The Host

This book by Stephenie Meyer has nothing to do with her 'Twilight' series. It is the story of our Earth years after it has been colonized by alien beings who take over a host body, as told through the eyes of one of the alien life forms. These aliens believe what they are doing is good, because humans have royally destroyed this planet.

It's a big book. I was telling a friend (Mo) how I don't like books that are that big. They either scare me off, or I feel overwhelmed that I will hate it and I'll never finish it.

The beginning was slow. A lot of useless phlebotinum to wade through at first. Once you get through the boring alien expositional stuff, about half-way through, the book gets good. The alien is fighting mentally with its Host body's thoughts. The host never "left the building." Alien and host must co-exist, the human hating the alien, fighting to keep its secrets secret; that humans are living in hiding. Humans that have not been taken over by aliens. The alien, Wanderer, begins to doubt; why are they there? Yes, humans are evil, they poison the Earth, they are greedy, manipilative, they discard their poor, etc. etc. But there are good humans, like those she meets finally, in hiding.

There are internal struggles with oneself (Wanderer) as well as with her inside voice, the human Melanie, as well as external struggles with the humans that Melanie has led Wanderer to, who hate her because they don't know Melanie is alive inside her.

Why am I having such a hard time reviewing this? I don't want to give anything away, I think. Ugh.

It's mostly a good book. Fun characters, aggravating characters, action, excitement, there's no real resolution in the end, just the hope of something better.