Roswell High is a young adult book series written by Melinda Metz and published by Pocket Books. The ten-book series chronicles the adventures of three teen aliens and their human friends, who attend the fictional Ulysses F. Olsen High in Roswell, New Mexico. The Roswell High books served as inspiration for the American science fiction television series Roswell (1999–2002), also known as Roswell High in some countries, which in turn spawned eleven spin-off books of its own and the most recent adaptation Roswell, New Mexico (2019).
Premise Max Evans, his sister Isabel, and their friend Michael Guerin appear to be human but are in reality the survivors of the 1947 UFO crash known as the Roswell UFO incident. Upon emerging from stasis pods, they appeared to be seven-year-old orphaned humans. Max and Isabel are adopted by a loving pair of attorneys, the Evans', while Michael entered the foster care system, bouncing from household to household with many families rejecting him.
The aliens have special powers, including the ability to: rearrange molecules (change objects, heal injuries). "dreamwalk" (observe, participate in, and manipulate others' dreams). sense each other's emotions from afar. create psychic connections that allow the alien to see into another's mind. perceive colorful halos or auras around humans that indicate emotional state.
Max, Isabel, and Michael have successfully kept their true nature a secret for a decade. The series begins with the accidental shooting of Liz Ortecho, a human friend of Max's. He cannot bear to see her die and risks bringing attention to himself when he uses his powers to save her life. Liz is soon let in on the secret, as are her friends Maria DeLuca and Alex Manes. The six teens quickly bond and learn to trust one another, and Max and Liz fall deeply in love, and Michael and Maria fall in love. Together the group fends off the suspicions of law enforcement and alien hunters while seeking clues about the aliens' origins.
Characters
The Roswell High novels focus on three alien-human hybrids – Max Evans, his sister Isabel, and their friend Michael Guerin – and the human classmates who become their allies after Max reveals his powers by saving Liz Ortecho's life. Together they navigate high school, romance, and repeated confrontations with Sheriff Jim Valenti's secretive anti-alien program, Project Clean Slate, while searching for answers about their origins on another world.
Aliens
Max Evans – A quiet, academically successful senior who has secretly loved Liz since childhood. After he heals her gunshot wound at the Crashdown Café, he becomes the reluctant leader of the group as they evade Project Clean Slate and learn to use their powers responsibly. Isabel Evans – Max's confident sister, a popular cheerleader whose social life masks her fear of exposure. Her relationships with human classmate Alex Manes and fellow alien Nikolas Branson force her to choose between human attachments and alien loyalties. Michael Guerin – Hot‑tempered and impulsive, Michael grew up in multiple foster homes (the Salingers, the Hughes, and the Pascals) and struggles with authority. His connection to Maria DeLuca and later Cameron Winger, along with the discovery of his brother Trevor, pushes him to accept both found family on Earth and ties to his homeworld. Ray Iburg – An adult survivor of the 1947 crash who runs the local UFO museum. He becomes a mentor in helping the teens understand their abilities and the Stones of Midnight, and dies during a mission against Project Clean Slate. Nikolas Branson – A fourth hybrid who emerged from the pods earlier and was raised in California. His reckless use of power and contempt for humans draw Isabel into a dangerous romance that ends with his death during a confrontation with Sheriff Valenti at the mall. Adam – A hybrid raised inside Valenti's Clean Slate compound and subjected to intensive experimentation. Despite his childlike manner and brief bond with Liz, he is manipulated into killing Valenti and dies before the final battle with the alien stowaway DuPris. Trevor – Michael's older brother from the aliens' homeworld, who arrives on Earth through a wormhole opened by a Stone of Midnight. He claims to represent a rebel faction in the collective consciousness and ultimately returns through the wormhole to help rebuild their world.
Humans
Liz Ortecho – A top student and Max's biology lab partner, whose shooting at the Crashdown triggers the entire story. After learning the truth about Max, Isabel, and Michael, she becomes their most committed human ally and maintains a complicated romance with Max across all ten books. Maria DeLuca – Liz's outspoken best friend, raised by a single mother and fiercely protective of the people she loves. Her on‑again, off‑again relationship with Michael, brief psychic experiences via an alien ring, and the kidnapping of her little brother Kevin keep her tightly bound to the aliens' battles. Alex Manes – A loyal, tech‑savvy friend of Liz and Maria from a strict military family (father "the Major," brothers Robert, Harry, and Jesse). He becomes Isabel's boyfriend, is accidentally sent through a wormhole to the home planet, and later returns changed, playing a key role in saving her life. Kyle Valenti – Sheriff Valenti's son and Liz's ex‑boyfriend, who grows increasingly unstable as he learns fragments of the truth. His attempt to expose the aliens to the media and his kidnapping of Maria's brother lead to his confinement in a mental institution by the end of the series. Jim Valenti – The sheriff of Roswell and head of Project Clean Slate, a covert operation that captures, studies, and weaponizes aliens. His pursuit of Max's group and his experiments on Michael and Adam drive much of the early conflict until Adam kills him during the Clean Slate uprising. Cameron Winger – A teenage operative (short red hair, about 5'10") recruited by Valenti to spy on Michael and Adam inside the Clean Slate compound. She falls in love with Michael, ultimately betrays Valenti to help the group escape, and later returns to assist them in their fight against DuPris.
