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"I knew it would begin with the end, and the end would look like death to these eyes. I had been warned."

• Release Date: May 6th, 2008
  
  
• Book Description (courtesy Amazon): "The author of the Twilight series of # 1 bestsellers delivers her brilliant first novel for adults: a gripping story of love and betrayal in a future with the fate of humanity at stake.

  Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed.

  Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, 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.

  Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts 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 yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.

  Featuring what may be the first love triangle involving only two bodies, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel that will bring a vast new readership to one of the most compelling writers of our time."
  
  

• Review by staff member Greg Porter: When an author is successful with a series of books, it begs the question, "What's next?" For that matter, will that author be successful again with another story, another plot line and a new literary genre? Is it possible that the author's creative outlet essentially 'dried up' after their first idea was finished? For Stephenie Meyer, these questions have been answered with her new adult science fiction novel, 'The Host'.

  I will start by saying that 'The Host' is absolutely brilliant. It is a fresh look at sci-fi, as it focuses more upon the individual than the actual science of the situation at hand. The conflict is present, but secondary to the relationships and bonds between the characters in the novel. Meyer shies away completely from the technological aspect of sci-fi, instead focusing upon what it really means to be a human being, being told from the point of view of a inhuman creature.

  Our narrator, Wanderer, is a being referred to as a "Soul" from a planet known as the Origin. Her species moves from planet to planet, inhabiting the bodies of sentient beings and taking control of all functions, humans being their most recent endeavor. Once a soul takes over the human body, it suppresses the mind of the person, in most cases entirely destroying that person's existence. Wanderer takes over the body of a young woman named Melanie, who refuses to fade away into the recesses of her own mind. What we have here is the first person account of Wanderer's journey through emotions that she has never experienced before. She learns what it means to be human.

  The only problem I had with the book is that at points it drags on a bit, particularly in the middle. I asked myself a few times, "Where could she possibly be going with this?" The way Meyer tied everything together in the end, however, proves what a great up and coming author she really is.

  The concept is extremely intriguing and though Meyer has stated that she intends for the book to stand alone, I do hope that she writes a few short stories that coincide with the over all story.

  The Host is a gripping science fiction novel, in many ways different from the Twilight Saga. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Stephenie Meyer, though primarily to adults and mature young adult readers as the dialogue can be a bit tricky at points. Even if you don't enjoy typical science fiction, The Host is a great book.
  
  
  
   

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