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Alienated #2
Invaded
The romantic sequel to Alienated takes long-distance relationships to a new level as Cara and Aelyx long for each other from opposite ends of the universe...until a threat to both their worlds reunites them.
Cara always knew life on planet L’eihr would be an adjustment. With Aelyx, her L’eihr boyfriend, back on Earth, working to mend the broken alliance between their two planets, Cara is left to fend for herself at a new school, surrounded by hostile alien clones. Even the weird dorm pet hates her.
Things look up when Cara is appointed as human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L’eihr. A society melding their two cultures is a place where Cara and Aelyx could one day make a life together. But with L’eihr leaders balking at granting even the most basic freedoms, Cara begins to wonder if she could ever be happy on this planet, even with Aelyx by her side.
Meanwhile, on Earth, Aelyx, finds himself thrown into a full-scale PR campaign to improve human-L’eihr relations. Humans don’t know that their very survival depends on this alliance: only Aelyx’s people have the technology to fix the deadly contamination in the global water supply that human governments are hiding. Yet despite their upper hand, the leaders of his world suddenly seem desperate to get humans on their side, and hardly bat an eye at extremists’ multiple attempts on Aelyx’s life.
The Way clearly needs humans’ help . . . but with what? And what will they ask for in return?
Cara always knew life on planet L’eihr would be an adjustment. With Aelyx, her L’eihr boyfriend, back on Earth, working to mend the broken alliance between their two planets, Cara is left to fend for herself at a new school, surrounded by hostile alien clones. Even the weird dorm pet hates her.
Things look up when Cara is appointed as human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L’eihr. A society melding their two cultures is a place where Cara and Aelyx could one day make a life together. But with L’eihr leaders balking at granting even the most basic freedoms, Cara begins to wonder if she could ever be happy on this planet, even with Aelyx by her side.
Meanwhile, on Earth, Aelyx, finds himself thrown into a full-scale PR campaign to improve human-L’eihr relations. Humans don’t know that their very survival depends on this alliance: only Aelyx’s people have the technology to fix the deadly contamination in the global water supply that human governments are hiding. Yet despite their upper hand, the leaders of his world suddenly seem desperate to get humans on their side, and hardly bat an eye at extremists’ multiple attempts on Aelyx’s life.
The Way clearly needs humans’ help . . . but with what? And what will they ask for in return?
356 pages, Hardcover
First published February 3, 2015
About the author
Melissa Landers
13 books3,271 followers**Receive news, updates, and exclusive excerpts from Melissa by subscribing to her e-newsletter!**
Melissa Landers writes science fiction for teens and the young at heart. The Alienated trilogy (ALIENATED, INVADED, UNITED) and the Starflight duology (STARFLIGHT, STARFALL) are complete! Look for Melissa's middle grade debut BLASTAWAY, now available from Disney-Hyperion.
**IMPORTANT** Please do not request an ARC through Goodreads. All review copies are distributed by the publisher.
Melissa Landers writes science fiction for teens and the young at heart. The Alienated trilogy (ALIENATED, INVADED, UNITED) and the Starflight duology (STARFLIGHT, STARFALL) are complete! Look for Melissa's middle grade debut BLASTAWAY, now available from Disney-Hyperion.
**IMPORTANT** Please do not request an ARC through Goodreads. All review copies are distributed by the publisher.
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January 15, 2015Update #2: At least a dozen people have asked me if there will be a love triangle in the sequel. O, ye of little faith. Do you really think I'd do that to you? :)
Update #1: Well, lookie there. It's a new title! The sequel to ALIENATED is now called INVADED. I like it.
Update #1: Well, lookie there. It's a new title! The sequel to ALIENATED is now called INVADED. I like it.
March 24, 2015
***SPOILERS, SPOILERS, SO MANY SPOILERS***
Aw, man, I’m so disappointed with this book, I WANT TO CRY.
But let me start this review by saying Alienated was one of my favorite reads of 2013 (I got a review copy from NetGalley)--I thoroughly enjoyed it, the quirky and so likable heroine Cara, her unique voice and humor; the awkward and literally out-of-this-world-cute hero Aelyx, their delicious slow burn romance, the compelling plot and writing, and how it all comes together in this extremely entertaining, romantic, and fun story about an alien who comes to Earth to live with a family of humans in hopes to strengthen the bonds between the races and thus help form an alliance from which everyone can benefit.
So what was my problem with this sequel? Well, they were several actually:
-Cara willing to live on L’eihr + it’s like she doesn’t even care about her parents anymore: one of the things I liked about the first book was that it stayed away from the absent parents trope--Cara’s mom and dad were both in the picture, and they were wonderful and caring, imposed certain limits, would scold her if needed, and basically behaved like the normal parents of a teenager. In Invaded, Cara goes to L’eihr to do her thing and her parents stay on Earth, so of course I understand the lack or scenes between them, BUT she scarcely mentions them throughout the whole story, even when she’s having doubts about living on L’eihr, it’s like they weight nothing on her cons list. When the parents finally do show up (twice, I think), it happens in completely unnecessary scenes, barely have any dialogue, and I guess we’ll never know what they think of their daughter’s decision to move to another galaxy because there’s not even a goodbye scene. It made me so sad when David was considering becoming a L’eihr colonist because he had nothing waiting for him on Earth, no parents or siblings, and meanwhile there’s Cara, who has the whole package, but she’s still happy to go live in this alien planet full of extremely hostile people--because that means unlimited and unsupervised Aelyx time, just think of all the sex they can have.
-So many Cara & Jaxen creepy scenes vs. scarcely any Cara & Aelyx scenes: are you f***** kidding me?? What was that all about? I wanted cute Cara & Aelyx moments, and instead I got numerous disturbing scenes where Jaxen finds all the excuses to be alone with Cara, and to get all touchy. Granted, there’s no love triangle, but at what cost? Meanwhile, Cara and Aelyx only have a couple of scenes “together”, during the whole book, that’s when they talk “on the phone”---and, sometimes, even those scenes aren’t there, we’re just told they’ve happened. Something they do a lot? Fight, get jealous of each other, they even break up at some point. I DID NOT need these tropes, they’re silly, they’re annoying, they bored me to tears, they even made me hate Aelyx at some point because he was being a jackass.
-That exceedingly uncomfortable Sh’ovah scene: in order to become a citizen of L’eihr, Cara must go through this ceremony where she stands completely naked in front of hundreds of L’eihrs, who will, one by one, smear mud on her body. I’m sorry but to me this just felt like yet another gratuitous humiliating moment for Cara---she didn’t want to do it, and I was so, so disgusted, angry, and just plain uncomfortable the whole time. So what if the L’eihr doesn’t sexualize the naked body? They behave like a bunch of stupid teenagers on a normal day, how am I supposed to believe they don’t care about a naked and vulnerable girl they can gaze upon all they want and even touch? It was goddamn creepy, that’s what it was. Even more if you consider that, Jaxen, the guy who’s always finding excuses to touch her, was there too. If that was a ceremony for Cara to be accepted as an equal member of the society, why weren’t they ALL naked? It would still be creepy, but not as much as the actual scene.
-L’eihr was not that different from Earth + it’s like Cara left a normal high school experience on Earth, and entered a cliché teen movie on L’eihr: another of my favorite things about Alienated was that Cara was a nerd and proud of it, that she socialized with everybody without being miss popularity, had a few good friends, and that there were no silly popular kids making her life hell—and then she goes to L’eihr, this place where people are supposed to be extremely smart and balanced, and not emotional at all, and she’s bullied left and right. Of course I wasn’t expecting a warm welcome, but seriously why do the L’eihr behave like a bunch of mean cheerleaders and stupid jocks?
-That weird make out scene: so when they finally reunite almost at the end of the book, after months of separation, Cara and Aelyx immediately run to find a room, and when they do, clothes start coming off, and let me just explain how NOT hot or exciting or romantic that scene was for me---right before this, when Cara was still on board of her transport, Jaxen had drugged her, taken a sample of her blood, and the gods know what else, because she falls quickly asleep under the influence of the drugs, and the next time we hear from her, is when she gets off the transport and reunites with Aelyx (in a very awkward manner, I wish they had just run into each other’s arms, but okay). So at that point, as a reader, I had NO IDEA whatsoever of what Jaxen had done to her. Had that been only a sleeping drug, or something else? What had he done with her blood? Was that even the real Cara or someone pretending to be Cara? Or even a clone?? After all, Jaxen has all those weird powers and, by then, I had been told these aliens could easily change their appearance, so--how in the world could I enjoy a romantic scene between Cara and Aelyx when the whole time I wasn’t even sure that was Cara? And why didn’t she say something when she woke up, or got off the transport?