Aura and connection traits
In the novels, alien hybrids and certain humans perceive colored auras and associated scents when forming deep psychic connections. These auras and scents are used in‑story to signal emotional states and bonds between characters.
Character Species Aura (name) Aura (sample) Connection scent Max Evans Alien–human hybrid Emerald green Emerald green Cedar Isabel Evans Alien–human hybrid Royal purple Royal purple Cinnamon Michael Guerin Alien–human hybrid Brick red Brick red Eucalyptus Liz Ortecho Human Amber Amber Ylang-ylang Maria DeLuca Human Ocean blue Ocean blue Roses Alex Manes Human Bright orange Bright orange Almonds Nikolas Branson Alien–human hybrid Gold Gold Adam Alien–human hybrid Bright yellow Bright yellow Fresh leaves Cameron Winger Human Olive green Olive green Ocean Ray Iburg Alien Creamy white Creamy white Trevor Alien Magenta Magenta
Development Pocket Books created the core idea for the Roswell High series. Metz and her writing partner Laura J. Burns created the basic story arc for the first six books, after which several writers wrote the sample scene in which Max saves Liz's life. Metz was chosen to write the books, and she and Burns worked together to further develop the series.. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
In a 2001 interview with Crashdown.com (a Roswell Fansite), Metz and Burns explained their creative process:Crashdown Exclusive Interview with Melinda Metz and Laura J Burns
Books
The Outsider (1998) When Liz Ortecho is shot in a freak accident at the Crashdown Cafe owned by her family, her friend Max Evans leaps in to heal her without regard for the secret that he keeps about his sister Isabel, his friend Michael Guerin, and himself. Though Liz withdraws from Max when she finds out that they are aliens, she slowly realizes that Max loves her and poses no danger to her. Liz keeps his secret from Sheriff Valenti and the publisher of the local tabloid, DuPris, despite their suspicions. But she tells her best friend, Maria DeLuca. Maria can't handle this by herself so she tells Alex. The six of them figure out a way to put aside their fears and trust each other. At the end, Liz realizes that she returns Max's love, but he pushes her away because he believes that he is endangering her by being in her life.
The Wild One (1998)
Max, Michael, and Isabel agree not to use their powers any more. But after a new guy, Nikolas, comes to town, strange events happen. Michael soon realizes Nikolas is one of them, the fourth alien who also came out of the pods. Nikolas left his pod first and moved to California after being adopted. He doesn't understand why Max, Michael, and Isabel don't use their powers and are afraid of the alien hunters.
Max gets hired at the UFO Museum. Sheriff Valenti is suspicious about the recent strange occurrences. Therefore, he interrogates Liz. Liz takes Max and go after Nikolas, who is accompanied by Isabel. They start a fight. Isabel keeps defending her new boyfriend. Angry, Nikolas touches and seriously hurts Liz. While Max heals her, Nikolas and Isabel take off. Max, Michael, Liz, Maria and Alex are led by Sheriff Valenti to the mall. Isabel and Nikolas must be there. Isabel has just knocked the guard down with her power when they arrive. Max and Liz stick together. Almost caught by the sheriff, they share a passionate kiss. Valenti finds the couple first and fires a shot at Nikolas. Before getting to Isabel, Liz distracts him. Isabel, Max, and the others are now all right, but Valenti has caught Liz. Then Ray Iburg appears and sends Valenti a kiss good night. Liz is free. Max is relieved. Ray admits he's also an alien.
The Seeker (1999)
After Nikolas was killed in the mall, Isabel suffered an emotional breakdown. Alex stood by her and brought her back. As a result, she started appreciating her life and promised she'd never use her powers. Max told Liz their kiss from the mall meant nothing and he wished he stayed away from her. Liz was hurt and started dating a guy from school. Ray began teaching Max and Michael how to do things with their power. He also explained that their ship was crashed by a stowaway who had stolen a powerful ring. Maria and Michael start doing things together. At first, they thought they were just friends, but then they realize it was much more than that. They kiss. Maria thinks she has psychic abilities because she gets flashes of certain things. In the end, after Maria is almost killed but Michael risks his life for her, Ray tells them it was a manipulation of some alien bounty hunters who were looking for the alien ring Maria had taken from the mall. Finally Ray takes the ring and hides it.
The Watcher (1999)
Max is hit by an alien phase. Ray explains that it is called akino and is usual back on their home planet. Every teenager contracts it when he or she reaches maturity. The problem is, Max will die unless he is healed by crystals from their planet, crystals that are on their spaceship. Max soon loses weight, strength, and his powers. Michael, Alex, Isabel, Maria, and Liz help Max find the ship, which Valenti and his Project Clean Slate have. They plan a dangerous escape in order to recover the crystals. Liz supports Max, and they decide that if he survives, they can become more than friends. Michael, Isabel and Ray go to the secret location of the spaceship. Ray is killed, and Michael is captured. Only Isabel comes back with the crystals.
The Intruder (1999)