March 31, 2008
Stephenie Meyer, author of the bestselling Twilight YA series (Eclipse
, etc.), makes her adult debut.
The Host
Stephenie Meyer
. Little, Brown
, $25.99 (640p) ISBN 978-0-316-06804-8
In this tantalizing SF thriller, planet-hopping parasites are inserting their silvery centipede selves into human brains, curing cancer, eliminating war and turning Earth into paradise. But some people want Earth back, warts and all, especially Melanie Stryder, who refuses to surrender, even after being captured in Chicago and becoming a host for a “soul” called Wanderer. Melanie uses her surviving brain cells to persuade Wanderer to help search for her loved ones in the Arizona desert. When the pair find Melanie's brother and her boyfriend in a hidden rebel cell led by her uncle, Wanderer is at first hated. Once the rebels accept Wanderer, whom they dub Wanda, Wanda's whole perspective on humanity changes. While the straightforward narrative is short on detail about the invasion and its stunning aftermath, it shines with romantic intrigue, especially when a love triangle (or quadrangle?!) develops for Wanda/Melanie. 10-city author tour.
June 30, 2008
Meyer's first adult novel, a science fiction tale with an eye for romance, is a proverbial yet intriguing story of a woman in danger of losing her body and mind to an invading alien force. While the story treads on familiar territory, Meyer offers a fresh perspective by relating the story through the mind of the protagonist, a simple idea that Kate Reading brings to fruition perfectly. Reading's tone is inflamed with passion and desperation, both for lost love and the reality that should she give in to the invader known as Wanderer, she will cease to exist. Reading's voice is that of a troubled young woman, battling to save herself and her most personal of memories. She becomes our hero yet never fails to display how fragile she, and humanity, truly is. A Little, Brown hardcover (Reviews, Mar. 31).
Starred review from April 1, 2008
Meyer's YA vampire novels ("Breaking Dawn" will be out in August) have been touted in the "Wall Street Journal" as successors to J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. And with a fan base that has grown exponentially with each new release, they may not be far off. All of which makes the publication of Meyer's first adult novel even more noteworthy. It lives up to the hype, blending science fiction and romance in a way that has never worked so well. In this page-turner, Meyer explores what happens to relationships when two beings inhabit the same physical body. Earth has been overrun by an alien species called Souls, which invade human bodies and erase personalities. As the novel opens, Melanie Stryder, one of the few human holdouts, has been captured by the aliens and is implanted with a Soul named Wanderer, who is something of a legend among her own kind because of the many hosts and planets she has experienced. Inhabiting a human mind and body is unlike anything Wanderer has ever known, and soon she finds that Melanie isn't quite willing to give up to this invader. Overwhelmed by Melanie's memories and feelings, Wanderer finds herself driven to reconnect with Melanie's old life. As with her vampire novels, Meyer will make new fans of readers "who don't read books with aliens." Highly recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 1/08.]Jane Jorgenson, Madison P.L., WI
Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
June 1, 2008
Adult/High School-A race of parasitic aliens has nearly completed its benevolent conquest of the aggressive, violent human race. By implanting themselves into humans, the souls have access to all of the hosts' memories and emotions and are indistinguishable from them. The humans do not realize they're being taken over until it is nearly too late. Some resist the invasion, including Melanie Stryder, her brother, and her lover. When Melanie is killed on a mission, her body is taken over by a soul named "Wanderer." Melanie's memories prove overwhelming for Wanderer, who eventually succumbs to her need to search out her family. What follows is a tale of survival, friendship, and love. By discussing Earth's invasion from the conqueror's viewpoint, the novel takes a unique look at a fairly standard plot device. It overcomes a slow beginning after Wanderer reaches the humans and begins to care about the ones she meets personally. She comes to love Melanie's brother like her own, fights her body's attraction to Melanie's lover, and grows ever closer to another human, Ian. The humans in turn accept Wanderer as a valuable and caring individual, rather than as Melanie's oppressor. They overcome their prejudices and begin to work together in the humans' best interests. "Host" will likely appeal to readers interested in supernatural romance or character-driven science fiction. Questions of what defines humanity and love add a philosophical angle to an engaging and entertaining title."Karen E. Brooks-Reese, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA"
Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 1, 2008
You might assume that Meyers best-selling Twilight series (published for YAs), about the intense love between a human teen and a vampire, takes the interspecies relationship thing about as far as it can go. Theres where youd be wrong.Meyers ingenious adult-market debut, heavily but not tediously indebted to Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, imagines the tangled web of attachments between an alien parasite andthe colony of humans to which the aliens host bodyonce belonged.Meyer boldly chooses to narrate from the perspective of the invading alien, a 1,000-year-old female soul named Wanderer, and itis a tribute to the authors skill that Wanderer is a sympathetic protagonist despite the fact that she tells her tale while clinging to the cerebellum ofa human victim, 17-year-old Melanie. AsMelanies unusually resistant consciousness begins toseep into Wanderers own identity, shefinds herselfseeking out one of the last outposts of humancivilizationto reunite with the people her body once loved. Some readers will find the opening scenestoo hurried and contrived, and the unusually largenumber of humanswilling to fraternize with the enemies seems idealized. But the view of the apocalypse from the vantage point of one of its horsemen makes for propulsive reading, laden withunforgettable, unsettlingscenes thatraise fascinating questions about distinctions between essential human identityand its physical vessel.Consider buying duplicate sets ofMeyers ouevre, one foradults and one for YAs, since this entertaining, somewhat soft-focus sfsagawill only serve tobroaden the penumbra of Meyers fame.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)