-David and Syrine: I guess David and Syrine were supposed to be the new Cara and Aelyx, the new alien & human couple, the new protagonists of a cute and exciting slow burn romance (which turned out to be not slow at all). Well, the thing is, nothing can make me stop disliking Syrine, nothing, and the fact that she had so many scenes in this book didn’t help--my dislike just kept growing. About David, I was somewhat entertained by the character at the beginning, until he and Aelyx started coming up with tricks to make Syrine let her guard down for him, and it doesn’t matter how much I don’t like Syrine, that was f****** repulsive. If there’s one thing I hate, is a guy who pretends to be something he’s not just to get laid and then even brags about it to his homies, ”and that, my friend, is how it’s done” *wink*. Repulsive.
-Syrine being the one who helps with Cara’s decision + everything on Earth is suddenly boring: towards the end of the book Cara finally starts having serious doubts about moving to L’eihr permanently, but I didn’t even had time to say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, because just a few scenes later she has a little chitchat, not with her parents, or with her brother, or with her human best friend, but with her new bestie Syrine and “oh yeah, L’eihr, here I come!”. Honestly, I felt pretty cheated with this whole situation and how it unfolded, because Cara spends a couple of months in L’eihr missing Earth, and then she comes back to Earth and “oh, no, I don’t belong here anymore, college will be waste of my time anyway, and chocolate tastes gross now, so byyyeee, y’all, bye!” Too forced.
Wow, that was long.
I really wish I didn’t feel like this towards this book, but I’m just so disappointed and angry, and regretting that I read it in the first place--hell, that I bought a hardcover--that I can only rant. But I'm mostly pissed because Invaded tainted the memory of the first book for me, the story that I enjoyed so much, and the characters that I used to love. I’ll never be able to look at Cara and Aelyx the same way--before they were special, now they’re just another couple of walking hormones.
It pains me to say it but Alienated should have remained a standalone.
Aw, man, I’m so disappointed with this book, I WANT TO CRY.
But let me start this review by saying Alienated was one of my favorite reads of 2013 (I got a review copy from NetGalley)--I thoroughly enjoyed it, the quirky and so likable heroine Cara, her unique voice and humor; the awkward and literally out-of-this-world-cute hero Aelyx, their delicious slow burn romance, the compelling plot and writing, and how it all comes together in this extremely entertaining, romantic, and fun story about an alien who comes to Earth to live with a family of humans in hopes to strengthen the bonds between the races and thus help form an alliance from which everyone can benefit.
So what was my problem with this sequel? Well, they were several actually:
-Cara willing to live on L’eihr + it’s like she doesn’t even care about her parents anymore: one of the things I liked about the first book was that it stayed away from the absent parents trope--Cara’s mom and dad were both in the picture, and they were wonderful and caring, imposed certain limits, would scold her if needed, and basically behaved like the normal parents of a teenager. In Invaded, Cara goes to L’eihr to do her thing and her parents stay on Earth, so of course I understand the lack or scenes between them, BUT she scarcely mentions them throughout the whole story, even when she’s having doubts about living on L’eihr, it’s like they weight nothing on her cons list. When the parents finally do show up (twice, I think), it happens in completely unnecessary scenes, barely have any dialogue, and I guess we’ll never know what they think of their daughter’s decision to move to another galaxy because there’s not even a goodbye scene. It made me so sad when David was considering becoming a L’eihr colonist because he had nothing waiting for him on Earth, no parents or siblings, and meanwhile there’s Cara, who has the whole package, but she’s still happy to go live in this alien planet full of extremely hostile people--because that means unlimited and unsupervised Aelyx time, just think of all the sex they can have.
-So many Cara & Jaxen creepy scenes vs. scarcely any Cara & Aelyx scenes: are you f***** kidding me?? What was that all about? I wanted cute Cara & Aelyx moments, and instead I got numerous disturbing scenes where Jaxen finds all the excuses to be alone with Cara, and to get all touchy. Granted, there’s no love triangle, but at what cost? Meanwhile, Cara and Aelyx only have a couple of scenes “together”, during the whole book, that’s when they talk “on the phone”---and, sometimes, even those scenes aren’t there, we’re just told they’ve happened. Something they do a lot? Fight, get jealous of each other, they even break up at some point. I DID NOT need these tropes, they’re silly, they’re annoying, they bored me to tears, they even made me hate Aelyx at some point because he was being a jackass.
-That exceedingly uncomfortable Sh’ovah scene: in order to become a citizen of L’eihr, Cara must go through this ceremony where she stands completely naked in front of hundreds of L’eihrs, who will, one by one, smear mud on her body. I’m sorry but to me this just felt like yet another gratuitous humiliating moment for Cara---she didn’t want to do it, and I was so, so disgusted, angry, and just plain uncomfortable the whole time. So what if the L’eihr doesn’t sexualize the naked body? They behave like a bunch of stupid teenagers on a normal day, how am I supposed to believe they don’t care about a naked and vulnerable girl they can gaze upon all they want and even touch? It was goddamn creepy, that’s what it was. Even more if you consider that, Jaxen, the guy who’s always finding excuses to touch her, was there too. If that was a ceremony for Cara to be accepted as an equal member of the society, why weren’t they ALL naked? It would still be creepy, but not as much as the actual scene.
-L’eihr was not that different from Earth + it’s like Cara left a normal high school experience on Earth, and entered a cliché teen movie on L’eihr: another of my favorite things about Alienated was that Cara was a nerd and proud of it, that she socialized with everybody without being miss popularity, had a few good friends, and that there were no silly popular kids making her life hell—and then she goes to L’eihr, this place where people are supposed to be extremely smart and balanced, and not emotional at all, and she’s bullied left and right. Of course I wasn’t expecting a warm welcome, but seriously why do the L’eihr behave like a bunch of mean cheerleaders and stupid jocks?
-That weird make out scene: so when they finally reunite almost at the end of the book, after months of separation, Cara and Aelyx immediately run to find a room, and when they do, clothes start coming off, and let me just explain how NOT hot or exciting or romantic that scene was for me---right before this, when Cara was still on board of her transport, Jaxen had drugged her, taken a sample of her blood, and the gods know what else, because she falls quickly asleep under the influence of the drugs, and the next time we hear from her, is when she gets off the transport and reunites with Aelyx (in a very awkward manner, I wish they had just run into each other’s arms, but okay). So at that point, as a reader, I had NO IDEA whatsoever of what Jaxen had done to her. Had that been only a sleeping drug, or something else? What had he done with her blood? Was that even the real Cara or someone pretending to be Cara? Or even a clone?? After all, Jaxen has all those weird powers and, by then, I had been told these aliens could easily change their appearance, so--how in the world could I enjoy a romantic scene between Cara and Aelyx when the whole time I wasn’t even sure that was Cara? And why didn’t she say something when she woke up, or got off the transport?
-David and Syrine: I guess David and Syrine were supposed to be the new Cara and Aelyx, the new alien & human couple, the new protagonists of a cute and exciting slow burn romance (which turned out to be not slow at all). Well, the thing is, nothing can make me stop disliking Syrine, nothing, and the fact that she had so many scenes in this book didn’t help--my dislike just kept growing. About David, I was somewhat entertained by the character at the beginning, until he and Aelyx started coming up with tricks to make Syrine let her guard down for him, and it doesn’t matter how much I don’t like Syrine, that was f****** repulsive. If there’s one thing I hate, is a guy who pretends to be something he’s not just to get laid and then even brags about it to his homies, ”and that, my friend, is how it’s done” *wink*. Repulsive.
