Reading Level: Adult(4 out of 5)
It seems like during the summer I don't get as much reading done as I do in the winter. It may be due to the fact that its really nice outside and I haven't quite figured out how I can swim and read at the same time without getting my book soggy. I still love to read I just am not reading at the same pace I do in the winter. While on vacation I decided to try and read The Host by Stephenie Meyer. I say try because I tried when it first came out and I couldn't get past Fords Deep Waters putting Wanderer in Melanie's body. At the time it just wasn't doing it for me and I was surprised because I like this type of story. So on the plane ride to Arizona I cracked open this 619 page book and dove in. I can't say that it really gripped me like Twilight did. When I read Twilight I couldn't put it down. I could put The Host down until I got half way through. Then it sucked me in and I sat reading in my chair at home from 9pm until 4am to finish it. When I got to what I thought was the end I was ready to cry because I had read over 594 pages and the ending was not what I wanted at all. I was ready to boycott anything else Ms. Meyer wrote for the rest of my life BUT she redeemed herself because two blank pages later was the actual ending of the book and I really enjoyed it. Ms. Meyer I really would have hated not ever reading another book you wrote because I love your books and I really liked The Host. Everyday that passes I like it a little more and more.
The Host is a love story that just happens to take place during an alien invasion of earth. Souls, which are centipede looking creatures that get inserted into humans, can't live without a host and have already taken over several planets. They set their sights on Earth because it's beautiful and they believed that they could make humanity better. Slowly over time they invade and when the humans eventually wise up to what is happening its too late. The Souls have taken over and they assign Seekers to find the humans that run. Wanderer is a Soul that had lived on seven planets, which is remarkable for a soul. She is picked to be put in Melanie who is a rebel human. The Seekers hope is that Wanderer can find out where the other humans are hiding. What Wanderer didn't anticipate was that Melanie would stick around in her body. Usually when a Soul was implanted the human it takes over goes away. Melanie is a fighter and she doesn't want to leave her body. At first Melanie and Wanderer are at odds with each other. But after time Melanie shows Wanderer the love she has for her brother Jamie and the love she has for Jared. Wanderer starts to love them as well and they set off to find them. For me that is when all the fun began and the story really sucked me in. After almost dying in the desert Melanie's Uncle Jeb finds them and quickly realizes that Melanie has been taken over because of the silver in the eyes but what he also thinks is that Melanie is still in there. Melanie's Uncle Jeb is a great character that you can't help but fall in love with. The rest of the humans are weary and full of hate because who wouldn't be after having your planet invaded. Jared is livid but doesn't want any harm to come to Melanie's body. Ms. Meyer has really spun an incredible tale full of well developed characters and the culture she came up with for the other planets was just fascinating. In all this is a romance. A romance between Melanie and Jared and Wanderer. Wanderer can't help but love Jared because Melanie and her body loves Jared. But to complicate it further the love triangle becomes a square because Ian loves Wanderer, not Melanie but Wanderer. And Wanderer likes Ian as well. Has any of this caught your interest yet? The ending was really good and even though this is a stand alone book I would have been happy to read more about what happens to Earth, the humans, and the Souls.
