Alienated by Melissa Landers

Book synopsis

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. Alienated

 

My opinion

3/5 starts according to Goodreads rating.

The book had an amazing story overall. It reminded me of that CW tv show, Star Crossed (I think). I loved the whole concept. The main female character was strong with an open mind, while the main male character was a pain in the bottom most of the time. He redeemed towards the end. 
This book did a good job showing how humans use violence when they fear and how powerful peer pressure can be. And lets not forget about stereotypes and misconceptions, they also play an important role. Lack of data and information lead to very bad things. On the other hand, it also approach how the people who want the greater good and with an open mind can be fooled sometimes.
The book lacked in description. The book was full of clichés, including the characters. The story took over the relationship and character development. There was not enough information to make me root for the characters and to understand their motives. For me the love felt forced, especially during the ending events. There is also no origin story. There is no depth to the characters and the plot. It felt too quick for me.

This book had a lot a potential and it did not live up to it. Plus, I had high expectations too since I love space/aliens stories. Thus, I fell slightly disappointed. It was more of an high-school-save-the-world-soap-opera than I expected.
Despite all the no-no's in the story, I still want to see how this trilogy ends. Although, this depends on how I feel about this story line in the future.

If you like space/aliens/high school stories, you should give it a try.
Also, the story is told from dual point of view.

 

Original review: Alienated - Goodreads Review

 

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
Language: mild
Sexual content: moderate (at one point in the book quite steamy, nothing explicit thou)
Violence: moderate to heavy (nothing too graphic)
Drugs/Alcohol: none to mild (I do not remember exactly)