The Host is Stephenie Meyer's non Twilight saga novel. Geared more towards adults than young adults. It's about an alien life form that invades the body of a human woman. The aliens are called souls, and usually invade the total consciousness of the human "host" controlling mind and body. So where does the human soul go? Well, for Melanie Stryder (the human, host), nowhere. She stays put to the utter annoyance of Wanderer (alien, soul). REVIEW TIIIIIME!!
Review: It's an easy read, because Stephenie has this way of expressing thought in the way most of us think. She doesn't try to be overly poetic, and she doesn't try to throw in the one-liners the way some authors are prone to doing. And it comes out genuine. I like her style of writing because she makes sure to include things that I always think in my head like 'doesn't this chick need to go to the bathroom?' or 'dude, she hasn't bathed in days, I bet she stinks and her hair is all crusty.' A lot of novelists never think to include this stuff and it sometimes makes the main characters seem less human or real. Which they aren't of course, but in order to imagine these people in my head, they really do need to do regular stuff. People have needs right? Does that make me weird? probably. It makes them less movie-ish where you are on the outside looking in, and more inside looking out. Almost like you are apart of their every conscience waking moment. Which I know is why her books are so damn long, but don't go over a huge period of time.
So, I like this book, I hope she writes a sequel, I'll look forward to it. I think sometimes she can make the heroes a little too chivalrous. More than any man I've encountered in my 25 years. Then again I can't remember anytime a man has had to protect me from someone who was trying to kill me. Or rather half a cave full of people who hated my every fiber. So I'll leave this opinion up in the air until that happens. I've seen some stuff on the Internet about a movie or a t.v. series, but I have no idea if that is gonna happen. A t.v. series would be cool though, I'd watch it.
Stephenie Meyers writes books that make me say 'ok, after this chapter I'll do the laundry' and then 4 chapters later one of the children snap me out of my psychosis by pouring milk on the cat or running into a door, and I begrudgingly put the book down to cleanup, bandage, console, or yell at them. Cut to the end of the book, I look up and we are all in our pajamas at 1:14 pm and I realize I haven't eaten yet today, and there is a mountain of laundry and dishes. So I'm almost, in an oh so slight way, glad when I've finished her books, so I can get some friggin housework done!
Well if you haven't read it yet you can stop reading now so I don't spoil anything for you. But if you don't care, read on.
Theory ya'll: Stephenie likes love triangles. Impossible, completely complicated love triangles.
“But when Ian touched me, it was deeper and slower than the wildfire, like the flow of molten rock far beneath the surface of the earth. Too deep to feel the heat of it, but it moved inexorably” Simmer down now folks, this isn't a love scene. Stephenie doesn't roll like that. Strictly PG. It's my favorite quote from The Host. It's a quote from Wanderer about the second man she's falls in love with in this book. I definitely feel this kind of heat in my own Hubby. A slow constant radiation. Like having heat in your house. You can get next to a fire in a fireplace, and that's nice, but eventually it gets too hot and you move onto something less severe. And there, you are comfortable. And you can live very nicely there. I really appreciate the innocence of these love triangles, that she is so fond of. They aren't based on sexual desire, and they don't cause anyone to necessarily betray anyone else. And as a christian I need that innocence in order to feel comfortable in these characters, and to like them.
Something is really bugging me about this book though. The aliens are supposed to be all nice and peaceable and respectful. Only they'll come to your planet and erase your soul, pretty much killing you, the essence of you, and your entire species. But what makes the Souls think that doing that sort of thing is peaceable and respectful? If they find it necessary to be respectful to one another, why not another species? How could they be so good and so evil? It reminds me of self- righteous religious people. Doesn't have to be christian, they can be any religion because there are legalistic self- righteous folk in all religions. But the self- righteous folk act sooo good. I get jealous sometimes of these people's seemingly effortless inclination towards a phlegmatic disposition. 'Why can't I not cuss like a sailor?' 'Why can't I not be prone to violent outbursts' 'Why can't my house be spotless clean with little white doilies and potpourri bowls?' *probably because I'm reading a Stephenie Meyer novel! But on the inside their cup is not clean. Matthew ch 23 25"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence." I think we all know someone who seems so calm and put together and seemingly pristine and yes, self-righteous, but they're personality just sucks! And they do things thinking that they are helping people or doing them a favor and just leave broken wrecks in their wake. I think the Souls are like this. They believe themselves to be of a much higher intelligence and much more docile then the crazy, emotional, irrational humans, that they in effect count humans as low as animals. Which allows them to care nothing about the death of our souls. Maybe that is what Stephenie was going for.
Ok, can I say right now that I just freakin love Uncle Jeb? "Why did they call you Wanderer? I've heard a bunch of odd ones, Dry Water, Fingers in the Sky, Falling Upward - all mixed in, of course, with the Pams and the Jims. I tell you, it's the kind of thing that can drive a man crazy with curiosity." [pg. 218]
And the banter between Ian and Kyle when they're trying to wake up Jodi. Here is my other favorite quote (I have several.)
"Kyle's waiting for you, Jodi. He got himself in a lot of trouble getting you here - everybody who knows him wants to beat him senseless." "Not that you're surprised to hear that," Ian said beside me. "When hasn't that been the case, eh, Jodi? It's good to see you again, sweetheart. Though I wonder if you feel the same way. Must have been a nice break to get rid of this idiot for so long." "You remember Ian, of course. Never managed to catch up to me in anything, but he keeps trying. Hey, Ian," Kyle added, never moving his eyes, "you got anything you want to say to me?" "Not really." "I'm waiting for an apology." "Keep waiting." "Can you believe he kicked me in the face, Jodes? For no reason at all." "Who needs an excuse, eh, Jodi?" It was oddly pleasant, the banter between the brothers. Jodi's presence kept it light and teasing. Gentle and funny. I would have woken up for this. If I were her, I would have been smiling already.
I'm going to have more on this book, I just know it. So I'll post this for now, and post the rest when my brain computes what I can't at the moment put my finger on.
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