The Host - Stephenie Meyer

A parasitic space race comes to Earth and takes over most of humanity using their bodies as hosts. The host consiousness fades away in most cases letting the parasite fully take over. Melanie on the other hand won't go away. Her body is found by a Seeker and the Healers put a parasite in her to save her. The parasite using Melanie's memories then sets off on her own to find her brother and Uncle who were on the run. She finds them and a resistance cell of humans, who want to kill her right away. Jeb, her Uncle and leader of the cell, decides to keep her alive so they can learn about these parasites. When she starts to integrate into the community it is only Jeb and her brother Jamie who treat her as an equal. She is given the name Wanda, short for wanderer. As time passes most everyone accepts her for who she is. She even tells stories of other worlds where the parasites have inhabited, which fascinates everyone. When Jared, Melanie's boyfriend, comes back from a raid he wants to kill her because she's not Melanie anymore. Ian on the other hand falls in love with Wanda, while Melanie is still in love with Jared. Confilct ensues and a tribunal is held to determine who stays and who goes. After it's decided that Wanda stays she tells the doctor how to remove the parasites, and let the host bodies regain who they were. As I neared the end I figured out how it was going to end, but I won't spoil that for you. Overall I enjoyed The Host and I thought it was just as good as Twilight. Stephenie Meyer shows us what it is to be human and what its like seeing humans through the eyes of another, in this case an alien race. Also, she shows us how we humans come together and resist invaders when our lives are threatened and that we will fight to the end.

T.B. 7/8/08