The Host, Stephenie Meyer

I will admit to a resurgence in Twilight related thoughts since watching the movie version of Twilight recently. My excuse? I am a girl. That is enough of an excuse for anyone to get involved with anything written by Stephenie Meyer. I first read Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse in 2007 one after another after being at a family reunion surrounded by teenage cousins with their faces shoved into the big black shiny books. I have always had a high tolerance for fluff so I enjoyed all 3 books. Then came Breaking Dawn which for many reasons left me wanting to retch and feeling like a colossal idiot for every getting involved in the first place.

On to The Host then. Many of the aforementioned cousins were now enthusiastically reading this next Stephenie Meyer book. I tried to read it after a desperate late night spree at Barnes and Noble (these happen occasionally when my life is just sucking too much- I will go to Barnes and Noble and buy literally anything. Hardback books that I can’t afford, books available at the library, books with horrible reviews, entire series of books that I know nothing about… I’m just looking for anything to get lost in that doesn’t make my brain have to work too much. These trips are pretty hit or miss. Sometimes I end up with horrible drivel that I can’t force myself to finish but it is also how I finally made an acquaintance with Georgette Heyer). I was sure that The Host was falling into this unreadable category and put it down.

At Christmas, Matilda talked me into reading it again for at least 100 pages. Boredom and the flu (thank you first graders) saw me taking her up on the challenge and what can I say. The Host is no worse Twilight. In some ways it is a very similar story; lovers who are forced apart by supernatural weirdness. I have now been trying unsuccessfully to get Linda and Naomi to read it but they are like me pre-second attempt to read The Host and post reading of Breaking Dawn; completely let down by Stephenie Meyer and won’t budge about The Host. I do appreciate Stephenie Meyer’s ability to tell stories that I can get completely lost in and forget about my current reality. Sometimes that is all I am asking of a book and she definitely doesn’t disappoint on that count.