-Syrine being the one who helps with Cara’s decision + everything on Earth is suddenly boring: towards the end of the book Cara finally starts having serious doubts about moving to L’eihr permanently, but I didn’t even had time to say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, because just a few scenes later she has a little chitchat, not with her parents, or with her brother, or with her human best friend, but with her new bestie Syrine and “oh yeah, L’eihr, here I come!”. Honestly, I felt pretty cheated with this whole situation and how it unfolded, because Cara spends a couple of months in L’eihr missing Earth, and then she comes back to Earth and “oh, no, I don’t belong here anymore, college will be waste of my time anyway, and chocolate tastes gross now, so byyyeee, y’all, bye!” Too forced.
Wow, that was long.
I really wish I didn’t feel like this towards this book, but I’m just so disappointed and angry, and regretting that I read it in the first place--hell, that I bought a hardcover--that I can only rant. But I'm mostly pissed because Invaded tainted the memory of the first book for me, the story that I enjoyed so much, and the characters that I used to love. I’ll never be able to look at Cara and Aelyx the same way--before they were special, now they’re just another couple of walking hormones.
It pains me to say it but Alienated should have remained a standalone.
December 1, 2014
Now the tables have turned for Cara. She is the alien with all the haters. Learning to fit in at another school. It is rough but worth it to be with Aelyx. But doubts creep in as she realizes the colony doesn't seem to be all that it was promised to be. Merging two cultures isn't easy. Aelyx is also having a rough time on Earth trying to fix the alliance and handle all the death threats.
I loved all the plot developments. Learning more about the planet, its people and development. The theory of how everything began and if there are more aliens out there. The romance lacked because they were separated but I was happy they kept up communication through skyping. I loved the introduction of David. He was a great new character.
Some unexpected twists! But nice ending. Didn't leave me hanging. I liked that it wrapped up all the small stuff and only left the major plot point open. Looking forward to more Cara and Aelyx since they were separated for almost the entire book although they did Skype a lot :-D
2015?!?!?!? Soooooooooooo long!!!!!!!!!!
I loved all the plot developments. Learning more about the planet, its people and development. The theory of how everything began and if there are more aliens out there. The romance lacked because they were separated but I was happy they kept up communication through skyping. I loved the introduction of David. He was a great new character.
Some unexpected twists! But nice ending. Didn't leave me hanging. I liked that it wrapped up all the small stuff and only left the major plot point open. Looking forward to more Cara and Aelyx since they were separated for almost the entire book although they did Skype a lot :-D
2015?!?!?!? Soooooooooooo long!!!!!!!!!!
February 7, 2017
*4 ALIEN STARS*
“It's like our whole culture is based on frivolity, and I never noticed before."
I actually enjoyed this one a lot more than the previous book in this series, Alienated.
I think that's only because I was never really 100% invested into that one though. Maybe I should re-read that one, because If I recall correctly, I read Alienated right after finishing Six of Crows and that was probably a bad idea. Let's be honest: nothing can compare to that one!
The biggest downside to this book is that most of it was pretty predictable. I saw some of the major plottwists coming from a mile away. Okay, maybe not a mile, but I already guessed what was going to happen about 100 pages before the actual reveal. I prefer books that manage to surprise me and put me on the edge of my seat.(ahem, Six of Crows, ahem)
This book picked up right where Alienated ended and featured most of the same characters, with a few additions like David and Elle. No complaints there, since I absolutely loved both of them, as well as our main characters Aelyx and Cara. I was sort of sad about them being apart for most of the book though, but it did allow us to get to know more about planet L'eihr though.
Overall, this was a pretty enjoyable and quick read. Perfect for those who want something fairly light in between heavier books!
“It's like our whole culture is based on frivolity, and I never noticed before."
I actually enjoyed this one a lot more than the previous book in this series, Alienated.
I think that's only because I was never really 100% invested into that one though. Maybe I should re-read that one, because If I recall correctly, I read Alienated right after finishing Six of Crows and that was probably a bad idea. Let's be honest: nothing can compare to that one!
The biggest downside to this book is that most of it was pretty predictable. I saw some of the major plottwists coming from a mile away. Okay, maybe not a mile, but I already guessed what was going to happen about 100 pages before the actual reveal. I prefer books that manage to surprise me and put me on the edge of my seat.
This book picked up right where Alienated ended and featured most of the same characters, with a few additions like David and Elle. No complaints there, since I absolutely loved both of them, as well as our main characters Aelyx and Cara. I was sort of sad about them being apart for most of the book though, but it did allow us to get to know more about planet L'eihr though.
Overall, this was a pretty enjoyable and quick read. Perfect for those who want something fairly light in between heavier books!
December 22, 2014
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Invaded by Melissa Landers
Book Two of the Alienated series
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: February 3, 2015
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by a friend (thank you, Celeste!)
Summary (from Goodreads):
The romantic sequel to Alienated takes long-distance relationships to a new level as Cara and Aelyx long for each other from opposite ends of the universe...until a threat to both their worlds reunites them.
Cara always knew life on planet L’eihr would be an adjustment. With Aelyx, her L’eihr boyfriend, back on Earth, working to mend the broken alliance between their two planets, Cara is left to fend for herself at a new school, surrounded by hostile alien clones. Even the weird dorm pet hates her.
Things look up when Cara is appointed as human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L’eihr. A society melding their two cultures is a place where Cara and Aelyx could one day make a life together. But with L’eihr leaders balking at granting even the most basic freedoms, Cara begins to wonder if she could ever be happy on this planet, even with Aelyx by her side.
Meanwhile, on Earth, Aelyx, finds himself thrown into a full-scale PR campaign to improve human-L’eihr relations. Humans don’t know that their very survival depends on this alliance: only Aelyx’s people have the technology to fix the deadly contamination in the global water supply that human governments are hiding. Yet despite their upper hand, the leaders of his world suddenly seem desperate to get humans on their side, and hardly bat an eye at extremists’ multiple attempts on Aelyx’s life.
The Way clearly needs humans’ help . . . but with what? And what will they ask for in return?
What I Liked:
Well, this book took long-distance relationships to a whole new level. Dating someone in another galaxy? Holy guacamole, that puts two different states or even countries into perspective, no? I love Aelyx and Cara's relationship. But I also love the originality and creativity of this story - so let's get to it!
Aelyx is on Earth, trying to cultivate a positive image to the inhabitants on Earth, while also trying to stay alive. Meanwhile, Cara is attempting to adjust to life on L’eihr, but it's not easy when her body won't adjust (the exercising is insane), no one will accept her (despite going through the ceremony to have citizenship), and she misses Earth, and Aelyx (especially him). Something more is happening, something bigger than the L’eihr forming an alliance with Earth. Aelyx is puzzled by why the L’eihr has been pushing the alliance so hard, and Cara is confused as to why probes have been falling on L’eihr. All the while, their very relationship is taking a hit with the distance issue...
It's been a while since I read (and re-read) Alienated, but I had no trouble getting back into the story. The Earth's water is seriously contaminated, but the inhabitants of Earth don't know that. The L’eihr can fix this problem, which is how they have control over the alliance. But most of the population of humans don't know about the water pollution, whereas the L’eihr know.
So there's Aelyx on Earth, trying to win over everyone on Earth. Aelyx and Syrine, another L’eihr, are protected by David Sharpe, a human, Aelyx is miserable without Cara, but he works tirelessly for the alliance, for her, for their future together in the colony. We get alternating perspectives in the third person, so there is plenty of Aelyx in this book. Mostly, he misses Cara, but he has to think of the alliance as well.
Cara, on L’eihr, has a hard time. The physical activity is brutal on her - and the diet is different. Not to mention that basically everyone is after her, because they think humans are strange. Which is understandable, I suppose. Her brother Troy is on L’eihr, but he will have to leave soon. Mostly, Cara misses Aelyx. But she does a lot of sneaking around and digging, because something is not right on L’eihr.
I loved experiencing life on L’eihr. Despite the fact that it kind of sucked for Cara, there were wonderful things about the planet. Vero, Aelyx's house pet, is adorable. The L’eihr children are kind of cute as well - the teething toddler scene is so lovely to read. One of my favorite scenes is with Vero though, when he finally approaches Cara (because of one specific thing). Love!
While Aelyx and Cara aren't physically together for most of the book, I really liked the development of their relationship. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, and all that. Both of them miss each other, and think of each other constantly. Both of them have their insecurities about their relationship, each other, their duties... but in the end, they trust each other completely. I love seeing the doubt and insecurity though, because this long-distance relationships wouldn't be authentic without it.
