Alienated by Melissa Landers
| Alienated by Melissa Landers | |
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| Category: Teens | |
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Reviewer: Loralei Haylock
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| Summary: An interesting central conceit used effectively to show the darker sides of human nature, with a cute central romance to boot. A really good read that I couldn't put down! | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 368 | Date: February 2015 |
| Publisher: Disney-Hyperion | |
| ISBN: 978-1423185253 | |
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Two years ago, aliens made contact. Now, Cara Sweeney has been chosen to host Aelyx, a L'eihr exchange student. The first exchange student. Cara gets a free ride to any college she chooses out of the deal, some excellent material for her blog, and a chance to be a part of history, helping in her own way to form an alliance between the two races.
Aelyx doesn't want to be on Earth. Why would the Way, his government, want to bring the squabbling, barbaric humans into the fold? So he and his fellow exchange students have a plan to sabotage the planet, and end the alliance. But Aelyx doesn't expect Cara to get under his skin, and soon he's left questioning if he's made the right choice.
Landers takes 'star-crossed lovers' to a whole new level in this tale of intergalactic exchange students. But more than simply enjoying the fish out of water trope and indulging in the inevitable romance, Landers uses her set up to make a few well observed comments about the human race, and our response to the unknown.
Human reactions to the aliens range from groupie to lynch mob - and Cara is just as much a target as Aelyx for her association with him. The irrational behaviour of the students at their school, echoed by the parents of the students, quickly escalates from a few threatening notes to Cara and Aelyx needing armed escorts.
Landers keeps the stakes high and the pages turning by introducing a need for the alliance to go forwards - beyond Cara and Aelyx's burgeoning relationship. It's my biggest and most consistent criticism of YA books that the romance is all consuming, leading to entertaining, but essentially shallow reads. Alienated definitely doesn't make that mistake. There's plenty of romance, yes, but there's plenty more going on around it.
An interesting central conceit used effectively to show the darker sides of human nature, with a cute central romance to boot. A really good read that I couldn't put down! My thanks to the publishers for sending a copy.
For a slightly different, but equally enjoyable take on aliens, try The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
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You can read more book reviews or buy Alienated by Melissa Landers at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Alienated by Melissa Landers at Amazon.com.
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