L'Intrus

Roswell High #2

by Melinda Metz

Dangerous love...
From the moment she hears the roar of Nikolas' motorcycle, she's hooked. This new guy in town seems to understand exactly how she feels and thinks, exactly what she needs. He's someone willing to let her be what she was born to be...the wild one.
He's jealous of Isabel's new boyfriend. Worse, he fears that Nikolas is dragging Isabel deeper and deeper into danger. If Isabel's not careful, Sheriff Valenti will discover the truth about her. And if that happens, no one from Earth will be able to save her....

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Aliens, Fiction, Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy

190 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 1999

About the author

Melinda Metz grew up in San Jose, California. People sometimes ask if she knows the way there. She kinda does, but she has an off-kilter sense of direction, so to be confident of arriving, it's better to consult some kind of navigational device.

Her mother tried to teach her to read in kindergarten, but Melinda had no interest. She also had no interest in learning to write her name. (FYI, when Melinda was in kindergarten it was all about finger-painting, play time, and naps.) Eventually, she mastered both and even majored in English at San Jose State University.

After college, Melinda moved to Manhattan to seek her fortune, which involved learning to identify fruits and vegetables while working at a grocery store,
making $2.73 working backstage for an off-off Broadway play (her part of the box-office profits), and editing books.

Melinda and the lovely and talented Laura J. Burns pretty much became unofficial writing partners when they were editors at the same company. They teamed up to brainstorm story ideas, and at some point their brains fused in some key places. Later they worked on the Roswell High book series, Laura developing and editing the series, Melinda writing.

That series led to Melinda and Laura, now an official writing team, writing two TV pilots, moving to L.A. to work on the Roswell TV show, and briefly living in Toronto while on the writing staff of 1-800-Missing. They both continue to write books, together and separately.

Laura and Melinda's new book, Sanctuary Bay, a YA thriller, is coming out in January 2016. It's set at an ultra-exclusive private school on an island. Once a student is accepted to the school, they must stay until graduation. No visits home, no contact with the outside world at all. Find out why in January!

The first four books in Melinda's new middle-grade mystery series,S.M.A.R.T.S., are out now. The books involve a group of kids in a makerspace club and they all have lots of science info. For all the cool geeks out there!

Melinda lives in Concord, NC with her dog, Scully (yes, she loves the woo-woo so much she named her dog after a kickass X-Files character). She has never regretted learning to read and write her name.

Reviews

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars

Humans: 1 Aliens: 0

Can I get a hurrah for Sheriff Valenti? Thank god for him, otherwise I might have actually spontaneously combusted from all the nonsense.

I don't think I could have taken any more of Isabel's incessant whining and Nikolas' general douchecake-ery! No wonder they decided to cut his role from the television series - he was about as useless as a Kardashian's library card and wasn't developed as a character as much as he should have been considering he plays the lead here.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Wild One is the second book in the Roswell High series of ten books, upon which the television series was based (a quarter of a century ago!) The television iteration didn't stick as closely to the plotline after the first book, so it can be seen as an interesting alternate history story. The books were targeted for adolescent girls, and the main focus is on the angst of teen romance, but the science-fiction twist adds a bit of a fun twist. In this one, Isabel is attracted to a bad-boy who's new to town, Alex is worried about her, Liz (who's Ortecho in the books, not Parker) is still involved with the Max drama, etc. It's a fun, very quick read. When the television series became popular Pocket reprinted the books with photographs of the cast on the covers, so the characters don't look much like they're described.

[Evey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Isabel, are you stupid or what?
Also, nobody should fear aliens. They're just like us, and have the very same problems we have! Except they have some cool powers they don't even use.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wild One was an excellent follow-up to The Outsider as the group deals with a newcomer to Roswell.

Isabel Evans is tired of being told what to do and of being scared all the time. When she meets Nikolas Branson, a newcomer to Roswell, she's drawn in by his bad boy ways and the side of herself he brings out. Max and the others think Nikolas is dangerous and his presence may lead Valenti right to them.

The Roswell show from the nineties is one of my favorite sci-fi shows so I've been enjoying reading the books the show was based off of. The Wild One has a plot that wasn't covered in the show but was enjoyable nonetheless. Isabel is the main focus of this installment as the relationship she develops with Nikolas is at the center of everything going on. Isabel is the only one who sees something good in Nikolas as the rest of the group believe he's a danger to their secret and could expose them to Valenti. There were quite a few tense moments between our main group and Nikolas which were interesting to watch play out. The plot went in a direction I wasn't expecting and I'm curious to see where the series goes after what happened at the end of the book.

Isabel's character goes through quite the transformation in this book. Nikolas helps her embrace her wild side and she stops listening to Max and the others even when their advice is sound. Isabel just wants to stop being afraid of Valenti and to get to do whatever she wants which Nikolas is all about. His character was intriguing to me as he wasn't adapted for the show so it was neat getting a new character to follow. Aside from what's going on with Isabel, Max and Liz are still mooning after each other and I can't wait to see their relationship develop more. We also get the beginning moments of a romance to come between Michael and Maria which I'm excited to see play out.

