New Book Review From the Entertainment Critic: The Host By Stephenie Meyer

BEST NEW RELEASE

The Host

THE ENTERTAINMENT CRITIC BOOK REVIEW, BY JAMES MYERS
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THE BEST NEW RELEASE

THE HOST
By Stephenie Meyer
Published by: Little, Brown & Company
Publication Date: May 6, 2008
Price: $25.99
624 Pages
ISBN-13: 9780316068048
Five Star Rating *****

ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR AUTHORS IN THE WORLD
HER TWILIGHT SAGA HAS SOLD OVER 5 MILLION COPIES IN THE UNITED STATE ALONE
WON NUMEROUS HONORS, INCLUDING:

A NEW YORK TIMES EDITOR'S CHOICE
A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
AN AMAZON.COM "BEST BOOK OF THE DECADE...SO FAR"
A TEEN PEOPLE "HOT LIST" PICK
AN AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION "TOP TEN BEST BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS" AND "TOP TEN BOOKS FOR RELUCTANT READERS”

HER BOOK, TWILIGHT HAS BEEN MADE INTO A MOVIE THAT WILL BE RELEASED IN DECEMBER OF 2008

TRANSLATED INTO 20 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES

THIS IS HER FIRST BOOK WRITTEN SPECIFICALLY FOR ADULTS
LITTLE BROWN HAS PRINTED A FIRST RUN PRINT OF 750,000 COPIES JUST TO MEET THE ANTICIPATED DEMAND
STEPHENIE IS ON A 10 DAY TOUR STARTING IN MAY OF 2008

IT IS THE FIRST OF A TRILOGY

ANOTHER NEW BOOK, BREAKING DAWN, WILL BE RELEASED IN AUGUST OF 2008


“Melanie squirmed, figuratively, in the recesses of my head as I tried to consider it rationally. Maybe I should give up…

The words them selves made me flinch. I, Wanderer, give up? Quit? Admit failure and try again in a weak, spineless host who wouldn’t give me any trouble?

I shook my head. I could barely stand to think of it.

And…this was my body. I was used to the feel of it. I like the way the muscles moved over the bones, the bend of the joints and the pull of the tendons. I knew the refection in the mirror. The sun-browned skin, the high, sharp bones of my face, the short silk cap of mahogany hair, the muddy green brown hazel of my eyes-this was me.

I wanted myself. I wouldn’t let what was mine be destroyed.”

Stephenie Meyer is the most popular writer of fiction for young adults in the world. In just 3 short years, her books are the most anticipated events of the publishing season. The Host is her first book written specifically for adults. Her eagerly anticipated adult debut will be one of the best selling books of 2008, and may very well be the best new science fiction thriller written this year. It is more than deserving of my highest rating.

Sometime in the future, our world has been invaded by an unseen parasitic enemy. Humans become hosts for the invaders; their mind is taken over while their bodies remain intact, and they continue their lives unchanged. Most of mankind has been taken over. Only a few humans remain, untouched by the hosts. One of those untouched humans is a young woman, Melanie Stryder, who fell down an elevator shaft trying to avoid the Seekers, a group of invaders who relentlessly pursue their prey. Melanie’s body may be broken but her spirit is not. Her memories refuse to fade away. When Wanderer, an invading soul is installed in Melanie’s body, she finds her memories, emotions, and senses are intact and powerful. So powerful, that many of Melanie’s feelings and life experiences become the Wanderer’s own. Wanderer encounters one other insurmountable problem, Melanie refuses to give up her mind.

In probing Melanie’s thoughts to locate other possible uninfected humans, the Wanderer finds her mind is filled with thought of the man Melanie loves, Jared, a human who with her brother Jamie is still in hiding. Wanderer is unable to separate herself from Melanie’s feelings for him, and she (Wanderer is also female) also longs for Jared. The powers to be tell Wanderer that because she is unable to subdue Melanie, that the want to remove her from Melanie’s body and send her somewhere else in space. Both Melanie and Wanderer, want desperately to see Jared, that they trick the Seeker assigned to the Wanderer, and set off to find Jared, who happens to be somewhere in the Arizona desert living with Melanie’s Uncle Jeb.

After a life threatening trek across the desert, they find Uncle Jeb has established an underground colony, and they locate a hostile and unforgiving Jared and Jamie. At first little Wanderer does not fit into the group, but Uncle Jeb takes her under his wing and she (they call her ‘Wanda’) and Melanie become an accepted part of the community. A pattern in all of Stephanie Meyer’s books then becomes complete; there is some underground society in all of her books that threatens human beings (like vampires) and an impossible love triangle arises. As Wanderer/Melanie become more accepted and needed by the group, Melanie is jealous of Wanderer’s attraction to Jared, and Wanderer attracts a man of her own Ian. The love triangle adds just the right touch of tension and hopelessness that mark all of Stephenie’s’ books. To complicate matters, the Seeker assigned to Wanderer finds her, threatening the safety of the entire underground community. Meyer resolves all issues in a surprising, but satisfactory manner. As with her first 3 books, this is the first of a trilogy for this group of characters. The book is well written, with great prose and interesting detail. The storyline in this book as with all of her books is among the most intriguing you will ever read. Quirky plots and fascinating characters are Meyer trademarks and The Host get high marks for both. This book personifies the phrase “edgy and unpredictable.” The reoccurring theme in this book about the potential for destruction stemming from violence and the infinite capacity of love as the salvation of man, gives the book just the right tension for interest. Deep and beautiful, the story is told with a certain haunting grace that makes this book one in a million. A riveting charmer, The Host is miraculous.

This marks Stephenie’s first foray into the adult market, and it is a soaring, memorable event that is not to be missed. I picked this book for the Best New Release of this quarter. Don’t be surprised if at the end of the year, this book is one of the year’s best sellers. This one is Science Fiction for everybody! There is a rare understanding of complex human emotions that make this book totally unique. Meyer’s talent and appeal have not hit their peek yet, but this is one of 2008’s very best books. You read it here first: when the ball drops in New York to mark the start of 2009, Stephenie Meyer will be the most popular writer on the globe. I gave this one my highest rating, and I think you will too.


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