In light of the recently released movie, “The Host,” I decided to read the Stephenie Meyer book first, before watching the film despite my previous unpleasant experiences with her “Twilight” series. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it when the novel turned out to be unexpectedly interesting and genuinely captured my attention.
“The Host” is a novel in which Souls, an alien species that takes over the minds of its victims and renders them helpless, have invaded and dominated Earth. In this science fiction romance novel, only a few humans have survived the invasion and avoided being taken captive as hosts to the parasitic alien race. Of these remaining free humans is Melanie Stryder, the book’s main character.
Melanie meets another human named Jared Howe, and the two fall in love. However, through a series of unfortunate events, the Souls capture Melanie and insert a Soul named Wanderer, (later nicknamed Wanda), into her mind. Melanie tries to resist Wanda and continuously thinks of Jared and their love, which eventually leads Wanda to fall in love with him under this relentless exposure. This unusual love triangle leads the two, host and parasite, to search for Jared, who has escaped the Souls, and also the hideout that free humans inhabit. There, Wanda sets out on her personal journey and discovers true love, friendship and family.
I was delighted by the novel’s complex plot, and the depth of the characters’ development throughout its progression. Meyer turned away from her “Twilight” style and produced a well thought-out book that focused not only on romantic love, but the other sides of love, such as family and friendship. The book sets itself apart from other romance novels, treading into deeper waters by touching on the struggles of humanity and the harsh realities of a lost survival game in an apocalyptic world. People who enjoy romance and science fiction novels will set this one onto their favorites shelf.
However, the book has its downsides as well. The love triangle in the story was a bit strange to me, considering the fact that two minds are in the same body, but have different personalities and opinions. The beginning of the book seemed slow and drawn out, and it took multiple chapters until the novel finally reached an exciting peak. Also, the writing is simple enough for a fifth grader to understand, yet it contains a complex plot.
Despite Meyer’s legacy of poorly written “Twilight” novels, I recommend reading this book. Put aside any preconceptions and give “The Host” a try just in time to watch the film version, which was released in theaters on March 29.