....thank you,Stephanie Meyer.You see,its been a long time since I read a book where I could feel what was happening.Where I could be sympathetic,where I could get angry that I could nearly slap a fictional character,where I could feel happy,where I could feel my nerves fray as the main character goes through endless despair.And where I could cry.Thank you ,not for Twilight saga , (don't get presumptuous :P)...I meant your first sci-fi novel The Host.
Now,I like the Twilight saga for characters like Jacob ,Jasper and werewolves.New Moon was absolutely brilliant in bringing out Bella's depression...it was the best described prose in the book.I am not too fond of the first book though,maybe I have had high expectations.And Edward Cullen is just too perfect for me to digest.Jacob Black ,the flawed ,passionate and nearly immature character's view point made the strongest parts of the haphazard Breaking Dawn.Oh yeah,Leah Clearwater too :D..how can I forget the feisty wolf girl? Edward and Bella just do not do it for me,although I can relate to Bella on many levels.Their romance (I am going to be flamed by OMG-Edward X Bella fans) just makes me yawn and makes me want to skip pages ( I get it he has a nice scent..I get it that Bella is beautiful..I get it that Edward has butter,topaz eyes when he is not thirsty..CAN WE MOVE ON FROM THERE PLEASE?)..I prefer the descriptions of subtle understanding with Jacob instead . I guess Edward and Bella's doomed love is the core of the story(*sighs*).Eclipse was good in bringing out character backgrounds but I felt handling of so many characters made it go haywire.But,Eclipse was still very good.
Now it brings me to The Host. The Host makes me see you mature from the forever swooning Bella Swan to a different female lead.Or leads,a more appropriate term.I like Melanie Stryder's feisty strength,her wild and emotional ways.I like the alien Wanderer ,taking possession of her body's, passive strength.Their story was impossible to put down because there is so much to think about. What would you do if an alien takes possession of your body and mind? Would you surrender in your identity being erased or would you fight for your individuality?
Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with the visions of the man she loves,Jared.Melanie's body reacts to Jared.Yet,Wanderer is emotionally close to Ian O'Shea.So what is love,in essence? Is it spiritual? Emotional,chemical? Conflicted as Wanderer (yes,I know,weird name and the planet she has been on...even weirder *rolls eyes*) feels with her yearning for Jared and confusing comfort with Ian..it is difficult to know.When Wanderer possesses a new body,it is Ian who she chooses...yet she has few echoes of love she felt for Jared.It can be argued that she felt so because Melanie's felt so strongly for Jared that feelings impacted her too.
I have to hand it to Stephanie Meyer for creating this story about complex relationships..especially the one between Melanie and Wanderer,from resigned acceptance of each other to allies with tinges of jealousy.I simply loved the story....but,there buts,of course.The characters of Jared Howe and Ian O' Shea....as in world view of Stephanie Meyer males,are perfect.Of course,that didn't stop me from liking the more compassionate and understanding Ian but still..they both did attack Wanderer when they first met her in Melanie's body and Ian turned more understanding as he grew to understand her (Wanderer) while Jared kept lying to himself,bitter that his lovers body was now an alien's.It disturbed me because they both weren't that distinct,as in..it felt like the same personality put in different situations.The only thing that felt distinct was that Ian was more broad minded that Jared...that's about it.....Jared reminded me of Jacob Black,BTW.(but that didn't stop me from feeling like punching him due to his shabby treatment of Wanderer in the beginning and nearly half of the book)
The eccentric genius Jeb Stryder,the so-annoying-I-wish-I-could-slap Maggie and Sharon Stryder,the so-annoying-that-I will-punch-if I meet-someone-like-her-face-to-face Seeker and the ever enthusiastic Melanie's younger brother Jamie were wonderful characterisations.I liked the idea of surviving in caves made by air pockets inside a volcano so much that I am waiting for an alien invasion where I would be one of the rebels :P.Too bad about thin mattresses and non availability of pillows...but I would get to soak in hot springs though.And you could always push your enemies into scalding rivers and pretend that they just lost their balance and slipped :D
As for the ending,though I liked it...I would have preferred it a sad,more poignant ending.The story would have stayed with me longer if it had a sad ending...
But...to quote the ending lines of The Host...
"It is a strange world.."
"The strangest"I agreed.
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