I love one specific thing that Aelyx does for Cara - for a nonhuman boy, he sure does catch on fast. She missed him so much, and he missed her, and he sent her the perfect gift. I'd take that gift over roses and pearls any day!
The science in this book is fabulous! I'm a math/science nerd at heart, a true engineer. I love that science is such an integral part of this series. The L’eihr are an advanced race, with better technology and science. Landers really does her research when it comes to the alien science behind this story, but at the same time, she uses her imagination quite well. Or is it all imagination? Hmm...
The ending of this book was a bit shocking, and definitely open-ended. It ended... well, but there is much that the author could do with that ending. I believe this series is contracted with two books, and the series ends well with this one, but a third book would benefit the series (and not detract from it). I could totally see Landers adding another installment. Perhaps it's a case of sales numbers - if there is enough interest in this book, then perhaps a third book will be possible? If that is the case, then EVERYONE needs to buy Alienated and Invaded. But you all should do that anyway.
What I Did Not Like:
One thing that bothered me is something that I can't really go into detail without spoiling things (so I won't). But it has to do with a decision that Cara has to make, towards the end of the novel. I feel like the time it took to convince her of going one way (which ends up being the way she chose) wasn't very long - like, it seemed rather abrupt when she decided to change her mind. Like, she was set on doing one thing, but then it didn't take much for her to change her mind. Ugh! This is frustrating to explain without actually explaining it, but trust me - the decision is pretty big, and I know how smart Cara is. I didn't think she would be swayed - either way - so fast/easily.
Would I Recommend It:
I loved this sequel, so I would totally recommend this one. If you've read Alienated, then you definitely should read this one, whether you liked Alienated or not. And if you haven't read the first book, then you should definitely binge-read the series! It's one of my favorite science fiction series of all time! Science fiction fans will love this series, but also, anyone who loves a sweet romance and a mind-boggling story.
Rating:
4 stars -> more like 4.5 stars. I really, really hope that there will be a third novel in this series! But I'm totally content if there won't be. The author pulled off a very good ending, either way.
Invaded by Melissa Landers
Book Two of the Alienated series
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: February 3, 2015
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by a friend (thank you, Celeste!)
Summary (from Goodreads):
The romantic sequel to Alienated takes long-distance relationships to a new level as Cara and Aelyx long for each other from opposite ends of the universe...until a threat to both their worlds reunites them.
Cara always knew life on planet L’eihr would be an adjustment. With Aelyx, her L’eihr boyfriend, back on Earth, working to mend the broken alliance between their two planets, Cara is left to fend for herself at a new school, surrounded by hostile alien clones. Even the weird dorm pet hates her.
Things look up when Cara is appointed as human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L’eihr. A society melding their two cultures is a place where Cara and Aelyx could one day make a life together. But with L’eihr leaders balking at granting even the most basic freedoms, Cara begins to wonder if she could ever be happy on this planet, even with Aelyx by her side.
Meanwhile, on Earth, Aelyx, finds himself thrown into a full-scale PR campaign to improve human-L’eihr relations. Humans don’t know that their very survival depends on this alliance: only Aelyx’s people have the technology to fix the deadly contamination in the global water supply that human governments are hiding. Yet despite their upper hand, the leaders of his world suddenly seem desperate to get humans on their side, and hardly bat an eye at extremists’ multiple attempts on Aelyx’s life.
The Way clearly needs humans’ help . . . but with what? And what will they ask for in return?
What I Liked:
Well, this book took long-distance relationships to a whole new level. Dating someone in another galaxy? Holy guacamole, that puts two different states or even countries into perspective, no? I love Aelyx and Cara's relationship. But I also love the originality and creativity of this story - so let's get to it!
Aelyx is on Earth, trying to cultivate a positive image to the inhabitants on Earth, while also trying to stay alive. Meanwhile, Cara is attempting to adjust to life on L’eihr, but it's not easy when her body won't adjust (the exercising is insane), no one will accept her (despite going through the ceremony to have citizenship), and she misses Earth, and Aelyx (especially him). Something more is happening, something bigger than the L’eihr forming an alliance with Earth. Aelyx is puzzled by why the L’eihr has been pushing the alliance so hard, and Cara is confused as to why probes have been falling on L’eihr. All the while, their very relationship is taking a hit with the distance issue...
It's been a while since I read (and re-read) Alienated, but I had no trouble getting back into the story. The Earth's water is seriously contaminated, but the inhabitants of Earth don't know that. The L’eihr can fix this problem, which is how they have control over the alliance. But most of the population of humans don't know about the water pollution, whereas the L’eihr know.
So there's Aelyx on Earth, trying to win over everyone on Earth. Aelyx and Syrine, another L’eihr, are protected by David Sharpe, a human, Aelyx is miserable without Cara, but he works tirelessly for the alliance, for her, for their future together in the colony. We get alternating perspectives in the third person, so there is plenty of Aelyx in this book. Mostly, he misses Cara, but he has to think of the alliance as well.
Cara, on L’eihr, has a hard time. The physical activity is brutal on her - and the diet is different. Not to mention that basically everyone is after her, because they think humans are strange. Which is understandable, I suppose. Her brother Troy is on L’eihr, but he will have to leave soon. Mostly, Cara misses Aelyx. But she does a lot of sneaking around and digging, because something is not right on L’eihr.
I loved experiencing life on L’eihr. Despite the fact that it kind of sucked for Cara, there were wonderful things about the planet. Vero, Aelyx's house pet, is adorable. The L’eihr children are kind of cute as well - the teething toddler scene is so lovely to read. One of my favorite scenes is with Vero though, when he finally approaches Cara (because of one specific thing). Love!
While Aelyx and Cara aren't physically together for most of the book, I really liked the development of their relationship. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, and all that. Both of them miss each other, and think of each other constantly. Both of them have their insecurities about their relationship, each other, their duties... but in the end, they trust each other completely. I love seeing the doubt and insecurity though, because this long-distance relationships wouldn't be authentic without it.
I love one specific thing that Aelyx does for Cara - for a nonhuman boy, he sure does catch on fast. She missed him so much, and he missed her, and he sent her the perfect gift. I'd take that gift over roses and pearls any day!
The science in this book is fabulous! I'm a math/science nerd at heart, a true engineer. I love that science is such an integral part of this series. The L’eihr are an advanced race, with better technology and science. Landers really does her research when it comes to the alien science behind this story, but at the same time, she uses her imagination quite well. Or is it all imagination? Hmm...
The ending of this book was a bit shocking, and definitely open-ended. It ended... well, but there is much that the author could do with that ending. I believe this series is contracted with two books, and the series ends well with this one, but a third book would benefit the series (and not detract from it). I could totally see Landers adding another installment. Perhaps it's a case of sales numbers - if there is enough interest in this book, then perhaps a third book will be possible? If that is the case, then EVERYONE needs to buy Alienated and Invaded. But you all should do that anyway.
What I Did Not Like:
One thing that bothered me is something that I can't really go into detail without spoiling things (so I won't). But it has to do with a decision that Cara has to make, towards the end of the novel. I feel like the time it took to convince her of going one way (which ends up being the way she chose) wasn't very long - like, it seemed rather abrupt when she decided to change her mind. Like, she was set on doing one thing, but then it didn't take much for her to change her mind. Ugh! This is frustrating to explain without actually explaining it, but trust me - the decision is pretty big, and I know how smart Cara is. I didn't think she would be swayed - either way - so fast/easily.
Would I Recommend It:
I loved this sequel, so I would totally recommend this one. If you've read Alienated, then you definitely should read this one, whether you liked Alienated or not. And if you haven't read the first book, then you should definitely binge-read the series! It's one of my favorite science fiction series of all time! Science fiction fans will love this series, but also, anyone who loves a sweet romance and a mind-boggling story.
Rating:
4 stars -> more like 4.5 stars. I really, really hope that there will be a third novel in this series! But I'm totally content if there won't be. The author pulled off a very good ending, either way.
Want to read
February 16, 2014February 2015?!
A preview of what I will be doing for the next year...
A preview of what I will be doing for the next year...
February 19, 2015
"Sweet alien babies" Am I allowed to use that reference/quote here? Because it does involve aliens, and Katy would agree on me with this, that this book was goooooooood!
