for ages 12 to 20. For me, though, I just found it pretty immature and lackluster. It wasn't bad enough for me to stop, however, which speaks volumes. I'm definitely a book quitter if I'm not enjoying myself. Actually, I don't think I'd have continued it if I were reading it in print. I listened to the audiobook, which required little effort, so that's probably the only reason I finished it.

Besides that, I did enjoy the second half of the story. The high school drama petered out and became real conflict after a while. I still wouldn't define it as a great story, but it isn't bad.

i gotta stop wasting my time when i already know i'll hate it ughhhh

I loved this book. I can't wait for more. 

Review to come soon!

Charlot van Dijk

Ik ben dit boek gaan lezen, omdat ik geen idee had wat ik moest lezen en dit boek kwam uit een of andere quiz. Klonk interessant, dus ja dan ga ik lezen ;-). Het mooie aan dit boek, vindt ik, dat het veel realistischer is dan een willekeurig ander sci-fi verhaal wat ik al heb gelezen. Het gaat er namelijk vooral om hoe het niet wordt geaccepteerd dat er ineens L'eihrs op aarde komen, en hoe de mensheid hier verder mee omgaat. De reden dat het boek van mij 3 sterren krijgt, is omdat het later veel minder realistisch wordt en meer 'ja, zou kunnen'. Ik vind Cara een mooi personage, waar ik mezelf goed in kan vinden. Ik zou namelijk ook open staan voor dit andere ras en daarmee eerst proberen om te gaan voordat ik oordeel. Haar vriendin Tori begrijp ik helemaal niet, ze wordt veel te veel beinvloedt door anderen en denkt vooral niet zelf na, dit vind ik echt jammer. Aelyx kan ik nog niet volledig voorstellen, helaas. Hij is wel omschreven, maar het plaatje in mijn hoofd klopt nog niet helemaal. Het is namelijk aan de ene kant heel duidelijk dat hij niet mens is, maar aan de andere kant is hij wel heel menselijk omschreven qua uiterlijk. Een plaatje zou niet misstaan bij dit boek.

High school senior Cara Sweeney gets more than she bargained for when she agrees to participate in Earth's first intergalactic high school exchange program.

High-school senior Cara Sweeney gets more than she bargained for when she agrees to participate in Earth's first intergalactic high-school exchange program. The plot contains profanity, sexual situations, and violence. Book #1

Patricia Santos

Opinião do blogue Chaise Longue: http://girlinchaiselongue.blogspot.pt...

Com um apetite insaciável por livros, Melissa assume-se como leitora compulsiva de todos os géneros mas, é obrigatório existir romance, pois ela está definitivamente apaixonada pelo amor. Filha de militar, cresceu em todo o lado até ir para a universidade no Texas, onde estudou inglês mas, mesmo assim, ainda foi tirar a licença de professora na Universidade de East Carolina. Só depois de nove anos como professora do ensino básico é que desistiu da vida de nómada… e de dar aulas para escrever romances.
Em 2012 iniciou-se no romance contemporâneo mas, enquanto amante de ficção científica e, orgulhosa detentora de um disfarce de Princesa Leia (que parece que usa em qualquer lado), Melissa regressou às origens. O resultado foi Alienated.
 À venda desde ontem oficialmente, Alienated tem já sido um sucesso de críticas e poderá ser considerado um dos melhores livros deste ano no género YA.
À primeira vista, Alienated podia não ser nada de especial e, não fosse as excelentes críticas que tem recebido, ter-me-ia passado completamente despercebido, o que teria sido um crime, pois este livro é uma daquelas caixinhas de surpresas que nos deixam de água na boca e a chorar por mais. Com uma escrita divertida e imaginativa, Melissa Landers apresenta-nos uma deliciosa mistura entre ficção-científica e romance que promete tornar-se num dos favoritos do ano e, talvez, uma das maiores surpresas do género nos últimos tempos, não fosse o facto de fugir por completo aos clichés e temas mais prolíficos na literatura YA.
Mas, afinal, o que tem este livro sobre intercâmbio de estudantes intergaláctico de tão especial? Fácil. É uma leitura compulsiva e fluída que não precisa de grandes exageros para se enaltecer aos olhos do leitor. Basta-lhe uma mistura de aliens, conspirações e guerras inter-raciais, pontuado com humor, imaginação e revelações bombásticas na quantidade e na hora certa para resultar e bem, muito bem mesmo. Entre a tentativa de evitar uma guerra entre mundos e um romance proibido, a autora consegue arranjar o equilíbrio perfeito, sem esquecer as questões morais, ambientais e sociais que levam às divisões entre humanos e aliens. Aliás, esse é o maior tema deste livro, os prós e contras de uma aliança intergaláctica que tem opositores dos dois lados, extremistas que acham que um povo tem de governar sobre o outro, que não existem boas intenções mas apenas uma tentativa de subjugação. 
E, como em todos os conflitos, há um lado que defende a paz e a compreensão, que pouco a pouco, vai aprendendo a conhecer melhor e a aceitar as diferenças. Através de diálogos inteligentes e sagazes, os protagonistas, quais Pocahontas e John Smith, defendem o melhor do seu respectivo mundo e demonstram as falhas do outro através de observações perspicazes que nos fazem compreender os dois lados da contenda e quem são os L’heir e de onde vieram enquanto vão aprendendo a conhecer-se, a aceitarem-se, a serem amigos e, por último, apaixonados. E, é por isto, que a relação de Cara e Aelyx é o verdadeiro triunfo deste livro. Porque apesar de toda a imaginação da autora quanto aos pormenores sobre os L´heir e da sua aliança com a Terra, é, na construção de sentimentos e complexidade das relações que nos deixa mesmo arrebatados.
Cara é uma nerd, inteligente, respondona, perspicaz e sensata que adorámos desde o primeiro momento. Aelyx é um alien sobredotado, esquisitoide e armado em parvo que nos vai conquistando com o seu mau feitio e pouca resolução em resistir a Cara. Juntos, eles formam um casal único. Mas, para além deles, existem mais uma série de personagens que, apesar de não tão presentes, são igualmente marcantes e importantes e difíceis de resistir.
Alienated é tudo o que dizem de bom sobre ele. Tudo e mais ainda. E será, certamente, um dos livros porque este ano será lembrado no género YA. Que venham mais assim!

