‘The Host’ by Stephenie Meyer
As a big fan of the “Twilight” series, I couldn’t wait to check out Stephenie Meyer’s new book, “The Host.”
I approached the book a little skeptical of whether Meyer could re
ach the level of success she did with “Twilight,” and I also was concerned that my high expectations wouldn’t be met.
Following a successful series must be a daunting task, but Meyer succeeds. “The Host” is a great read.
In “The Host,” Earth has been invaded by alien parasites who take over human bodies. The parasites have conquered other planets as well, but none populated by such a complex species. The aliens are unprepared for the complex and sometimes irrational emotions of Earthlings or the tenacity of the human spirit.
The story begins with the alien Wanderer being inserted into her new host body, Melanie. Wanderer is immediately overwhelmed by Melanie’s memories and emotions, including the fear she felt at being captured by the invaders.
As the story progresses, Melanie refuses to allow Wanderer to take over her mind. Wanderer continues to absorb Melanie’s emotions, and Melanie uses that to her advantage, flooding Wanderer with loving memories of her brother, Jamie, and boyfriend, Jared.
Eventually, Wanderer fully embraces Melanie’s emotions, developing her own legitimate love for Jared and Jamie. She yearns to reunite with them and seeks them out, only to be met with a hostile reception.
Meyer explores all aspects of the human reaction to Melanie/Wanderer. Wanderer and Melanie’s trials fully engage the reader and kept me turning pages long into the night.
My only small criticism is with the ending. I think Meyer couldn’t decide among three endings, so instead of choosing, she managed to include all three.
The story is a little reminiscent of a “Star Trek: Next Generation” episode, but it’s more fleshed out and I found myself sympathizing with the alien as much as the humans.
Meyer’s next book, “Breaking Dawn,” is the final installment of the “Twilight” series and comes out in August.
I can’t wait to see what she comes up with after that.
