Alien Gothic

by S.L. Stacy

A YA sci-fi mystery with romance, for fans of Riverdale, Roswell, and the Lux series.

Celeste Lowe is no stranger to the strange. Living in tiny Pearl Falls, Oregon—infamous for PUFO Con, its annual UFO and sci-fi convention—it’s hard not to be. Plus, Celeste is rather strange herself. She can move objects without touching them. Mostly, she avoids using her unusual ability altogether, not even to retaliate against her arch nemesis, Ava Coolidge. Then comes the day she’s forced to defend not only herself, but Ava’s older brother, Dave, against two unlikely attackers.

As the son of the most powerful family in town, Dave represents everything Celeste hates. Or thought she hated. But the golden boy of Pearl Falls is nothing like she expects. When one of their attackers turns up dead, Dave’s determined to protect Celeste and her secret, lest anyone assume the worst. What’s more, the mysterious markings on the body mirror those seen in another unsolved case, Dave’s own mother’s.

With Celeste, Dave, and their friends forming an unlikely alliance to solve these cold cases, she’s finding it harder and harder to keep her secret. And just as she’s opening her heart for the first time, she learns that Dave has a secret of his own.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Paranormal, Aliens

245 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 11, 2024

About the author

Join S.L. Stacy's mailing list to never miss a giveaway, release, sale, and more: http://eepurl.com/g0nQEz

S.L. Stacy is the Amazon bestselling author of the new adult romantasy series, Reborn, which she describes as Lore Olympus meets Greek. Alien Gothic is her fifth novel. She resides in Colorado with her family.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed slipping into the world of this book! Very engaging and the electricity between the characters was palpable! Definitely laying the groundwork for all sorts of mysteries to be unraveled – can't wait for the next installment!! :)

[☆Laura☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hay ocasiones en las que no me gusta crecer porque mis gustos van cambiando y cosas que antes me entretenían, ya no lo hacen.
Lo recomiendo para adolescentes que están empezando con este tipo de libros.




Celeste esta en su último año de high school y esconde un secreto: puede mover cosas, es decir, tiene telequinesis por lo que es muy cuidadosa para que nadie se entere de su poder.

Cuando Celeste y Dave, el hermano de su enemiga, son atacados no le queda otra opción que usar sus poderes para protegerse, descubrirá que no es la única con inquietantes secretos y que toda su vida está a punto de cambiar.

Leeré el siguiente libro porque tengo curiosidad por saber para que quieren a una reina, ¿la mamá estará viva?, ¿cómo lograron los malos hacer equipo con los m?, ¿existira realmente la cura?


Tiene muchos elementos que me recordaron a la saga lux, como que sólo tiene un padre el cual trabaja en un salud, en este caso es doctor, hay un chico nuevo que sabe lo de los poderes y tiene mucha información del tema, los malos están hechos de oscuridad, etc. Y aunque son varias cosas, no lo sentí como una copia.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Slaa!!! · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t know what to expect with this book but I really enjoyed it! There were a lot of loose ends but I know more books are coming and I look forward to getting some more answers. This book was very much up my street tbh!

[Andi ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I honestly wasn’t sure if I would like this as I’m not huge into sci fi but the premise drew me in and the story kept me there.

Celeste is a telekinetic teen stuck in a small town that’s basically the knock off version of Roswell. She doesn’t dare tell anyone her secret for obvious reasons-they already call her loony due to her grandfather’s beliefs in UFOs as well as her best friend, Tyler’s. When she uses her powers one night to protect herself and her arch nemesis’ (Ava) brother, Dave, her secret is out, but he swears it’s safe with him. Those events bring the two closer together and in turn, she might find that her and Ava have a bit in common and she isn’t as bad as she originally thought either. When the murders start and Celeste’s best friend, Jamie, is taken she has to work with her friends, new and old to figure out what’s going on in their town. Is it simply a serial killer or something more paranormal? Oh, and she finds out she’s an alien princess. What’s a girl to do?

This book consumed me and I read it in one sitting! I loved the mystery of it all and the ambiance. I’m really curious to find out more about the planet Mondra and how Celeste and Ava play into it. I’m hoping to get that from the next book!

I rather enjoyed the characters as well. Celeste and her friends were great and I loved watching their story unfold. There is a lot that goes into this so I can’t say much without spoilers, but I’m definitely looking forward to the next book!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book!

[S.L. Stacy]

Update: Alien Gothic is available for preorder on Amazon! It releases May 11, 2024. I can't wait for you to meet my angsty alien teenagers.

And we have a cover!!! 😍🤩🥳👽🛸 Thanks Heidi!

High school drama, romance, and conspiracy theories (the fun kind) abound in my new YA novel, coming spring 2024!

[Katinka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Celeste is your not-so-typical high school student. Where she lives, there have been enough UFO sightings that there is an annual sci-fi convention celebrating aliens. So what makes her so non-typical? It’s not just her Goth style choices, and the fact that her usual crowd are not the popular group, it’s that she secretly has telekinetic powers, but doesn’t know why. She just knows that it’s something that must be kept secret. What she doesn’t know is that not only.is she part alien, but that she’s not the only one in the school.

I read a review copy of this fun young adult story. There are numerous pop culture references throughout the story, including alien/sci-fi TV shows and popular band references that show the author was familiar with both subjects and not simply naming ones that were popular at the time. The story involves a murder, multiple alien races, first love romances, and friends vs rival relationships. Overall, I found it very entertaining and fun to read. The characters' personalities come through very clearly, as do the reasons why they act the way they do. We get to see a range of teenage emotions from anger and depression to first love and heartbreak. And the plot of the story is not simply surrounding aliens, as there is also a murder that the main characters seem determined to try and solve themselves.

