Continuing where Red Handed left off with Erik on the run
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This was the second book in the Teen Alien Huntress series by Gena Showalter. As far as I could find there are not anymore young adult books planned in the Alien Huntress series at this time. I didn't like this book nearly as much as the first one, Redhanded, but it was okay.

Camille Robins and her girlfriend go to a nightclub chasing after some boys from high school. Camille is interested in Erik (who was in Redhanded) and is ecstatic when he passes her a note in the club. When she finds out the note is only a blank napkin it pisses her off, so she follows him into a back section of the club. There she is attacked and drawn into Erik's illegal activities. Erik and Camille end up fleeing for their lives trying to outrun AIR agents.

I didn't like this book nearly as much as "Redhanded". My biggest problem was Camille. She is cowardly (which she admits to herself), somewhat whiny, and I found her to be annoying. Erik is, in general, kind of a jerk. Like with many other of Showalter's books Erik ends up being better in the end, but I still didn't like him much. The relationship between him and Camille felt forced and unrealistic.

I also didn't like that the main premise of this book was that Camille wanted Erik. At least in "Redhanded" Pheonix was trying to beat her addiction and make it through A.I.R. training; in "Redhanded" her relationship with Ryan was part of the story not the whole story. Don't get me wrong there is some plot outside of Camille and Erik, but it is pretty thin.

Additionally I thought the book was wrapped up really quick and a little too conveniently. It was unreal how all these strange coincidences happened all at once so that the story could be end quickly, almost as if Showalter had to hurry and get this book done. In general it made for an unsatisfying story.

The positive points were that Showalter has created an interesting world here, the actions scenes were well done (although much fewer than in "Redhanded"), and the book was a quick, easy read. In the end it was an okay read, definitely nothing to write home about, but a quick diversion. I would definitely read "Redhanded" first since that is, by far, the better of the two books. ( )

After Erik Trinity had been kicked out of the A.I.R. (Alien Investigation and Removal) for being caught with Onadyn (a drug designed for alien use), he became Erik Troy and went back to school in the hopes of finding a new source for Onadyn. He found one and a new friend in an alien named Silver. Following the guy she was crushing on to a nightclub had sounded like a good idea when Camille Robins and her friend Shanel started the night out. When Erik had given her a blank napkin and then disappeared into a private hall, she was angry thinking that he had been making fun of her. Little did she know that by following him, A.I.R. was now watching her under the impression that she was a drug dealer also.

Other than the main character being a teen (18), I am not sure why this book has been listed as Young Adult by some with the violence (which isn’t that much), the swearing (F*-bombs) and the sexual content, I would really recommend not letting younger than 18 read it. That being said, as a sci-fi romance, this was a fast paced second book in the Teen Alien Huntress series that kind of showed the other side. It didn’t rehash all the training of the first, but it did through in some of the characters like Phoenix, Ryan, Cara and Mia even if it put them as the bad guys (sorry if that spoils something). I am unsatisfied with the ending, the problem felt only partially solved and seemed to have left Camille and Erik hanging - what happened next? ( )

Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce for TeensReadToo.com

This second book in the TEEN ALIEN HUNTRESS series, following RED HANDED, is not a direct continuation of that story. Familiar characters make an appearance, but really this is just another book taking place in that same well-created world of the first. That said, it's well worth reading, too!

BLACKLISTED is about Camille, who is a pretty average teenage girl. With her best friend, Shanel, she sneaks into a nightclub, trying to catch the attention of her crush. Camille's persistence, however, leads them into a situation that they were not anticipating when they came to the club.

Soon, after getting in the middle of a fight in a high security area that isn't really part of the club they came to see, Camille and Erik are on the run from AIR (Alien Investigation and Removal) agents, while Shanel and Silver manage to elude them. Erik's finally noticing Camille, so she's inclined to help him out, but the AIR agents are accusing him of something that she definitely doesn't want to be a part of.

What's a girl to do?

BLACKLISTED is just as action-packed and fast-paced as the first book in the series, and I think the characters might even be a little better! I love the way Gena Showalter is able to deal with aliens without being cliched or cheesy; her books are very original, not exactly Star Trek. This is a fun, interesting series that is sure to appeal to readers!! ( )

Blacklisted is the second novel in Gena Showalter's young adult Alien Huntress series. In Red Handed, the first novel, we met Phoenix, a fiesty girl who was recruited to serve in the AIR - Alien Investigation and Removal - a law enforcement organization established to protect humans after aliens came to earth and started living side by side with them.Blacklisted follows Erik, a recruit we met in Red Handed. He finds himself on the other side of the law. Erik now sells Onadyn, a drug needed by some aliens to live on earth and the drug of choice for teenagers in this future world. Camille, a girl that has had a crush on Erik for a long time, gets sucked into his world and finds out sometimes you need to do bad things for a good reason.Camille let her best friend talk her into going to a hot club because they overheard Erik and his best friend say they were going to be there. Erik is extremely aware of Camille's presence and inadvertantly pulls her into his fight against the AIR.Aliens who need Onadyn to live in our atmosphere must get it from official dispensaries, however not all aliens can afford it and eventually they die. Erik couldn't stand by and watch this happen. He developed a friendship with an alien whose father manufactures Onadyn illegally and begins to transport it for him.The trouble is, the AIR knows what Erik is up to and now they think Camille is involved as well. After many dangerous chases and escapes, Erik and Camille grow closer and attempt to right the wrongs of this futuristic society.This series is a great choice for any sci-fi fan. Gena Showalter is definately a young adult author to keep an eye on. She has also written Oh My Goth which is also a sci-fi book. ( )