Overall The Wild One was an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to picking up the next book in the series, The Seeker, soon.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

not as fun and nostalgic as book one so the not great(tm) writing is much harder to ignore

also i was trying to be sympathetic to isabel but nope she's a dumb stubborn bitch in this😭 the liz and max just friends plotline is annoying too and so is alex being in love with isabel who's literally just a bitch to him all the time

id keep reading just for her apology/someone telling her the hell off but i don't think we'll get that...

anyways micheal/maria and micheal/alex dynamics carried

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Isabel meets a mysterious boy at school who seems to have some sort of power over her. She is wildly attracted to him, despite all her friends telling her that he is dangerous. Could he be an alien too?

Isabel is really idiotic in this book as she ignores all the red flags about this mystery guy. He is bad news, and she just doesn't care. She throws away every good relationship in her life and gets into some serious trouble with Sheriff Valenti tracking down aliens in Roswell.

The book ends on a cliffhanger when another mysterious stranger shows up who appears to have alien powers too!

I loved the Roswell TV show when I was a teenager, and it was so fun to rediscover this story through the books! I don't think I would have enjoyed the books now as an adult if I didn't already have the nostalgia of the TV show.

I like that the books are different than the TV show and have different plot lines. It keeps it interesting for me, and it's fun to see how the books differ from the show. The character's personalities are a little different too. Michael is way more funny and less brooding. Isabel is more haughty and proud. Alex is more confident. Max is way less calm than in the TV show. It's weird to see these different sides to their personalities.

The writing is really dorky and has all the high school tropes that you would expect from a 90s teen novel. But I don't care! I love it anyway! Most people would probably roll their eyes at the teen angst, but it just makes me laugh because I already adore the characters.

I can't wait to read more from this series!

[Kati · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Isabel and her abusive boyfriend...

[Layla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alternate title:

That Time I Dated an Extraterrestrial Supremacist Who Acts Like A Badass Greaser But Also Says Things Like “Score! They Have an Ice Cream Machine!”

or

The Girl Who Spends a Lot of Time With Me and is Basically My Best Friend And Whom I Obviously Adore Will Be Totally Safe From My Enemy As Long As The Private Dicks Can’t Catch Us In the Act of Boning

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh I miss the 90s

[C.° · Rating 1 out of 5]

this was a chore to read. just awful.

[Terese]

Ok, this one was pretty dumb.

I do love the idea of Isabel falling for a bad boy and being a dumb teenager about it, but….

… there is a difference between a ”bad boy” and someone who literally gives people brain damage/almost kills them and who does that to two of your friends. Tries to kill a third one. Then demands you start injuring people or you’re not fun… like even a teenage girl can see that hanging with a would-be killer is a bad idea and not something her friends wiöö get over and accept.

Secondly, what a waste! Introducing the fourth alien, having no one but Izzy think it is a big deal. Then kill him off immediately in the same book! Feels like a waste of potential… unless he comes back somehow.

[Marika Charalambous · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very different from the TV series. By now, they only resemble in name, definitely not in content. A good book, but unlike most of the times, now I preferred the TV show instead.

[Babsidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as the first book, but still enjoyable to a degree. I wish the book had explored more of why Isabel was so infatuated with Nick (mind control, anyone?) instead of simply having everyone shout and scream at her to give him up. No one trusted her enough to reason with her and leave her to her own decision making, which was just incredibly frustrating.

Michael and Maria getting closer to one another was lovely to read, though. Max and Liz dancing around each other was frustrating--I'm suddenly very glad the reboot show had other reasons to keep them apart.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can see why the people who made Roswell into a tv show didn't include Isabel's rebel boyfriend, Nikolas. He was pretty much a huge douche and he didn't last that long anyway. In the series, you never really see Isabel with anyone so it was interesting to see her in a relationship. It's weird reading these books and Michael is so nice. I like all the chemistry between everyone and it's easier to grasp with your imagination by reading it.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG WHAT.

Nikolas is dead, thank god. But Ray, and alien? And what's up with that being the last line? I have to wait another week before I get the next one. UGH. So angry.

Otherwise, great book. I'm a total MichaelxMaria fan. Yum.. ;)

Cannot wait till Thursday when I can get the next one. Great job Melinda Metz!

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plots are good, but the misspellings are bad!

I have been enjoying the "Roswell High "series, but there are so many misspelled words that it is difficult to concentrate on the story.

[Weston Huff · Rating 2 out of 5]

i dont really like it. Not my kind of book its too much dumb drama

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to see comparisons between this and the original show.

