Alienated by Melissa Landers

Alienated (Alienated, #1)Title: Alienated
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Buy This Book: Amazon / Book Depository 
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.
I've never really felt a need to go back and change or redo a review, but I've decided to make an exception for Alienated for one simple reason:


I reviewed it for the first time back in late 2013, and I've been rereading it so I can get to the sequel. I finished it and felt an urge to add to my review and improve it, but also to change it a little bit. After finishing the book for the second time, I still really enjoyed it but it didn't wow me as much as it did on the first read.That's probably because I've read so many incredible books since, and found some amazing romances (let's be honest, nothing can compete with the A Court of Thorns and Roses romance atm!).

Cara is a great character, and I thought she was hilarious the first time I read this book. She read like someone I would want to be friends with in real life. She has this really dry, sarcastic sense of humour which I really appreciate and it had me laughing a lot. But I am still irked by what I have come to call her Cara-isms: sucktacular, craptacular, ridic (you know, because ridiculous is obviously just too ridiculously long to use!). Those still get on my nerves and have me rolling my eyes at her. I still enjoyed the blog entries in this book (yes, this has blog entries!) because they just added that little something extra to it and made it feel all so familiar. 

Aelyx, although he doesn't make me swoon as much as he did on the first read, is still a great character. Who knew the idea of an alien race coming to Earth would suddenly seem so appealing. I can only assume that if Twilight managed to make millions of people over the world swoon at the idea of vampires, then this definitely has the potential to make us long for the discovery of an alien race. If this happens then they can sign me up for the exchange program - obviously if it's more Ryan Reynolds in the Nines than E.T!

                  This:                                                                                                        Not This:








Cara and Aelyx's relationship is one the progresses slowly throughout the book, which is the only kind of romance that really works for me. I can't be dealing with any more of these instant 'I love you, you're mine!' romances that I find so often in young adult books. But this has the slow build and the sexual tension, and the characters actually taking time to get to know one another. I approve. I was rooting for these two the entire time, even when they weren't. This is one of those books where I was itching for the two characters to get together, which doesn't happen often with me as I usually want the romance to take a back seat to the rest of the story. 

I really do enjoy Cara and Aelyx as characters, but if I were to talk about any fault with this book then it would be the fact that the secondary characters don't play much of a role in it. Cara's best friend seemed to have so much potential early on, she was funny and likeable, but she quickly disappears from this book. The same goes for Cara's boyfriend, the guy is like that token douche character, someone you can love to hate. But he disappears rather quickly too and doesn't have too big a role. This book really was Cara and Aelyx, something I'm not grumbling about because I really rather fell in love with them both. 

4/5 Butterflies

The first time I reviewed this book it got a 5/5 rating from me. I'm glad I took the time to reread it, I still love the characters and the story, but I've come to realise it feels more like a 4/5 read for me now. I feel that's probably because of how many amazing books I have read since, with romances that have won me over more. I still highly recommend this one though and can't wait to read the sequel to find out what's next for these two. 


*I received a copy of this novel from the author/publisher/publicist via Netgalley in exchange for a free and honest review and received no monetary compensation for this review.

28 comments:

  1. I requested this on netgalley and I got rejected *sobs* I am sure intrigued and thrilled reading the synopsis of this before, and now that I've seen a lot of positive reviews about it, I am totally going to buy this once it is released. Lovely review!

    new gfc follower :)

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    1. I finished my copy on the kindle and immediately pre-ordered it, which I never do with books usually. I just kind of fell in love with this one! I'm gutted for you that Netgalley rejected your request, I get really sad when that happens on a book I really want to read! Thanks for taking the time to check out my review & follow me =D I'm a new follower of yours!

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  2. I'm really looking forward to reading this one, I have seen nothing but rave reviews. I actually love alien books (especially when they're "hot" aliens, like in the Lux series) so I'll definitely be reading this one. Great review! ~Pam

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    1. Oooh another hot alien series, I must find this!!! I never really read alien books but now I think I will be reading a lot more! =D

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  3. Wow, great review! I'm glad to see a positive review for this one, I've seen it on Netgalley and I love the cover. Touched by an Alien by Gina Koch is FULL of hot alien boys lol. Thanks for commenting on my blog!

    Jeann @ Happy Indulgence

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    1. You're welcome! Well maybe I shall have to check that one out too. I absolutely loved this book!!!

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  4. I actually considered requesting this from Netgalley but didn't pursue it seeing that I still have a lot of books to read and review. Add the fact that Disney hates me. Every time I put in a request for one of their titles, I always get disapproved. Le sigh.

    I am glad that this has worked for you. It's also good to know that the leads were fleshed out even if the secondary characters were not. And I love the well developed romance too. Heaven knows, we're tired of reading a lot of instalove.

