So, there's this little trilogy, written for young adults that came out less than two years ago.
Twilight. New Moon. Eclipse.
You might have heard of them.
If not, you will - these YA novels by author Stephenie Meyer have reached near Harry Potter status in the book world, with zillions of devoted fans, websites, fan fiction and more. The iconic black and red covers adorn many a library bookshelf, as well as well-worn copies on personal bookshelves, dog-eared by devoted fans.
And what's more, the intended trilogy isn't through - Meyer has a new title, Breaking Dawn, coming out August 2, continuing the story of a mortal girl in love with a vampire boy, set against the wet, lush green backdrop of Washington State.
But today, I'd like to focus on Meyer's latest writing effort: The Host, her first foray into adult fiction, which was just released May 6.
For the last several days, ever since I finished The Host, I've been trying to figure out how to characterize this novel, or what to compare it to for purposes of this book review.
Here's the best formula I've come up with, at least so far:
This novel is part Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, part Invasion of the Body Snatchers (based on the novel by Jack Finney), part Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, part Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, and part Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.
And even then, that doesn't truly encompass this novel, categorized by many as "science fiction light," or as author Meyer has said herself, "science fiction for people who don't like science fiction."
Meyer transports the reader this time not to the green Pacific Northwest, but to the brown Arizona desert, to follow the story of Melanie - the host, and Wanderer - the soul.
The world has been invaded by peaceful, but all-encompassing, souls, who are inserted into host human bodies. The souls are gentle and trusting, able to cure cancer and maintain peace, but at a cost - the loss of human minds and personality. But every once in a while, a wild human will come along, refusing to be booted out of their own head, instead staying as an echo, a contrasting voice to the soul's, refusing to fade away like all the other humans.
Melanie Stryder is just such a human.
Further complicating the relationship between Melanie and Wanderer - as if sharing a body and conflicting thoughts weren't enough - are the mixture of memories they share, particularly the vivid memories Melanie has for her younger brother Jamie, and for Jared, the love of her life, three wild humans fighting together to stay alive, and to stay wild.
This lengthy novel (clocking in at 619 pages) delves into light and dark, good versus evil, human willpower versus alien strength, emotion versus action, and all the ways those lines can be blurred. Wanderer/Melanie breaks away from civilization, bent on finding Jared and Jamie at all costs, all while trying to evade souls who want to bring them back into the fold, blurring all kinds of lines. But everything changes when they find a new culture deep in the desert, a culture that could be deadly - to both of them.
This novel is dark - both in setting and in tone - and with a denser language and longer length, will be more challenging for young adults, but certainly not prohibitive for those wanting to cross over into adult novels. There is a pervading sense of unease and suspense through the novel, which will appeal to fans of mystery and suspense. The soul/human dynamic will draw in science fiction readers, and the promise of love and relationships is enough to bring in romance readers - and with Stephenie Meyer's name on the cover of the novel, a built in audience is already in place, eager to read her words.
I must admit, I found the novel a bit slow going at first - it took a good third of the novel to really get into the plot and the characters for me, but knowing it was Meyer doing the storytelling made me persevere. And I also must admit, as a devoted fan of the "Twilight" trilogy, I enjoyed those novels more, but I'm glad to see Meyer stretching her writing wings, broadening her audience, and spinning more tales. Hopefully, this is a promise of more to come.
The Host is a satisfying read, a compelling read, and one to discuss with friends when you're all finished - always the sign of fine storytelling.
You can read all about Meyer's novels, her biography, interviews, and get sneak peeks of books and more at her website: www.stepheniemeyer.com.
Looking to ask the Loud Librarian a question or comment on one of her reviews? Email her at Marissa.Priddis@CrucialPop.com.
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