All in all, It was a fun first book in a new series, and I look forward to getting to read the next book in this series to find out what happens next. If you enjoy reading entertaining young adult stories involving high school students, aliens, murder, and music, I think you will enjoy this one. It may have its serious moments, but it is also quite entertaining.

[Andi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book advertised on Instagram and what got me interested was the Roswell comps. I read the Melissa Metz books back in the day and watched the show that came off from that. So, seeing it marketed to me (or readers looking for that kind of thing had me going).

I'm giving this book a tentative 3 stars. There was some good things but there was some... cringe-y things.

This book is full of trope-y tropes. You have a goth girl (wearing silk gloves / lace gloves / gloves in general) whose grandfather is known for seeing a UFO. A convention started due to his sighting, and people find her an outcast and call her 'Loony'. To add to the label: people don't know she has powers.
The book starts off pretty quick when she tosses a mean girl away from her via powers. The mean girl's brother shows up and he has some secret feelings for her and when the girl thinks her secret is out, the two of them hide the fact our lead did what she did.

Our lead has friends, one is a goth boy singer nerd, and the other is a m t f friend. I really enjoyed our transgendered friend, and I liked that she felt authentic and was given a strong part instead of a side character (she also gets a possible love interest).

The alien aspect and the plot in general felt ... half-baked? It gets explained in some aspects (and in others it lingers for the second book to explore). But because this book is so heavy on the tropes, the characters and their destinies / identities don't hit as strong as the author wants them too. Plus, the reveal of how the aliens came to earth and what they plan on doing (and why) is a little rushed and doesn't feel like the proper time or build up was given to it all.

The end of the book leaves a couple things to explore, but it feels like if anything the author needs to make a solid plot take place to give the characters room to breathe and be. Otherwise, you get a pretty trope-y book.

So, all in all, the 2 - 3 star reviews are accurate. Roswell High still flows better, but this does kind of scratch that itch.

[Autumn Brimm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alien Gothic by S.L. Stacy was a pretty cute alien abduction story. Let's start with the characters. They were all pretty interesting and fun to get to know. I think there could have been some deeper character development if the book had been longer but overall, the characters were loveable and unique. Next, the writing style. The author's writing style is simple in a comfortable and easy way. There was no flowery prose slowing things down or over describing scenes. All of the dream sequences were really easy to picture. The plot, however, was a little disappointing. From the very beginning, it was very easy to see every plot twist coming. The pacing seemed off as well. Some parts seemed to drag but others really rushed. A lot of character interactions felt stiff and forced. But that aside, this was cute and entertaining for sure.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the original Roswell show, so when I had an opportunity to read Alien Gothic, of course I couldn't wait to! Aliens, secret powers, unexpected romances and alliances...what more could you want? It's a great start to a new YA series with some great side characters as well. While reading, I thought it would make an exciting tv series. I really like Celeste, a strong female protagonist, trying to figure out sooo many things, and so much happening around her simultaneously. I don't want to give anything away, but definitely read this book; you won't be disappointed.

I received a free copy of this book from the author; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Deborah Hayes · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was thoroughly unimpressive. It barely met the minimum criteria: characters, check; plot, check; world-building, check? Everything felt extremely underdeveloped. The characters were hollow, with flat and unnuanced motivations. While the plot had potential, it seemed like it would have been better suited for a movie. It's disappointing because S.L. Stacy appeared to have meaningful points to make with certain aspects of the storyline and social commentary, but without a strong narrative, the book ultimately fell flat.

I received a copy of this book for free from Two Swans Publishing in exchange for an honest review

[Jaime Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

A YA sci-fi mystery with romance, for fans of Riverdale, Roswell, and the Lux series. It was a fun read. I found this to have a delightful Roswell feel to it. Celeste and her friends were great and I loved watching their story unfold.I loved the mystery of it all and the ambiance. I was absolutely intrigued and greatly look forward to reading more by the author.

[booksoddsends · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I really like this book; if you enjoyed the original Roswell TV show, you'd like it! I love the relationship between Celeste and Dave and their friends; it gives me found family vibes. I'm definitely going to pick up the second book when it comes out!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

this intrigued me since I’ve been interested in reading more sci-fi books. although I had trouble with the pacing, the ending definitely had me wanting more.
3.5 stars

[Aizlynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a 90's kid I found this to have a delightful Roswell feel to it. There are some leaps in the narrative that I felt could have been smoothed over and there were more swears than I would have liked (totally understand why, though.) Overall, it was a fun read.

[Faith C · Rating 2 out of 5]

As the blurb for this novel suggests, fans of TV shows like Riverdale and Roswell will likely enjoy this story. Set in the small town of Pearl Falls, Oregon, Alien Gothic follows a teenage girl named Celeste Lowe as she attempts to solve a string of murders while also concealing the fact that she has special powers.

While I felt the pacing was a bit rough at times, and I had some issues with an overuse of exposition and dialogue, I think this was still a solid story overall. Some questions are left unanswered, given that this is book one in a series. Having said that, however, I think it tells a complete story on its own in just this first book.

I can’t really say anything else without getting into spoilers, so I’d say to give it a shot if you’re interested in stories that involve aliens, murder mysteries, and romance.