Katerina Thorson

BOOK BLOG: http://therealmof-books.blogspot.com/
BOOKTUBE CHANNEL:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd3j...

RATE: 4.5/5

Since the Lux Series I have always been in a alien invasion/alien-human romance story. I don't know what it is about those extraterrestrial beings and the whole idea of them coming to earth...or even the idea of them already being on earth fascinates and astounds me. I guess that is why I could not help but pick up Alienated by Melissa Landers. I tried not to get my hopes to high with this book and compare it to the Lux Series, as I did not want to be disappointed. However, I was far from disappointed. 

 The first few pages of Alienated were hard for me to get through and I really don't know why. At first Cara was not my favorite character...actually at the beginning she was by far my least favorite character. She was snooty, was the leader of every school club that existed, and was with a jock of a boyfriend. Yah...reminded me way too much of those awful highschool days. Of course, the book is based off highschool and a foreign...okay like another planet foreign exchange student named Aelyx. 

It was after reading the first hundred pages, or so, that I truly got a feel for the characters and not just Aelyx and his crew but of Cara as well. I started to understand why Cara was the way she was and I actually started to connect to the character on a better level then what I started with. Cara - while is a very intellectual being - is very down to earth and protective of her beliefs. She is a believer that one day things will be perfect between the L'eihrs and the humans. 

Of course, since Cara was also a blogger it just gave me one more reason to actually like her. Us bloggers got to stick together! 

The relationship development between Cara and Aelyx, while slow, was very interesting to read. It was not too fast - like in most books - in fact she particularly did not even want to host one of the first alien exchange students. So their relationship was definitely rock at the beginning. However, that did not stop her from wanting to make Aelyx feel like he was at home and neither did the rest of her family. 

Another huge love for this book was the family dynamics. Especially the parent's of Cara. They are the most awesome parent couple's I have ever read. They aren't those strict parent's that you read about nor are the broken family. Let's just say those two are very touchy feelie! It was too funny to read. 

I loved reading the difference between humans and L'eihrs. Especially on a neurological level - the difference in the brain structure was magnificant to read. Melissa Landers definitely made sure to give such distinct characteristics between the two to make them very much so human and alien. I also loved the fact that Alienated kind of takes place in a futuristic time period. But it is not by 100 years it would be more like 15-20 years from 2015. The population over growth and environment issues escalating to mass extremes. 

All in all this was a fast pace, cute, and down right scrumptious read. Yes, there were a few problems that I had here and there but that will not stop me from picking up the next book! 

BUY IT!!

Giulia 

Farah Khaled 

I loved it even more after rereading it! ♡♡♡

Shannon Leigh Williams

This book is amazing and super fascinating!!! I read it because of Sasha Alsberg & thoroughly enjoyed it.
Cara is honestly one of the most enjoyable characters I've ever read. I love her fiery personality (& hair) and her ability to both see things maturely & feel emotion. That's not often captured in book characters.
WARNING: This book contains a lot of swearing & small amounts of sex (not heavily descriptive).

Alienated

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