The Host

While I was on vacation I found several free hours to occupy by reading. Luckily I took Stephenie Meyer's newest book "The Host". This book is really long, and I don't know if it needs to be as long as it is. Some parts, especially toward the beginning, drag on and are very repetitive. If this book were a movie and some of those parts were edited for time constraints, when I played the deleted scenes on the DVD I would probably mutter something like "I can see why they were deleted". Another issue I have with this book is the same issue I had with the Twilight series (see previous blog). *WARNING: DO NOT READ PAST THIS PART UNLESS YOU WANT TO KNOW PLOT DETAILS*

Stephenie Meyer seems to live in a wonderful world, the opposite of a popular Beach Boy's song: There are two boys for every girl. Now I know that Melanie has had a hard life, running from the alien invasion and living as a vagabond for years to protect her and her younger brother and the love of her life. When she is captured and a Soul is "implanted" called Wanderer, it looks like a pretty grim future - to be a prisoner in her own mind. But luckily Wanderer begins to understand Melanie's life and she grows to be friends with Melanie. They search for and find a settlement of humans who have not been "implanted" with Souls. Among these humans is her younger brother (Jamie) and her love (Jared). Jamie accepts Melanie/Wanderer at once, but Jared finds it more difficult to accept, although eventually he comes around. That's when the trouble starts: another human in the settlement, Ian, also falls for Melanie/Wanderer (who has by now adopted the name Wanda). Ian loves Wanda for her personality (and not just her physical appearance). Jared is strictly in love with Melanie, Ian loves Wanda, but since Melanie and Wanda are in the same body, it complicates things. Neither can fully express their love for the man in their life because the other objects. Thus, 2 boys for every girl. Just once I'd love to read about a homely girl with a good personality who is spurned by the popular/cute boy who is shallow. It would be more life-like. It would speak directly to all of us lucky girls who aren't cursed by being too beautiful and left with the problem of having several boys desire them. With respect to a happy ending, Stephenie Meyer gives the people what they want: Melanie is freed from Wanderer and ends up with Jared and Wanderer (Wanda) gets a beautiful body that is so desirable that she is no longer required to pull her weight (not that it's much weight to pull) around the settlement and she ends up with Ian after all. Thank goodness by the end of the book we're back to one boy for each girl, but one can't help but wonder if there is a sequal on the way...