The Host by Stephanie Meyer
I was very happy to receive a review copy of this very popular novel. Certainly the library copy has proven very popular with the senior girls, and I was curious about what all the excitement was about. The girls all told me it was different from the Twilight series, but just as good.
The plot is certainly not original. SciFi fans, especially those familiar with the popular Stargate TV series will know exactly what I mean when I say the subtitle could easily be ‘from Goa’uld to Tok’ra. For those non-scifi fans, let me explain.
Wanderer is a member of a parasitic race referred to as ’soul’. Physically he resembles a complex wormlike being that directly attaches to the brainstem of the victim and replaces the personality. These aliens have made a practice of moving through the universe taking the places of the ruling species, be it plant or animal, on each planet. However, Mel, the human Wanderer has taken will not go away. Her fighting spirit keeps her in Wanderer’s head and influences Wanderer’s response to this world. Mel forces Wanderer to find Mel’s lover and brother who are both still living free. Gradually Mel and Wanderer learn to co-exist, each appreciating the best qualities of the other.
This book is really examining the philosophical question trying to identify the critical element that sets humans apart from all other species. This is a common theme in scifi literature, and in many ways The Host is simply a minor contribution to that vast library. However, I believe this is an important contribution simply because of Meyer’s fan base. It is a very rare thing for a girl of any age to be seen reading scifi. If this book serves to introduce the ‘Gossip Girl’ fans to speculative fiction, I can only cheer.
However, hard-core scifi readers be warned. I found the book incredibly slow and boring for about 100 pages. About the time that Wanderer became Wanda, suddenly I was involved. And there were still over 500 pages to enjoy.
