I’m a little conflicted about how I should review this book. I mostly say this because I feel I’m a bit overly critical of Stephenie Meyer’s work since reading Eclipse because I was so disappointed by it. But the truth is, I couldn’t put The Host down (or turn it off I should say: I listened to it on CD, but don’t recommend that version because I didn’t like the narrator’s voice). I didn’t feel that the book was very sophisticated in its writing, but it was definitely absolute brain candy. The book is about an alien invasion that has happened on Earth. Human kind has lost the battle and the aliens use human bodies as hosts. In some bodies, the human has such a strong will and personality, that the alien invader can’t silence the thoughts of human who originally had control of the body. The story is about one of these strong willed humans who becomes inserted with a relatively strong willed alien. The alien (Wanderer) and human (Melanie) end up working together as one to find surviving humans that Melanie loves and cares about.
Some weaknesses of the book: I felt Stephenie recreated another weird love triangle or quadrangle in this story. What is it with her and a woman being love torn and conflicted about two great men? I also felt that Stephenie likes her characters so much that she doesn’t really want to create too much conflict for them because then their lives would be too hard. It would have been so easy for her intensify the conflict in the story and make it more…interesting and sophisticated or just better writing I guess, less of a brain candy type of book. I also felt that the writing could have been tighter.
However, I must also say I liked the book for its lack of conflict because it’s just a feel a good, happy ending book. Which leaves me at ease, seeing as I get so crazy about end of the world type stories (just ask my husband he has to deal with Brittany damage control every time we see a movie or TV show that deals with the relative extinction of mankind).
All in all, the Host grabbed me pretty quickly from the start. It was interesting, sometimes thought provoking, but also a bit corny in places. I recommend it primarily to women. With all its romantic-antics, I just can’t see many men reading it without a lot of eye-rolling.
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2 comments:
If the narrator was the same as the twilight series, then I totally agree. The narrator has some serious problems. Thanks for the review.
First off, you read too much. Seriously, you need to watch more smut TV or spend time gossiping on the phone with ladies in your ward.
Secondly, yes a "tag" means you have to answer all the same questions I did. Happy blogging!
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