The Host - Stephenie Meyer

Synopsis of The Host

"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."

Jenn: I am addicted to Stephenie Meyer, so of course I loved this book. (Yes, I'm one of "those" women.) But this book was very different from the Twilight series, and I think that even people who claim to hate Twilight might really enjoy this book. It's true that it takes about 100-150 pages to really get into the book - the setup takes a bit - but after that, the story is complex and intricate without being confusing. While the author says it's a story of a love triangle involving only 2 bodies, I found it more of a love square with 3 bodies. But it also talks about prejudices and compassion and the struggle for survival in a world gone mad. That not everything is black and white - it's just not that simple. It's told in first person perspective from Wanda's (the alien) point of view. You really come to love the characters, who are so vividely described that they feel very real. I found the story so enveloping that I was in tears for most of the last half of the book. (Don't worry, the ending is very satisfactory.) This book is definitely one of my favorites.

*Although this book is a stand alone novel, the author has said that she has outlines for 2 more books to make it a trilogy. But she has not said when she intends to pursue this particular "world" further. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it's soon, shall we? : )