The Host

by Stephenie Meyer

Ok, let’s just get some things out of the way up front: yes, this is by the author of the Twilight series. Yes, I enjoyed that saga, if not the prose itself. No, this book is not related to that series at all. No, there are not vampires or werewolves in this one. There are, however, aliens. Meyer has decided to dip her toe into the world of science fiction, and I for one think I might like this even more than her other series. It is the story of Wanderer, an alien being who is part of a species that takes over the minds of their hosts while leaving the bodies intact. Earth is their latest conquest. It is also the story of Melanie, the human whose body Wanderer is placed into, and who refuses to fade away and give up her body completely. As a reader, you side with her at first. How could you not? She’s a human whose mind has been violated in the most profound way. But the soul of Wanderer is also a compelling and sympathetic character, and you come to see her side as well. What follows is a story that explores what it means to be human, what it means to love, and whether the idea of ‘the enemy’ or having sides is really ever that simple. It is intricate, and not naive regarding the behavior of humans facing the extinction of self. I think Meyer’s prose has gotten better, as well. There is a lot of emotional drama, as you’d expect when two souls with different feelings and different aims inhabit the same body. Overall, I really enjoyed it. It didn’t make me cry, but there were some very anxious moments. I’d recommend it. I haven’t see the movie yet, but I hope it does the book justice.
 

I give it 4/5 stars.