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"How can we understand what we’ve never experienced and adapt without making mistakes"

I have been on the fence about this book for quite a while, pondering whether to read it or not. As it happens, a copy found its way to me and I pretty much read it in one day.

Landers creates a very interesting premise, a story of cultural clashing between humans and aliens, who have only recently met. Three L'eihr come to Earth as exchange students, and the narrative follows one of these, the one going to the US. Aelyx has been 'allocated' to Cara, an ambitious and driven valedictorian, to facilitate his experience and live with her family. His arrival however incites the usual prejudice which sadly escalades and turns only too quickly to violence. Seeing all these big themes dealt on a small scale, that of a teenager, her parents, friends and school, illustrate the obtuseness of people on a personal scale. And it isn't just the humans - no, the L'eihr aren't perfect either.

The novel focuses of course on Cara and Aelyx, from their initial mistrust to reluctant friendship. Both have their prejudices too but at least are intelligent enough to try to see beyond these. I enjoyed witnessing how their relationship starts and evolves. There are a couple of points I wasn't too sure but in all, it was a really good book.