Book: The Host
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"The Host" was Stephenie Meyer's first non-young-adult book coming off the heels of her wildly successful Twilight series. I am certainly not what you would call a #Twihard, but I was intrigued when "The Host" first hit stores. I picked up a copy out of mere curiosity & was surprised to find that I genuinely liked the book. It leans strongly to science fiction, fine by me, but it also had some action, adventure, & romance thrown in as well. Below are 2 character specific elements that I enjoyed the most. There are SPOILERS, so read with caution.
1.) No body likes to be invaded. It's a fact of life. It could be as big as a country being taken over, or as small as your roommate eating your cookies. Depending on what side you are on, you have your "reasons". What I enjoyed about this book is that both sides of the debate are presented, at the same time, & in the Same Mind. In real time both arguments for/against the invasion are presented. Melanie Stryder is mad that her body is being taken over (understandably), but we also read about Wanderer's logic & how she justifies her way of life.
2.) Throughout the book we see Wanda/Melanie's relationship start as invader/host, but it grows to become an unlikely friendship. They each give & take, but Wanda is the most introspective when it comes to the impacts of her species' way of life. I also enjoyed the development of Ian & Jared and how they impacted Wanda & Mel's development. Stephenie Meyer certainly has an affinity for love-shapes, but the love square in The Host was unlike anything I've read before. Wing-Woman has a whole new meaning in this book! Anyways, I was drawn to Ian's character both as a reader but also as a writer. How he could see & understand the subtle differences to tell who was speaking out of the body's mouth…and how he connected with Wanda in a way only a soul would be able to connect…. The whole thing was fascinating.
I would give this book 4 stars in total, knowing that some elements are stronger than others. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys dystopian novels, particularly the Uglies series by Scott Westerfield.