Hey Now Books! The Top 3 Reasons Why The Host is Worth Your Time
It’s usually known as that other book that Stephenie Meyer wrote, the one with all the sci fi and silly aliens. But here’s the thing, The Host is far more superior than her first book, Twilight, in both characterization and plot development. Unfortunately for Meyer, being known as the woman who created twihards isn’t always the best thing for serious literary folks out there. But if you’re anything like me and prefer to come up with your own conclusions rather than listening to everyone else’s you might want to give this book a shot, even if you despised Twilight with every fiber of your being. I just don’t think we should judge an author based upon one book or series, especially one that was their first. Because I am a person that finds lists easy, I have made up 3 reasons why reading The Host might not be a bad idea for, well, anyone.
(I know, I know, me talking about not buying anyones propaganda and then writing my own is pretty silly, but there is a point to this I swear. And if you can’t find the point I concede to my own hypocrisy )
Here’s a bit of a summary before I start:
Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading “soul” who has been given Melanie’s body, didn’t expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.
As Melanie fills Wanderer’s thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she’s never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.
Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature,THE HOSTis a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human. (description courtesy of BN.COM)
1. Wanda/Melanie > Bella Swan
This is the one and only Twilight comparison I will make and it’s probably because it’s the one that stood out the greatest to me while reading The Host. Bella was meant to be an every woman kind of gal, and eventually she just became so Mary Sue-esque that you just couldn’t help but want to slap the crazy out of her. Everything became about Edward, nothing was about Bella anymore. This is not something I seek for in a strong female character, sure vulnerability is nice to have, and when you’re a teenage girl obsessing over the boy “you lyk totes love” is normal, (or in Bella’s case the man old enough to be her Great Grandfather, but that’s not even an issue.) Where as with Bella she aimed for the “every girl” with Wanda/Melanie she was looking for something else, something on a different extreme. Melanie and Wanda were both weak in their own way and thats what made them stronger characters. Wanda’s fatal flaw was that she was constantly looking out for everyone EXCEPT herself. She would sacrifice all of her lives in order to save the people that she loves and that makes her a role-model, someone to actually look up to, even if she is one of the alien body snatchers. You can’t help but feel for her. And then there is Mel, who is just trying to hold on to who she once was, something a lot of people relate to when they feel alienated, so to speak, and they just don’t feel like themselves. Unlike Bella’s whose weakness’s were constantly used against her, Wanda/Mel make the most of what they have and overcome the taunts and judgmental behaviors of those around them to become a part of the family.
2. It’s about Sisterhood.
A lot of stories about alien-body swapping don’t really have much love the for the alien infiltrating the humans body, but the story is predominately told through Wanda’s perspective, Melanie is the voice inside of Wanda’s head, slowly pulling her into the depths of human emotion. There is one messy love triangle, well it’s more like a square to be honest, in this book. Heck, I admit, I was pulled in by the romantic entanglements just as much as the next person, but what really kept me going was the story of love and friendship between Melanie and Wanda. I don’t want to spoil too much but it’s a hate to love friendship that I fully enjoyed, and wish more books. tv shows and movies would focus on. It’s not fair that bromances get all of the love, but I’m glad for Wanda and Mel, they really showed how intricate the dynamics of female friendship are.
3. Family
Through out most of the story Wanda begins to refer to her new friends as “family” and she talks about them as if that is where she belonged. Despite the conflict in the beginning, no matter what happened they were always there for each other. Sometimes familial ties can get lost in books about apocalyptic societies but Meyer makes sure to include it and make it a theme that is woven through out the whole story. For someone like Wanda, imagining humans who she finds to be violent creatures to be her family is unique and for the humans to love and respect Wanda, despite the current status of the world it’s absolutely brave to touch base on. Although the family ties are constantly tested there is always a logical basis behind all of the fights and reunions involved between Wanda and her new found family. Again, family is something that is written about so rarely anymore, it’s touched upon, or it contains the basic mother, father components but The Host prides itself in the family dynamics of survivors, the last hope of civilization.
Personally I feel like critics of Meyer’s writing might even enjoy this book as it show cases her style as an actual writer. I also feel like somewhere down the line she became bored of her Twilight characters and that is where a lot fo criticism stems from. The Host is probably her finest outing as a writer and story teller. It doesn’t just follow every single troupe of the scifi novel and say “okay I’m good!” it stands out on it’s own. It defines humanity and our current condition. There are times where you’ll even find yourself shaking your head at every criticism Wanda has about humans and how violent and ill mannered we all can be. The Host isn’t some book about an alien invasion, it’s a book about life, love and family, and isn’t that what it’s all about?