[Unidragonfrag · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books are quick reads and so, so ridiculous 😂

[Khione · Rating 4 out of 5]

Similar to the first; an easy and quick read. I thought the introduction of a fourth alien was an interesting addition to the Pod Squad. I had watched both versions of the TV adaption of Roswell High and for them it was Tess and Noah. It was interesting how similar Noah was to Nicholas in this book but I think the shows did it more sinsterly. I found it interesting how Nicholas fell into the sterotypical bad boy trope but I like how he challenged the characters both in considering to develop their abilities further but also realise that they aren't defenceless aganist the secret Alien Hunters. I found myself irritated with Isobel being drawn to Nicholas and letting him hurt her loved ones without doing anything to stop him or break up. But is it normal teenage behaviour? I guess. I found the ending a bit anti climax with the way they stopped Nicholas but I liked the introduction of another character being a possible alien.
I also found it frustrating with the whole will they or won't they with Max and Liz. Reminded me of the pain I felt with the OG Roswell tv series.
One thing I wish I added in my first book review was that I think its still odd with the whole Aura and doing a connection to bond and realise that the humans and Aliens can be friends was a bit forced in my opinion like it didn't have a chance to naturally develop on its own. But netherless, a fun read and I honestly don't know if I would recommend it to anyone but it's something fun for any Roswellian fans who just want to enjoy the world of Roswell Alien's a little more.

[Lucie 🌞 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 stars
I read this because I am back in my Roswell addiction and I am watching the series at the same time. Use with caution this book series is full of teen drama and 90’s reference but that’s why we love it no ?


Isabelle kissing Alex to shut him up okay ??

There are all so horny I can’t 😂

Micheal coming to check on Maria that’s adorableeee
And they flirt awww

Wait I don’t remember any Nicholas from the series, is he just in the books ?? Well I hate him …
Nicholas is an alien like them ? He knows about the pods ?
Okay referring humans as insects make you the most hated character even before Valenti now

Michael going through Maria’s window awwwww and he sleeps at her’s awwwww I simp hard for them

I like that we get more backstory on Michael and the fact that he has no family and going through foster home after foster home … and Maria helping him pack for his new family awwwww

Okay Lizz and Max just kiss now common

Sad that they changed Lizz’s last name they should have kept her Latino origins

Max is such a good brother

Max working at alien museum will always be comedy at its finest

I like that we get more background on Rosa’s death !

Okay so Max’s boss (Ray) is also an alien or is that just a plot twist ???

[Katelyn Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟

HONESTLY- I loved this lol. There were some grammatical errors towards the end of the book, but otherwise, it flowed nicely. The suprise at the end had me physically gasping out loud. These books are so fun to me, and I love seeing the differences between the books & TV shows. As much as the TV shows have my heart, I'm really starting to like the differences better in the book. There's more excitment and they're a lot closer (also Alex is alive... rip 1999 version). I can't wait to read the next one.

[Suzanne Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am enjoying this series, conflicting with my TV series knowledge, but nonetheless, I'm enjoying it. I am finding it difficult to understand how so many typos are in this book. There were at least 3 or 4 major errors using the wrong word, i.e. should have said "taking anything she wanted" but was written "talking" instead of taking (page 124). This is so annoying to me, what happened to the editor? Anyway, other than that I found it refreshing to have the Roswell experience again.

Book 1 introduced the characters and created a bond, Book 2 begins the adventures.

[Sammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A decent follow up to the first book and a compelling continuance of the emotional ties between the characters. This book focuses more on their relationships and their fears rather than an actual storyline but for a book that is clearly part of a series I find that this is essential in building a world in which these characters would realistically be tied to one another. I recommend to anyone who enjoyed the 90s rendition of this book series and anyone who enjoys a good cheesy love story.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very different from the show (at least the original), so I really have no idea where things are going from here. Here's what I do know-Nicolas sucks, Isabel is going to have to work hard to become even remotely likeable again, and Sheriff Valenti does not seem to have a soft side like he did in the show. Michael and Maria continue to be my favorite, and Liz and Max are sort of cringey. Looking forward to book 3!

[Nur Alawiyah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mungkin karena ini buku series dan mengingat buku ini udah lama diterbitkan. Tema yang diusung menurutku sudah kuno, tentang manusia dengan alien. Tapi, aku tetap suka membaca cerita lama seperti ini membuatku bernostalgia hal-hal apa yang trend di masa itu. Karena ini buku kedua, cerita tentang asal muasal alien ini kurang dikupas lebih dalam. But overall untuk menghabiskan waktu, novel ini tetap not bad dan lumayan kok.

[Chloe Pope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great continuation from the end of the first book and it has you hooked to keep reading because its so short that you are getting to all the big moments in the book really quickly so you want to find out how its gonna end and this one ends on such a massive plot twist that it really makes you want to dive into the next one immediately

[Isa (Pages Full of Stars) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one a little less than the first Roswell High book, but it was still a quick, fun read. I think there was just a bit too much teenage drama in it for me to like it more, but it was okay :) Isabel is one of my favourite characters in the TV series, so it was nice to have a book centered more around her.

[Kimberley Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it's a great little follow up to the first book.

Sometimes we just need the easy read. The plot is silly but that's what I enjoy. People with powers being scared of those in government power, seems old but it make for some dramatic event.

Also, about that first love and teenage rebellion and everything that comes with it.

[光彩 · Rating 2 out of 5]

isabel firmly establishes her role in the group: selfish bitch (she's like "well i think i might like michael based on this dream he had and i misinterpreted, who cares if i lose my friendship with maria" in a later book)
alex, you deserve better.

also, we don't find out how elsevier or whoever his name is lost the stone to this richard branson fellow