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Visual Bookshelf Review: The Host
It is so easy to place Stephenie Meyer's latest on the shelf along with my prized copies of the 'The Stand', 'Time Machine', and 'War of the Worlds', but not the for the obvious reasons.
The genre of Apocalypse-inspired works of fiction is oddly crowded, but 'The Host' stands out as a prime jewel, even among the classics.
Amidst the overused setting of an Earth occupied by alien parasites, Meyer introduces Wanderer, an academic historian and traveler, living her sixth lifetime on our planet in the brain of 'host' Melanie Stryder. The unthinkable occurs when Melanie's entity fights for survival and control of her body, in order to track down the man that she loves. Wanderer narrates their story in the first person, and much of the struggle between host and parasite happens inside Wanderer's consciousness. The resulting sensation for readers is a feeling of complete and utter involvement, taking the term 'psychological thriller' to a whole new level.
Meyer may have been immortalized by the popularity of Edward Cullen and his vampiric lot, but she definitely deserves a place among fiction's greatest with this unique story showcasing how, in the struggle for survival, even the most hated of human instincts - fear - can be our greatest ally, and compassion, our ultimate weapon.
chipper
