Book Review...

... The Host by Stephenie Meyer.

This is the same author who wrote the Twilight Series... and I'll admit... I was skeptical.... I'm not sure why. It's part sci-fi and part fantasy and part romance... sounds perfect, right? I guess I just didn't think she could pull it off successfully, but she did! So, Stephenie, if you are reading this, accept my apologies for being a doubter... I will never doubt again!


From the inside book jacket:

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away.
Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.
When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, 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.
Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind 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 begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.


I loved this book for so many reasons... it's not the Invasion of the Body Snatchers type story you might expect. It's not War of the Worlds, either. It's definately sci-fi, but it's mostly a romance. Within 30 pages, I'm already attached to Wanderer (the alien who enters Melanie's body) but I' still rooting for the Humans to take their planet back. Up until the last 30 pages, I still didn't know how (or if) it would all work out so everyone could be happy... and I didn't expect a "love triange" with 4 people, but only 3 "bodies".... (feast on that concept for a while....) It was absolutely fascinating!!! I also loved it because it was set in the desert and I could completely understand every detail about the desert and the harsh conditions they present. I bet Picacho Peak will have a slew of new visitors now after this book makes it's rounds... every time we make the trek to Tucson now, I'll drive by and wonder... do those caves really exist???


As Meg Ryan has said in You've Got Mail, "Read it... I know you'll love it!"