This was a stunning and strong sequel! I really liked the first book "Alienated" it had this cute, highschool, insta-lov-ish drive but with a hot alien involved. "Invaded" took it to another level. This time around we got to get familiar with L'eihr and The Way and also Cara's feelings toward this new world. Also, there was little Cara/Aelyx action but it worked, like I said we got more world-building and more fundamental building to the plot instead alot of insta-love, though there were some here and there, but oh well.
If you found Alienated to be just o.k. Pick up Invaded and get the enjoyment you've been waiting for.
This was a stunning and strong sequel! I really liked the first book "Alienated" it had this cute, highschool, insta-lov-ish drive but with a hot alien involved. "Invaded" took it to another level. This time around we got to get familiar with L'eihr and The Way and also Cara's feelings toward this new world. Also, there was little Cara/Aelyx action but it worked, like I said we got more world-building and more fundamental building to the plot instead alot of insta-love, though there were some here and there, but oh well.
If you found Alienated to be just o.k. Pick up Invaded and get the enjoyment you've been waiting for.
Read
January 24, 2018I really enjoyed seeing the heroine experience another planet/culture. I can't imagine a world where there are no secrets and your every thought is immediately picked up by those around you. Scary and liberating at the same time. Even though the hero and heroine spend time apart, the romance is still there. Excited to see what happens in book three.
September 3, 2016
3.5 stars.
This sequel was a bit lackluster for me. It was missing a lot of the components that I originally loved in Aliented. ::sigh:: But the last 100 pages or so grabbed my attention and if there's a third book I will definitely be reading.
This sequel was a bit lackluster for me. It was missing a lot of the components that I originally loved in Aliented. ::sigh:: But the last 100 pages or so grabbed my attention and if there's a third book I will definitely be reading.
February 22, 2016
A pretty solid sequel. If I had not loved Alienated so much, this book might have rated higher because it was good. But it didn't live up to the magic and spark I felt with the first one. It wrapped up really nice (Landers wasn't signed for a third book when Invaded was written) and was satisfying. The third and final book comes out in August.
June 29, 2015
http://gamzeninkitapdunyasi.blogspot....
Bence serinin ara kitabı olduğu düşünülürse gayet başarılı bir kitap olduğunu düşünüyorum. Sonu çok havada bitse de..
Bu kitapta tam biz farklı 'dünyaların' insanlarıyız havası vardı. :D
Cara, Uzay'da.. Etrafı ondan nefret eden uzaylılarla çevrili.
Aelyx'in Dünya'da.. Etrafı ona devamlı suikast düzenleyen ve iki hükümetin arasını bozmaya çalışan insanlarla çevrili..
Ve bu ikilimizin ise skype gibi tek bir haberleşme durumu var.
Ben açıkçası ilk başlarda ikiliyi birlikte çok sık göremeyebileceğimi düşünmüştüm. Ama neyseki öyle gitmedi.
Ben Cara'yı bu kitapta daha bir çok sevdim. Hele abisi ile ilişkilerini okurken o kadar mutlu oldum ki.. Etrafı onu istemeyen insanlar ops pardon uzaylılar ile çevriliyken tutunacak bir dalı olması çok hoşuma gitti.
Kitapta beni sinir eden tek bir nokta oldu. O da Aelyx'nin düşüncesizliği. Yani illa Cara'nın mı yaşadığı yer ile ilgili fedakarlık yapması lazım ki?! Hem yok deliler gibi seni seviyorum sen benim ruh ikizim diyorsun sonra kız nerede yaşayacağı konusunda ikileme düşünce de eğer burada yaşamayı seçersen artık birbirimizi bir daha hiç göremeyeceğiz diyorsun. Erkeksin sen biraz yumruğunu masaya vurup sen nerede yaşamak istersen ben hep yanındayım desene yiyorsa!..
Onun haricinde birkaç olay var ki.. İnsanın yüreğini burkan :( Dedim keşke hiç o yollara girmeseymiş yazar. Ama dram olmadan tadı olmaz diye düşünnmüş sanırım.
Ben kitabı sevdim baya, yazar 3. kitapta durumu nerelere bağlayacak çok merak ediyorum.
Ve sevgili yayınevine de bizleri çok bekletmedikleri için de ayrıca teşekkür ederim :)
Dipnot: Bu kitapta nedense hatalar çok gözüme çarptı. Umarım diğer kitaplarda böyle olmaz :/
Troy dirseklerinin üzerinde doğrulup odaya göz gezdirdi v Elle'in çıplak göğsünü gördüğünde ağzı bir karış açık kaldı. "Yok artık!" diye haykırdı, bir eliyle gözlerini kapatarak. "Bir uyarsaydın bari!"
Elle gülüp saçlarını ensesinde topladı. "Siz insanlar çok komiksiniz. Bedenleriniz konusunda çok tutucusunuz."
Troy parmaklarının arasından baktı. "Yani ben burada anadan doğma vaziyette kasıla kasıla yürüsem bu seni rahatsız etmeyecek mi?"
"O kadar da değil," dedi Cara bir parmağını kaldırarak. "Beni rahatsız eder!"
"Hiç çekinme," diyen Elle, izin verircesine elini Troy'un yatağına doğru salladı. "Gördüğüm ilk erkek üreme organı seninki olmayacaktır. Bana göre hepsi aynı."
Troy, Elle'in göğüslerine arzuyla bakmamaya çalışırken kucağına bir yastık aldı. "Ben birkaç dakika olduğum yerde kalsam iyi olacak."
Cara'nın gülüşü aydınlandı. "En çok neyini özlüyorum, biliyor musun?" diye sorup Aelyx'in cevabını beklemeden heyecanla tamamladı. "Kokunu."
"Neyimi?" dedi Aelyx. Duymak istediği şey bu değildi. Cara'nın da ona dokunmayı özlemiş olmasını ummuştu. "Bu, benim öpüşme becerilerim hakkında pek bir şey göstermiyor, değil mi?"
"O konuda endişelenmene gerek yok. Gayet beceriklisin," diyen Cara dudağını ısırıp ekledi. "İnanılmaz beceriklisin."
Bu cevap daha iyiydi. Aelyx oturduğu yerde doğrulduğunu fark etti. "Ama yine de en çok kokumu mu özledin? Özleyecek o kadar şey varken...."
"Müthiş bir kokun var. Tatlı ve baharatlı. Sanki içinde başka bir şey daha var... Uzun uzun yağan yağmurdan sonraki orman kokusu gibi," diyen Cara gözlerini kapattı ve hayallere dalarak burnundan derin bir nefes aldı. Kapısı tıslayarak açıldı ama odaya her kim girdiyse Cara hiç oralı olmadı. "Bütün L'eihrliler böyle mi kokuyor acaba diye merak ederdim ama öyle değilmiş, sadece senmişsin. Keşke yatarken senin gömleklerinden birini giyebilsem. Böylece sen yanımdaymışsın gibi olurdu."
Bence serinin ara kitabı olduğu düşünülürse gayet başarılı bir kitap olduğunu düşünüyorum. Sonu çok havada bitse de..
Bu kitapta tam biz farklı 'dünyaların' insanlarıyız havası vardı. :D
Cara, Uzay'da.. Etrafı ondan nefret eden uzaylılarla çevrili.
Aelyx'in Dünya'da.. Etrafı ona devamlı suikast düzenleyen ve iki hükümetin arasını bozmaya çalışan insanlarla çevrili..
Ve bu ikilimizin ise skype gibi tek bir haberleşme durumu var.
Ben açıkçası ilk başlarda ikiliyi birlikte çok sık göremeyebileceğimi düşünmüştüm. Ama neyseki öyle gitmedi.
Ben Cara'yı bu kitapta daha bir çok sevdim. Hele abisi ile ilişkilerini okurken o kadar mutlu oldum ki.. Etrafı onu istemeyen insanlar ops pardon uzaylılar ile çevriliyken tutunacak bir dalı olması çok hoşuma gitti.
Kitapta beni sinir eden tek bir nokta oldu. O da Aelyx'nin düşüncesizliği. Yani illa Cara'nın mı yaşadığı yer ile ilgili fedakarlık yapması lazım ki?! Hem yok deliler gibi seni seviyorum sen benim ruh ikizim diyorsun sonra kız nerede yaşayacağı konusunda ikileme düşünce de eğer burada yaşamayı seçersen artık birbirimizi bir daha hiç göremeyeceğiz diyorsun. Erkeksin sen biraz yumruğunu masaya vurup sen nerede yaşamak istersen ben hep yanındayım desene yiyorsa!..
