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May. 20, 2008
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R-JENERATION: Author continues distinctive style with 'The Host'

By CASEY GOODWIN
R-JENERATION


REVIEW

Title: "The Host"

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Price:$25.99




While I'm not as obsessed as many of my friends, I enjoyed reading the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. And like most Meyer fans, I was a bit disappointed to find out that "The Host," her latest book, was not connected to the Twilight series.

Despite this, "The Host" still is told in Meyer's distinctive style -- first-person narration in extreme detail, lazily telling a story where the main conflict isn't even hinted at until several hundred pages have passed. I just wish she could have waited until after she finished the Twilight series to write it.

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    • "The Host" takes place in the not-so-distant future, following an invasion of small, silvery aliens called "souls" who attach themselves to humans' brains and then take over their bodies, their memories and their lives. Within years after the first soul was implanted, nearly every human on Earth has been taken.

    When a soul named Wanderer is implanted into the body of 20-year-old Melanie Stryder, one of the few remaining "wild" humans, Wanderer expects to enjoy her time on Earth and her new body, just as she had enjoyed the lives she took over on eight other planets. However, Wanderer has a problem. Melanie refuses to fade away like she should. Instead, she stays on as an ever-watching voice in the back of Wanderer's new mind, complaining to and insulting Wanderer.

    Wanderer's problems worsen as, through Melanie's memories, she begins to love Melanie's boyfriend, Jared, and care for her brother, Jaime, both of whom are wild humans. Wanderer's Seeker, whose job it is to find all wild humans and implant souls into them, insists that Wanderer use Melanie's memories to locate Jared and Jaime, something Wanderer cannot do because she cares too much for them.

    Melanie convinces Wanderer to find Jaime and Jared on her own, and the two follow a set of clues to a secret underground hideaway created by Melanie's uncle. When they get there, Wanderer and Melanie agree that no one will believe Melanie still lives in Wanderer's head, so Wanderer says nothing.

    Numerous problems ensue. Jared hates Wanderer for what he thinks she did to Melanie. Melanie gets angry at Wanderer for being able to speak to Jared and Jaime. A young man named Ian (one of the 35 people hiding in the cavern) falls in love with Wanderer. Ian's brother tries to kill Wanderer because she is one of "the parasites." But in the end, somehow, Meyer ensures that all of the characters get fairy-tale endings.

    "The Host" is an enjoyable read, a page-turner that, like all of Meyer's books, lacks a classic plot and villain. The main conflict of the story isn't really introduced until the reader is 500 pages into the more than 600-page book -- far enough that I can't write about it without giving away spoilers (just like with the books in the Twilight series). And, while the seeker might seem like a bad guy in the story, Wanderer manages to get rid of that problem without a battle scene.

    Instead of using one major conflict to force the reader to keep reading, Meyer tells the story of Wanderer and Melanie on an almost day-to-day basis, describing the triumphs and failures of life within the cavern.

    Meyer's storytelling skills already have brought her J.K. Rowling-like fame among teenage girls. Students spend whole class periods arguing about which of the two main suitors in Meyer's Twilight series (the vampire or the werewolf) is best for the heroine, and which one they would prefer, in her shoes. They complain about the choice of actors for December's upcoming Twilight movie. They speculate on what will occur in the next book in the Twilight series, "Breaking Dawn," which will be released Aug. 2.

    "The Host" promises to be a successful book as well. It has an entertaining and thought-provoking story line and the sort of romance that, while clean compared to many teen novels (Meyer's characters seldom go farther than kissing), is descriptive enough to keep teen readers entertained.

    Perhaps the only real problem with "The Host" is that most of the souls (the exception being the Seeker) are just too nice to seem like evil alien invaders. Wanderer herself never tries to hurt anyone, not even when they try to hurt her. It makes the souls too perfect to be entirely believable. But I guess that's why they're aliens.



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    BOB THE BUILDER wrote on May 30, 2008 01:24 PM: Casey your article is not as bad as everyones says. I think you are right she should have written the Host after Twilight series cux is taking her to much time to finish Breaking Dawn and i'm leaving the country and i need the book. I LOVE YOUR ARTICLES LIKE BOARD GAME MARATHON AND SCOTT GARABRANT FROM YOUR HUSBAND


    stacie wrote on May 26, 2008 08:54 PM: at first i wasnt sure if i would like it seeing that it was about aliens.... but stephanie is by far the best writer i have ever seen and so i read it and it captured me just as twilight did! it was amazing! you fall in love with the characters and never can put it down! i cried, i laughed, i rejoiced.... i feel like i am still living in the world of "The Host" when i put it down :) definaltly as good as twilight which i am obsessed with :)
    go read it if you havent!