    I still have to think if I want to snuggle with this book though.

    Thanks for dropping by Thoughts and Pens.

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    1. I am soooo tired of instalove, if a book has that it usually leaves me infuriated and I can't enjoy the rest of the book. I'm not even sure what I do to make Disney approve me! Well I really thought I would hate it and ended up loving it but everyone is different, especially when it comes to the books we like.

      Thanks for taking the time to read my review =D

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  5. I have been seeing this a lot. People are not sure about this book but end up loving it. I am reading it soon.

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    1. Yeah, thought I'd hate it and ended up loving it so much. Will definitely check out your review once you read it to see what you thought! =D

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  6. This sounds really great! I've been pretty hesitant about this one also but I will most definitely read it now!

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    1. I was not only hesitant but almost certain I would hate this, I ended up loving it so much. It's really great when that happens. Hope if you read it, you enjoy.

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  7. I love characters with dry, sarcastic humor since I'm very much the same. Ha. I hate when people use words like "sucktacular", "craptacular", and others I've heard in the past but can't quite recall right now. Ooh, blog entries! Sounds interesting. :) Ha, writers can make ANY non-human "race" appareling. ;) That's why vampires, beasts and zombies now have hearts.

    I'm totally with you on the slow burning romance. That's how I like it/love it. I hate the whole "blah blah, I hate you, you're a jerk, you suck" *200 pages later* "I was lying, I love you, blah blah, I suck" hate-to-love shorelines, myself anyway…

    Ah, I hate when friends, especially best friends, and significant others make a few appearances and then disappear. :( I hate it. So. Much.

    But it looks like you really like this book! It's a good thing I bought it when the kindle version was .99. :) I love that cover too.

    --Amber

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    1. Dry, sarcastic sense of humour are my favourite because exactly like my own. It just really works for me. Slow burning romances should be in everything and I would be more inclined to read it.

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  8. I've been meaning to read this for ages but haven't gotten around to it.
    It sounds very intriguing and I love the cover.
    Great review! :)

    Jess @A Book Addict's Bookshelves

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    1. Thank you! :) It's a great book and I was a big fan of the sequel too.

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  9. I think it is good to try and reread books like you do - because you are correct, people change and their opinions can change. Sometimes my opinions change a few days after reading it alone. I haven't read this book yet but I do want to, because a 4 out of 5 rating is still pretty high ^^ And I like the idea of a slow burning romance and great characters. It's a shame about secondary characters, but it still sounds like a great read.

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    1. I'm the same, my opinion seems to change a few days after reading. I sometimes feel like by the time I get around to actually reviewing the book my rating could have gone up or down by at least 1 star.

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  10. Isn't it funny how something you loved at the time, later might not seem as good. That has happened to me many times with series I have loved, put on hold and then came back to and decided I didn't like it as much as I remembered liking it.
    Kind of sad when it does happen but I am glad overall you still really liked this though.

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    1. I know. This was still good and I did really enjoy it, I just didn't finish it and feel as blown away as I was the first time I read it.

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  11. I did enjoy this one, buuuut, I think I ended up giving it 3-stars (ooh ouch) actually because I felt that Aelyx was just a teenage Vulcan and I was sad it wasn't more original. >.> Also Cara wanting to leave her family for a boy she just met. Wut. But I'm just being quite fussy I assume. XD IT WAS FUNNY THOUGH!! And I really want to see what happens in the sequel!

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    1. I know, have to admit to it bugging me a lot more the second time I read it. Especially how willing she was to just leave her family behind.

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  12. Ummmm Tamlin and Feyre for life! That book is still making me sweat. I don't even know if I'll be cooled down when I reread it this month. *fans self*
    I also gave Alienated a 4* when I read it last year. I just picked up the sequel which needs to be read ASAP.
    Great review! I thought the book was fun. I wasn't totally swoony with the romance either. But I Iike where Landers went with the story.
    As for hot alien romances, nothing will beat the Lux series by JLA. That is a HOT, need a cold shower bunch of books.
    Happy reading!
    Brittany @ This is the Story of My(Reading) Life

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    1. ACOTAR was just amazing! I need more of that book in my life and the sequel needs to hurry up and get here! I recently read the whole Lux series and yeah.... it was so so for me. It was okay but just not the epic series I was hoping for.

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  13. I find it hard for a book to wow me the second time around. that is why i don't do much rereading. I think when I go into with expectations, especially on the high side, I dont' enjoy it as much. I do love this book though.

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    1. I love rereading, but hate when the book isn't as good for me the second time. Sometimes that's the case and other times I love it more.

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  14. I really want to read this book soon, the cover seems sooooo beautiful and the premise is intriguing <3 Great review!

    Benish | Feminist Reflections

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    1. Thank you. I hope you enjoy it when you finally get to read it.

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