Onun haricinde birkaç olay var ki.. İnsanın yüreğini burkan :( Dedim keşke hiç o yollara girmeseymiş yazar. Ama dram olmadan tadı olmaz diye düşünnmüş sanırım.
Ben kitabı sevdim baya, yazar 3. kitapta durumu nerelere bağlayacak çok merak ediyorum.
Ve sevgili yayınevine de bizleri çok bekletmedikleri için de ayrıca teşekkür ederim :)
Dipnot: Bu kitapta nedense hatalar çok gözüme çarptı. Umarım diğer kitaplarda böyle olmaz :/
Troy dirseklerinin üzerinde doğrulup odaya göz gezdirdi v Elle'in çıplak göğsünü gördüğünde ağzı bir karış açık kaldı. "Yok artık!" diye haykırdı, bir eliyle gözlerini kapatarak. "Bir uyarsaydın bari!"
Elle gülüp saçlarını ensesinde topladı. "Siz insanlar çok komiksiniz. Bedenleriniz konusunda çok tutucusunuz."
Troy parmaklarının arasından baktı. "Yani ben burada anadan doğma vaziyette kasıla kasıla yürüsem bu seni rahatsız etmeyecek mi?"
"O kadar da değil," dedi Cara bir parmağını kaldırarak. "Beni rahatsız eder!"
"Hiç çekinme," diyen Elle, izin verircesine elini Troy'un yatağına doğru salladı. "Gördüğüm ilk erkek üreme organı seninki olmayacaktır. Bana göre hepsi aynı."
Troy, Elle'in göğüslerine arzuyla bakmamaya çalışırken kucağına bir yastık aldı. "Ben birkaç dakika olduğum yerde kalsam iyi olacak."
November 30, 2013
Hi readers! Full disclosure: I am one of Melissa's critique partners. However, I have been so busy with the DOON sequel that I haven't had an exposure to INVADED until the final draft.
I loved the second installment of Cara and Aelyx's story even more than book one. The world of L'eihr is a fascinating creation. I don't want to give anything away, but have tissues ready!
I loved the second installment of Cara and Aelyx's story even more than book one. The world of L'eihr is a fascinating creation. I don't want to give anything away, but have tissues ready!
May 4, 2017
3 stars
Review to come
Cute and action-y
Suffers a little from middle book syndrome
Review to come
Cute and action-y
Suffers a little from middle book syndrome
January 23, 2019
Good sequel and a good bridge to get readers to the third and final book. In this second book of the series, Cara is on L’eihr and Aelyx is on Earth but the separation of the planets really allows two different subplots to rise on the plot with the alliance. Overall, this is an amusing and fun sequel with a great ending that leads readers to the next book, United.
My quick and simple overall: good sequel and Vero may have been the most adorable, mean little creature I have read about in a while!
My quick and simple overall: good sequel and Vero may have been the most adorable, mean little creature I have read about in a while!
June 4, 2017
“It's like our whole culture is based on frivolity, and I never noticed before."
Great second instalment! Once more, the narrative is very compelling and I ended up finishing the book in just over a day.
I really appreciated Landers potentially 'dangerous' decision of keeping Cara and Aelyx 'separated' for most of the novel, but this allowed her to deal with prejudices from two apparently different points of view. As it happens, the parallels show that the two cultures have more in common than first believed. On the other hand, these very differences are very interesting - such as how each people's day-to-day life, their beliefs, their outlook on work is defined - and how this comments on our own world right now. The descriptions of the L'eihr's homeland are fun too with their portrayal of this planet with 'unusual' fauna, flora, and colour spectrum.
The development of the main protagonists progresses nicely too, in a realistic fashion. We also find out more from peripheral characters, both old and new, which all comes together at the end.
Am definitely reading the third book :O)
Great second instalment! Once more, the narrative is very compelling and I ended up finishing the book in just over a day.
I really appreciated Landers potentially 'dangerous' decision of keeping Cara and Aelyx 'separated' for most of the novel, but this allowed her to deal with prejudices from two apparently different points of view. As it happens, the parallels show that the two cultures have more in common than first believed. On the other hand, these very differences are very interesting - such as how each people's day-to-day life, their beliefs, their outlook on work is defined - and how this comments on our own world right now. The descriptions of the L'eihr's homeland are fun too with their portrayal of this planet with 'unusual' fauna, flora, and colour spectrum.
The development of the main protagonists progresses nicely too, in a realistic fashion. We also find out more from peripheral characters, both old and new, which all comes together at the end.
Am definitely reading the third book :O)
December 30, 2015
UPDATE: Moving this down a star because the more I think about it, the more I realize I did not enjoy this book as much as its predecessor.
Invaded is an exciting sequel to Alienated, a young adult sci-fi novel by Melissa Landers. Let me first say that if you haven't picked up this series, I would definitely recommend it! The books are so fun and filled with humor, amazing protagonists, and a swoon-worthy romance. The story is very unique and there are really no other books that I have read like them.
At the end of Alienated, the stakes are higher than ever to negotiate a alliance between Earth and L'eihr. The beginning of Invaded picks up right where we left off (seriously, you don't miss a beat) with Cara on her way to L'eihr and Aelyx on his way to Earth. Long distance relationship? Heck yeah. I seriously admire that Cara and Aelyx are always able to put aside their differences and disagreements in order to make choices that are best for the people around them and their relationship with each other. They are each capable of making sacrifices for what they believe in, and it's so fantastic to see their best character qualities magnified. To be teenagers who are able to see past themselves and see the big picture is phenomenal. To be able to step out of their comfort zones into the unknown because they see their importance in that big picture is even more admirable.
This book definitely ups the intensity from Alienated, and Cara and Aelyx find themselves among deception on both Earth and L'eihr. They both have to stand strong for what they believe in order to achieve their goal. I really enjoyed Invaded, but I think Alienated is still my favorite in the series! Although I think Invaded is a better book as far as character and story depth goes, I still like the storyline of Alienated a little more. Also, I found the first half of Invaded to be a bit boring. There wasn't much conflict until the second half of the book, when things really started to pick up. I found myself putting the book down a lot until I got a little further in to the plot and grew comfortable with the planet L'eihr (there was a lot of world building involved, which is definitely good). Invaded has more action than Alienated, but most of this happens in the second half of the book. The second half definitely makes up for the first half, though! Invaded leaves a lot of strings unattached, so *fingers crossed* a third book is to come!! Be sure to pick up this series if you haven't!
Invaded is an exciting sequel to Alienated, a young adult sci-fi novel by Melissa Landers. Let me first say that if you haven't picked up this series, I would definitely recommend it! The books are so fun and filled with humor, amazing protagonists, and a swoon-worthy romance. The story is very unique and there are really no other books that I have read like them.
At the end of Alienated, the stakes are higher than ever to negotiate a alliance between Earth and L'eihr. The beginning of Invaded picks up right where we left off (seriously, you don't miss a beat) with Cara on her way to L'eihr and Aelyx on his way to Earth. Long distance relationship? Heck yeah. I seriously admire that Cara and Aelyx are always able to put aside their differences and disagreements in order to make choices that are best for the people around them and their relationship with each other. They are each capable of making sacrifices for what they believe in, and it's so fantastic to see their best character qualities magnified. To be teenagers who are able to see past themselves and see the big picture is phenomenal. To be able to step out of their comfort zones into the unknown because they see their importance in that big picture is even more admirable.
This book definitely ups the intensity from Alienated, and Cara and Aelyx find themselves among deception on both Earth and L'eihr. They both have to stand strong for what they believe in order to achieve their goal. I really enjoyed Invaded, but I think Alienated is still my favorite in the series! Although I think Invaded is a better book as far as character and story depth goes, I still like the storyline of Alienated a little more. Also, I found the first half of Invaded to be a bit boring. There wasn't much conflict until the second half of the book, when things really started to pick up. I found myself putting the book down a lot until I got a little further in to the plot and grew comfortable with the planet L'eihr (there was a lot of world building involved, which is definitely good). Invaded has more action than Alienated, but most of this happens in the second half of the book. The second half definitely makes up for the first half, though! Invaded leaves a lot of strings unattached, so *fingers crossed* a third book is to come!! Be sure to pick up this series if you haven't!