    Rosalie Tate wrote on May 21, 2008 05:46 PM: while i think this is a very good review i think you said to much and i really hadn't gotten to the whole Ian being in love with her yet so next time you could hold back a little next time but other than that i like your review and i think you did a very good job of summarizing a plot that has many twists and turns.


    Sarah wrote on May 21, 2008 03:24 PM: WOWz lol
    i need to read that one.
    after i'm done with the twilight series of course lol


    Kayla wrote on May 21, 2008 10:45 AM: I really enjoyed this book, and even though I would have liked to have it more seperate and not in the middle of her Twilight Series comings, I don't see how it would have made a difference. It would have been the same book. And later, when all of these are out and on a bookshelf together, The Host will be seperate, it won't stand in the way of anything between The Twilight Series. I loved how it was more real and that she wasn't really using that somewhat cautious tone, trying not to say anything too graphical, so to speak, just like how her characters would rarely do anything more than kiss. The same is for this book, but she isn't afraid to really describe the danger and the uncomfort coming from this book. Stephenie really is a visionary, the way she sees things and how she thinks up these stories, is just amazing to me. I love to read her literature. It is truly my favorite and I feel that she could easily give J.K. Rowling a run for her money any day


    Jennifer wrote on May 21, 2008 08:34 AM: I absolutly love The Host I'm actually reading it for the second time. The souls aren't "evil", thats not in their nature. They are kind and full of compassion, the seekers have to be more defensive because they are constantly being killed by those who they seek. I agree with Emily, Stephenie is the best author ever and to have created a whole different world from TWILIGHT that is still a completely brilliant novel, just proves how much of a wonderful and compelling writer she really is. Maybe you should read "The Host" again...


    Mel wrote on May 21, 2008 07:18 AM: I have readed the Twilight series and I was disappoint that it wasn't connect to the series. But I did enjoy the "The Host", the love triangle still on,Wanderer and Ian and Jared. Who does she love?


    Haley wrote on May 20, 2008 09:53 PM: I agree with everyone else, for the most part.

    Clearly, you did not get the book.
    The aliens were not supposed to be evil. They were purposefully overly perfect and trusting and friendly, to off-set the gritty realness of humanity. In a way, it was very complimentary to Twilight, what with its same basic themes on what it is to be human, and how only on the surface does immortality come with perfection.
    Also, I found that the fact Wanderer couldn't really defend herself made her a believable, flawed character. She wasn't unbelievable, at least. I mean, it's as realistic as it gets for something of a entirely different species.
    I have to question whether you honestly read the book, because though you gave an appreciation for it, at the end you showed you didn't get what it was all about.
    Why should The Host have been released after the Twilight saga was over? What difference would it make?


    Emily Graves wrote on May 20, 2008 08:33 PM: Are you serious? Maybe we weren't reading the same book. Meyer is the ONLY reason I even read, I'm fifteen and shes the only author our high school has been excited about reading. Having just finished 'The Host' I have to say I wasn't disappointed at all. To see who the real 'classic plot and villain' you must look outside the box. For Wanderer, Melanie was her 'villian'. Mel was the only thing keeping her from fitting in, living a normal life, Mel kept her from everything she ever knew and everything she ever wanted.. entill then. It's obviously similar for Melanie. Wanda's the only thing keeping her from holding her own child in her arms and wrapping in an embrace with her own love. Its an internal conflict with a whole new meaning.

    As for her "lazy" writting style, I hardly think your one to talk. You didn't seem to even comprehend the entire plot (AKA the plot you seemed the novel lacked) and isn't this your job?! Pretty sad, getting paid to write reveiws and coming up with this skimpy one page papper on one of the best author ever.


    Lynn wrote on May 20, 2008 06:54 PM: Lazy??...

    Well, I must say- her "lazy" style has once again blown me away. Again, I am left feeling connected to each of her unique characters. Again, I am left wanting to know more of this story. Again, I closed one of her books and wished I hadn't read it so fast.

    If these novels are what "lazy" is like...bring 'em on! Lazy is my new (jaw-dropping, heart-stopping, need chocolate ice-cream STAT) favorite style of writing.


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