The Host by Stephenie Meyer
It took me almost I week to get into The Host, but I'm head-over-heels in love with it. Sadly, though, I'm done. For those who've read it, you know what I mean!
I took me six days to get into The Host.
I picked up my copy at the local Barnes & Noble on Tuesday when it first came out (also reserved my copy of Breaking Dawn while I was there) and went home to dig into the book. It only took about two chapters for me to realize I had set myself up for disappointment: This fic was not Twilight. It didn't capture my immediate attention the way Twilight had, and I was somewhat ... repulsed? put off? by it. I spent the day muddling through the next three chapters before setting the book down and deciding to go back to it with a new perspective and an unbiased mind later.
I read through Terri Blackstock's Dawn's Light all Friday night and into the wee hours of Saturday morning, unable to put it down. (I highly recommend her Restoration series; Dawn's Light is the final novel in the series).
I went back to The Host on Sunday afternoon and could not put it down. Damn work, or I would've stayed up all night Sunday to finish it.
Stephenie Meyer has such an unexplainable gift with words. She makes the book vivid and real; the characters come to life in your mind and (to me) it can be like watching a movie - where I get to cast the stars. But I won't bore you with who I envisioned playing Wanderer/Melanie, Ian, Jared, etc.
The book was a delicious read, and I found myself satisfied at the end. At the way it ended. Rarely can I say that about anything I read - fiction or fanfic. Meyer neatly tied up The Host the way a responsible producer would with a hit TV show. There's room for more to the story, but it doesn't leave the reader with frustration at the lack of ending. The end it, to me, perfectly fitting.
After reading it, I was stunned to realize that I enjoyed The Host more than I had the Twilight series. I'm sure half of you are thinking: What the hell, Iz? Have you lost your damn mind? Twilight is unparalleled!
I love Twilight - please don't get me wrong. But in my own personal opinion, I've come to two conclusions about the series, and mainly its star - Bella:
1. Bella is a pseudo-Mary Sue, or
2. Stephenie Meyer has truly captured what it is to be a teenage girl and her genius must be commended.
My hope leans me towards the latter, but there are several times in the series when Bella becomes a bit too Mary Sue-ish for my tastes (as all teenage girls do), Edward a bit too overbearing and pigheaded, and the other characters glorified props in the story. Granted, those places are few and far between, but have on occasion left me with that impression.
The Host didn't strike me that way at all. Everything Wanderer did I could see and justify as an alien being struggling to balance her sense of self with a newfound sense of humanity. The characters were strong and could stand on their own if needed. Overall, The Host is one of the best reads I've had in years and I cannot urge you enough to read it.
I took me six days to get into The Host.
I picked up my copy at the local Barnes & Noble on Tuesday when it first came out (also reserved my copy of Breaking Dawn while I was there) and went home to dig into the book. It only took about two chapters for me to realize I had set myself up for disappointment: This fic was not Twilight. It didn't capture my immediate attention the way Twilight had, and I was somewhat ... repulsed? put off? by it. I spent the day muddling through the next three chapters before setting the book down and deciding to go back to it with a new perspective and an unbiased mind later.
I read through Terri Blackstock's Dawn's Light all Friday night and into the wee hours of Saturday morning, unable to put it down. (I highly recommend her Restoration series; Dawn's Light is the final novel in the series).
I went back to The Host on Sunday afternoon and could not put it down. Damn work, or I would've stayed up all night Sunday to finish it.
Stephenie Meyer has such an unexplainable gift with words. She makes the book vivid and real; the characters come to life in your mind and (to me) it can be like watching a movie - where I get to cast the stars. But I won't bore you with who I envisioned playing Wanderer/Melanie, Ian, Jared, etc.
The book was a delicious read, and I found myself satisfied at the end. At the way it ended. Rarely can I say that about anything I read - fiction or fanfic. Meyer neatly tied up The Host the way a responsible producer would with a hit TV show. There's room for more to the story, but it doesn't leave the reader with frustration at the lack of ending. The end it, to me, perfectly fitting.
After reading it, I was stunned to realize that I enjoyed The Host more than I had the Twilight series. I'm sure half of you are thinking: What the hell, Iz? Have you lost your damn mind? Twilight is unparalleled!
I love Twilight - please don't get me wrong. But in my own personal opinion, I've come to two conclusions about the series, and mainly its star - Bella:
1. Bella is a pseudo-Mary Sue, or
2. Stephenie Meyer has truly captured what it is to be a teenage girl and her genius must be commended.
My hope leans me towards the latter, but there are several times in the series when Bella becomes a bit too Mary Sue-ish for my tastes (as all teenage girls do), Edward a bit too overbearing and pigheaded, and the other characters glorified props in the story. Granted, those places are few and far between, but have on occasion left me with that impression.
The Host didn't strike me that way at all. Everything Wanderer did I could see and justify as an alien being struggling to balance her sense of self with a newfound sense of humanity. The characters were strong and could stand on their own if needed. Overall, The Host is one of the best reads I've had in years and I cannot urge you enough to read it.