March 13, 2019
Overall I'm really disappointed the romance suffered a lot and the book suffered because for most of the book Aelyx and Cara were not together the romance is what this series falls back on its the greatest element. Also this book was very predictable. It did not even come close to Alienated I was bored most of the time. I just couldn't connect like I did with the first even when Cara and Aelyx reunited,the magic for their relationship was gone for me I just did not see their chemistry anymore it felt pretty forced I hope there is a third book because the end left a lot to be resolved and I'm hoping the third book tops them both.
August 27, 2015
Alienated was hella cute and funny and while I enjoyed Invaded I'd still say it wasn't as good.
October 8, 2016
Bunu da bitirmişim ama işaretlememişim. Gerçekten keyifli, modu yüksek bir kitaptı. Karakterlerimiz birlikte aynı gezegende değiller, yine de kendini heyecanla okutuyor ve 'yaa tüh ya, niye yan yana değiller, sıkılıyorum' diye düşünmüyorsunuz bile.
Evet, bundan çokkkk daha güzel kitaplar okudum. Ama onlarla kıyaslamıyorum. Kendi türü, yaş grubu arasında kıyaslıyorum ve geldiği yer ortalama bir yer. Öyle öldüm bittim diyemem tabii ki, ama güzel ve kendini okutuyor.
Evet, bundan çokkkk daha güzel kitaplar okudum. Ama onlarla kıyaslamıyorum. Kendi türü, yaş grubu arasında kıyaslıyorum ve geldiği yer ortalama bir yer. Öyle öldüm bittim diyemem tabii ki, ama güzel ve kendini okutuyor.
March 21, 2016
3.5/5
I didn't like Invaded as much as Alienated but it was still pretty good. I liked learning more about L’eihr while Cara was living there. I also enjoyed having chapters alternating focus on Cara or Aelyx, even though at times I just really wanted to keep reading about one character. There were some things in the book that I was able to predict which was kind of annoying. The ending of the book seemed a little rushed which is partly because there is going to be a third book, United, coming out later in the year. Until then I just have to wait for that book to come out.
I didn't like Invaded as much as Alienated but it was still pretty good. I liked learning more about L’eihr while Cara was living there. I also enjoyed having chapters alternating focus on Cara or Aelyx, even though at times I just really wanted to keep reading about one character. There were some things in the book that I was able to predict which was kind of annoying. The ending of the book seemed a little rushed which is partly because there is going to be a third book, United, coming out later in the year. Until then I just have to wait for that book to come out.
Want to read
August 24, 2015I HEAR THIS ONE ISN'T AS GOOD AS THE FIRST.WHO CARES? I WILL PROBABLY ENJOY IT ANYWAY.
April 19, 2015
As Aelyx is attempting to fix the Human - L'eihr alliance on Earth, Cara finds herself on her own (aside from her brother) on an unfamiliar planet to complete her part of the exchange, and, better yet, help develop the colony where one day she and Aelyx will make a home for themselves. Unfortunately, the L'eihr's are having a difficult time accepting even the most basic human freedoms for the colony because the L'eihrs seem to fully expect to impose their culture upon the human colonists rather than seek to integrate elements from both societies as was seemingly planned. Cara begins to wonder if she could be ever be truly happy with the proposed lifestyle.
While Cara is attempting to sort out all of this and school, Aleyx is stuck doing major PR work to improve human - L'eihr relations. While his people seemingly have the upper-hand in the situation (since they're the only one who can fix the water supply, even if most humans know that their survival depends on this alliance), L'eihr leaders seem almost desperate to get humanity on their side, regardless of the assassination attempts on Aelyx's life. Both Aelyx and Cara are sure that The Way needs humanity, but for what and at what cost.
The tables have completely turned this time around in Invaded for our two core characters. Aelyx is my favorite to read, and in this sequel I really believe Landers captured his character really well; however, I actually found myself much more interested in Cara's journey on L'eihr. I enjoyed getting a first hand look at the planet and a much closer look at the inner workings of its people. The world building is great when in comes to fleshing out Aelyx's home-world. Although, Aelyx deals with assassination attempts while on his PR campaign, his half of the story seems pretty slow paced in comparison to Cara's. Of the newly introduced characters, David is easily the best and has the most to do. Aside from the somewhat uneven pacing, my only real complaint with the novel was the ending. I don't know if anyone felt the same way but it seemed to me that it was a bit of a cop out . With the way this book ends, it pretty much ensures a third installment of the series.
Overall, Invaded is a great sequel, but it doesn't quite have enough of what made its predecessor so much fun. It is still a must read for fans of Alienated and I am definitely looking forward to however many books are in the rest of the series. I'm looking forward to learning more about the Ancients.
While Cara is attempting to sort out all of this and school, Aleyx is stuck doing major PR work to improve human - L'eihr relations. While his people seemingly have the upper-hand in the situation (since they're the only one who can fix the water supply, even if most humans know that their survival depends on this alliance), L'eihr leaders seem almost desperate to get humanity on their side, regardless of the assassination attempts on Aelyx's life. Both Aelyx and Cara are sure that The Way needs humanity, but for what and at what cost.
The tables have completely turned this time around in Invaded for our two core characters. Aelyx is my favorite to read, and in this sequel I really believe Landers captured his character really well; however, I actually found myself much more interested in Cara's journey on L'eihr. I enjoyed getting a first hand look at the planet and a much closer look at the inner workings of its people. The world building is great when in comes to fleshing out Aelyx's home-world. Although, Aelyx deals with assassination attempts while on his PR campaign, his half of the story seems pretty slow paced in comparison to Cara's. Of the newly introduced characters, David is easily the best and has the most to do. Aside from the somewhat uneven pacing, my only real complaint with the novel was the ending. I don't know if anyone felt the same way but it seemed to me that it was a bit of a cop out . With the way this book ends, it pretty much ensures a third installment of the series.
Overall, Invaded is a great sequel, but it doesn't quite have enough of what made its predecessor so much fun. It is still a must read for fans of Alienated and I am definitely looking forward to however many books are in the rest of the series. I'm looking forward to learning more about the Ancients.
January 8, 2018
Very much anticipated this sequel and I wasn’t let down. It was so good. Even though I didn’t agree with the fitness regimen that Cara underwent on L’eihr, it showcased how determined Cara is as a heroine. She refused to be cowed, to give up, or to give in.
I do wish it was explained more how she can share her thoughts. Simply telling me she had to practice a lot wasn’t enough. Yes, sometimes it was shared what she did in practice, but why can she, a human do it at all? I did like it however because it was important to the story in several ways. It showed that the two species share commonalities and it showed that humans weren’t as backward as the L’eihr’s thought.
I also thought it was clever to perpetuate the romance but keep both Cara and Aelyx separate. They both were prone to jealousy over another nearby party.
The ending – OMG. Okay. Okay. Breathe. I need the next book like pronto. Don’t make me wait!
I do wish it was explained more how she can share her thoughts. Simply telling me she had to practice a lot wasn’t enough. Yes, sometimes it was shared what she did in practice, but why can she, a human do it at all? I did like it however because it was important to the story in several ways. It showed that the two species share commonalities and it showed that humans weren’t as backward as the L’eihr’s thought.
I also thought it was clever to perpetuate the romance but keep both Cara and Aelyx separate. They both were prone to jealousy over another nearby party.
The ending – OMG. Okay. Okay. Breathe. I need the next book like pronto. Don’t make me wait!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2015
Welcome, fellow l’annabes. My name is Layla, and I will be your guide to the planet L’eihr (and the innermost workings of Cara Sweeney’s mind). To prepare for this journey, I want you to remember the following:
-Cara, our heroine, is fiery and passionate. You know this because she has red hair. Also, she is a woman.
-Aelyx, our hero, is logical and doesn’t totally get human emotions 100%. You know this because he is a man. (And an alien from a planet where they like … bred out human emotion because it is a weakness, do you hear me? A weakness! Don’t worry, they’re trying to fix it.)
-The L’eihr don’t believe in: feelings, compassion, humans not sucking.
