The Host by Stephenie Meyer

I have other books that I really need to review, but I wanted to give this book the justice it deserved, so I am reviewing it now. It is by far one of the best books I read this year, so I am glad I went to the store the other day to pick up a copy. Marg and Stephanie have both had wonderful things to say about it, so I suppose they are happy that I didn't end up hating it!

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed.

Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former
tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie
loves-Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from
her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces
make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man
they both love.

Featuring what may be the first love triangle involving only two bodies,
THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel that will bring a vast new
readership to one of the most compelling writers of our time.

I was a little worried about this book. I have the worst problem with not agreeing with other people's opinions on books, so I was a little worried that I was not going to like it as much as other people did. Marg and Stephanie usually have good taste, though, so I really shouldn't have been worried at all. The other thing I was worried about was the love triangle thing... I am just not a romance reader. The interesting thing is that when I finished the book and saw people calling it a romance, it sort of surprised me. I am perfectly aware of the romance aspect of the book, but there are other things that caught my attention.

Anyways, carrying on. This book was a perfect science fiction novel to enjoy. I read more fantasy than science fiction, so I really cannot remember the last time I sat down with one that I enjoyed so much. I was hooked from the first page. I was mad that I, as usual, never seemed to have time to read it, but at the same time, I was sad when it was over. It only took me a couple days to read it, in any case, and if anyone is paying attention to my slacking reading numbers this year you would know that is pretty fast for me. It's a pretty big book and I flew through it. Apparently I should not read at work, though, someone told me yesterday that they walked by and I was totally oblivious. Different book, but I still should've been paying more attention...

So, as the description says above an alien species has taken over the people of earth's bodies and minds. The human has been lost, in most cases, while the alien continues to survive. This is not the first planet that they have taken over in this manner, but it is the first planet with such an advanced species. Humans have a lot more going on in their minds that the aliens have to adjust to. Melanie Stryder is taken over by an alien that is named Wanderer by the doctors on Earth. She has never found a planet that she wanted to call home, so she has been moving from place to place. As the novel progresses, her name is shortened to Wanda. Unlike the norm, her human is still aware and still talking to her, something that is not supposed to happen. It makes it all that more difficult for her to adjust.

Instead of being enemies, Melanie's memories of the man that she loves bring them together. They set out on a quest to see if they can locate this man, a man that Wanderer has never met but feels very strongly for. Wanderer and Melanie have conversations that make you laugh out loud at times, especially when Wanderer does things that Melanie does not approve of. Wanderer's race is a very peaceful race at their core, while humans are known to be a bit violent, so it is an interesting contrast. This book goes in some interesting directions. I cannot say it ever really surprised me, but it did make for an interesting chain of events. I have to say that I was not very fond of Jared, Melanie's love, but I did enjoy Ian. He is a very interesting character. I have seen that a couple other places.

In conclusion, I disagree on the love triangle idea. I think it was a bit more complicated than that, especially as the story progressed. All I know for sure, though, is that I really enjoyed this book. I strongly recommend it to everyone, even if science fiction is not your thing.