Review of "The Host"

"They've never seen a grown human before."

     In Stephanie Meyer's The Host, the near-extinction of the human race doesn't stop people from going about their daily lives. In fact, after a soul has inserted into their new human body they are often known to continue on as though they were the host. The only difference is that conflict no longer exists: there are no wars, no arguments. Not even the human minds fight back, though their memories remain. At least, that is how things are supposed to go. For Wanderer, a nomadic soul with a long list of planets under her belt, inserting into Melanie Stryder's body shouldn't be a problem. Searching Melanie's memories for information on the few surviving human insurgents should be simple, because Melanie is gone. Dead, faded, whatever. Which begs the question: if Melanie is gone, who is trapped inside her head? And why is Wanderer suddenly in love with a man she's never met?

     There's something strangely beautiful about the relationship between Wanderer and Melanie and the way it transforms over time. Though they share a body, they have extraordinarily distinct personalities and ways of looking at the world, and those worldviews clash often. Wanderer is a pacifistic parasite; Melanie is a fierce woman willing to fight for the people she cares about, even when she's supposed to be dead. Melanie is strong enough that Wanderer cannot access the information she needs, creating tension between them, and between Wanderer and the other souls, that is ripe for conflict. This is only amplified when Melanie's strong attachment to her family and boyfriend begin to rub off on Wanderer, creating the most bizarre love triangle in history.

     Despite this ideal setting for drama, there is one thing working against the plot: the souls themselves. Disturbingly friendly and altruistic to a fault, these nomadic aliens abhor confrontation and violence--a trait which sets Melanie on edge even as she works to convince Wanderer to abandon the souls and save her family. Only one soul is tenacious enough to count as a true antagonist, and even she is not as menacing as she's meant to be. Thus it falls on the underground human community where Melanie's loved ones live to provide the main conflict. And while there are some problems--fits of frantic action and resentful distrust--the hunt for and entanglement with these people is dulled by Wanderer's relentless pacifism and passive narrative voice.

     Slow pacing and unfortunate lack of gripping plot aside, there are a few pluses to this unusual novel. For one thing, the relationship between Wanderer, Melanie, and the humans is at the least intriguing and at most fascinating. The girls go through an internal arc of change that's encouraging to behold, which is mirrored somewhat by the people with whom they surround themselves. There is little violence and even less gore, save one scene in involving souls and in which no humans are harmed.Add in a clean vocabulary and this is one story pre-readers shouldn't have a problem with. However, Melanie's relationship with her boyfriend has a few intense moments, and while nothing beyond kissing takes place this places Wanderer in a rather awkward predicament...especially when she picks up an admirer of her own.

     I would recommend this book to patient audiences looking for a fresh perspective on alien invasions. Not only are the alien "souls" wildly different than all other interpretations, but the main character--a soul herself--is quickly thrown into a complex world of love, friendship, betrayal, resistance, and a desperate struggle for peace. While Wanderer's clumsy navigation of the human world is slow-paced and narrated in a deceptively passive tone, her unpredictable journey and unexpected connection to her human host make this a tale to remember. For beautiful aliens, an original cast, and a fresh exploration of what it means to be human, The Host by Stephanie Meyer deserves three stars.