-In this universe, it is totally realistic for one teenager to give up her life on Earth and decide to “build a life together” with her alien boyfriend on his alien planet. Don’t worry, the colonies will be lots of fun, Cara! They’ll definitely give you a way to get off the island, and yes, it’s an actual island. (Cara seems weirdly more concerned about whether or not she’ll be able to choose her own job, but guess what, it will not matter what job you have when shit goes down and you can’t get out of there! This is the thing you need to fight harder for!)
-If you’re receiving death threats and people are trying to kill you at every turn, just do what you do, man. Absolutely follow people into shady looking, isolated buildings.
-In space, no one can hear you scream at your copy of Invaded.
Rest of the review is up at The Midnight Garden.
-Cara, our heroine, is fiery and passionate. You know this because she has red hair. Also, she is a woman.
-Aelyx, our hero, is logical and doesn’t totally get human emotions 100%. You know this because he is a man. (And an alien from a planet where they like … bred out human emotion because it is a weakness, do you hear me? A weakness! Don’t worry, they’re trying to fix it.)
-The L’eihr don’t believe in: feelings, compassion, humans not sucking.
-In this universe, it is totally realistic for one teenager to give up her life on Earth and decide to “build a life together” with her alien boyfriend on his alien planet. Don’t worry, the colonies will be lots of fun, Cara! They’ll definitely give you a way to get off the island, and yes, it’s an actual island. (Cara seems weirdly more concerned about whether or not she’ll be able to choose her own job, but guess what, it will not matter what job you have when shit goes down and you can’t get out of there! This is the thing you need to fight harder for!)
-If you’re receiving death threats and people are trying to kill you at every turn, just do what you do, man. Absolutely follow people into shady looking, isolated buildings.
-In space, no one can hear you scream at your copy of Invaded.
Rest of the review is up at The Midnight Garden.
October 29, 2013
Full disclosure: I'm one of Melissa Lander's critique partners so I got an early look at this book and holy spaceships, it's fantastic! Fast paced, funny, and filled with intrigue and double crosses, you're going to love this ride! I can't wait for its release so the rest of Earth can love it too!
January 17, 2016
Couldn't finish reading this. I want to know what happens at the end but not enough to push through the rest. Really let down.
January 16, 2015
Well that was short lived.... Full review to come...
April 3, 2019
SERIE ALIENATED n. 2
Lettura di gruppo E&L
Devo dire che all'inizio non succede niente di rilevante per la storia in se. Ma conosciamo la vita su Leria e piano piano incontriamo tutti personaggi. Mi è piaciuta molto il legame tra Cara e Troy (il fratello). Mi è anche piaicuto l'alternarsi dei punti di vista tra Cara e Aelyx. Tra Leria e Terra e vedere che cosa succede su entrambi i mondi.
Anche se è proprio un young adult all'ennesima potenza, mi è proprio piaciuto. Carino, dolce, divertente e intrigante. Il finale bello movimentato. E si alcune cose le avevo pensate, ma mi hanno fatto male lo stesso! Devo leggere troppo l'ultimo libro. Purtroppo in italiano non è ancora stato pubblicato. Se aspetto che qualche CE lo pubblichi , faccio in tempo a finire tutti i miei want-to.read che ho qui in libreria. Quindi vedrò di recuperarlo in inglese. Tanto non mi sembra così complicata la lettura. Spero. Ma non mi interessa. Devo sapere come va a finire.
Lettura di gruppo E&L
Devo dire che all'inizio non succede niente di rilevante per la storia in se. Ma conosciamo la vita su Leria e piano piano incontriamo tutti personaggi. Mi è piaciuta molto il legame tra Cara e Troy (il fratello). Mi è anche piaicuto l'alternarsi dei punti di vista tra Cara e Aelyx. Tra Leria e Terra e vedere che cosa succede su entrambi i mondi.
Anche se è proprio un young adult all'ennesima potenza, mi è proprio piaciuto. Carino, dolce, divertente e intrigante. Il finale bello movimentato. E si alcune cose le avevo pensate, ma mi hanno fatto male lo stesso! Devo leggere troppo l'ultimo libro. Purtroppo in italiano non è ancora stato pubblicato. Se aspetto che qualche CE lo pubblichi , faccio in tempo a finire tutti i miei want-to.read che ho qui in libreria. Quindi vedrò di recuperarlo in inglese. Tanto non mi sembra così complicata la lettura. Spero. Ma non mi interessa. Devo sapere come va a finire.
November 19, 2017
Well I'm glad I bought the third one while I was finishing this one. I don't usually read outside my normal genre, but it helps this has some contemporary romance in it even though it's pretty sci-fi based. But man I know there has to be some serious stuff coming for the third book so I really can't wait to get my hands on it.
June 28, 2015
4.5 Yıldız.
Serinin ilk kitabı Yabancı’yı okuyanlar bilir, kitabın sonunda her şey karman çorman olmuş, milletin çoğu birbirine girmiş, olmayacak şeyler olmuştu. Yani olaylar olaylar diyeceğimiz şey gerçekleşmişti. L’eihlilerin dünyamıza gelmesi L’eihr ve Dünya arasında kurulacak ittifak için çok önemli olsa da planlanan çoğu şey geri tepmiş ve neredeyse ittifakın bitmesine sebebiyet verilecek olaylar olmuştur. Örneğin; Aeylx’in sh’alear bitkisini gezegenimize getirerek, tarım ürünlerine zarar vermesi gibi veya bilim adamlarımızın L’eihrlilerden aldığı nanoteknolojik bir şeyle suyumuzu kirletmeleri gibi ya da Dünyaperverlerin, Eron’u öldürmesi gibi. En acısı da bu olsa gerek. Eron, gezegenimizi kurtarmak için sh’alear bitkisini sökmek için yola çıktığı zaman linç edilerek öldürülmüştür. Bu olaydan sonra L’eihrlilerin İhtiyar heyeti uzaylılarını yurtlarına çağırmış ve dünyaya ne gibi zararlar verdiklerini bir bir anlatmalarını istemiştir. Bunun karşılığında da cevaplar almışlardır. Mesela en büyük cezalarından birisi olan iphet gibi. Ama bunun dışında Cara dünyasına dönememiş ve L’eihr gezegeninde kalmak zorunda kalmıştır. Yani değişim programı erkenden başlamıştır. Aeylx ise dünyalıların daha fazla düşman olmamaları için Syrine ile birlikte gezegenimize gönderilmiştir ve dünyamıza ayak basar basmaz da turnelere basmışlardır.
Devamı için: https://kitaplarindunyasi.wordpress.c...
Serinin ilk kitabı Yabancı’yı okuyanlar bilir, kitabın sonunda her şey karman çorman olmuş, milletin çoğu birbirine girmiş, olmayacak şeyler olmuştu. Yani olaylar olaylar diyeceğimiz şey gerçekleşmişti. L’eihlilerin dünyamıza gelmesi L’eihr ve Dünya arasında kurulacak ittifak için çok önemli olsa da planlanan çoğu şey geri tepmiş ve neredeyse ittifakın bitmesine sebebiyet verilecek olaylar olmuştur. Örneğin; Aeylx’in sh’alear bitkisini gezegenimize getirerek, tarım ürünlerine zarar vermesi gibi veya bilim adamlarımızın L’eihrlilerden aldığı nanoteknolojik bir şeyle suyumuzu kirletmeleri gibi ya da Dünyaperverlerin, Eron’u öldürmesi gibi. En acısı da bu olsa gerek. Eron, gezegenimizi kurtarmak için sh’alear bitkisini sökmek için yola çıktığı zaman linç edilerek öldürülmüştür. Bu olaydan sonra L’eihrlilerin İhtiyar heyeti uzaylılarını yurtlarına çağırmış ve dünyaya ne gibi zararlar verdiklerini bir bir anlatmalarını istemiştir. Bunun karşılığında da cevaplar almışlardır. Mesela en büyük cezalarından birisi olan iphet gibi. Ama bunun dışında Cara dünyasına dönememiş ve L’eihr gezegeninde kalmak zorunda kalmıştır. Yani değişim programı erkenden başlamıştır. Aeylx ise dünyalıların daha fazla düşman olmamaları için Syrine ile birlikte gezegenimize gönderilmiştir ve dünyamıza ayak basar basmaz da turnelere basmışlardır.
Devamı için: https://kitaplarindunyasi.wordpress.c...
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