In My Opinion....

No, I'm not going to rant on and on again. Although it did feel nice. I just wanted to give my opinion on the new book by Stephenie Meyer, The Host. For any of you who aren't Stephenie Meyer fans, some background info: This book is her 4th, although the other 3 are part of a series and this is her only stand alone (although it could quite easily have a sequel). She is the author of the best selling Twilight series, which is technically a young adult series. In an interview with Stephenie, she commented that the only reason Twilight was young adult and The Host was adult was simply because of the age of the characters (teenagers in Twilight, and 20-to-30 somethings in The Host). I have to agree with her. I feel like both books are suited for either age group.

So, to the actual book. It's classified as science-fiction, a genre that I despise. This made me very skeptical to say the least. My love of Stephenie Meyer was why I read it, not the genre or even the overviews I read. It all seemed a little too science-fiction for me. But I read it anyways. There is some science-fiction, descriptions of other planets, and other "way out there" ideas. The whole premise of the book is alien "parasites" invading earth and taking over the bodies of humans as hosts. But somehow, it was easy to read. The world described was so real and believable. I could have done with less of the science-fiction, but it wasn't distracting or difficult to read, just too imaginative for me I guess. And overall, the book is not about aliens and spaceships. It's about humans and their world, our world. It's somewhat of an overview of humanity and what we take for granted. It was real and very absorbing.

Stephenie Meyer is definitely a character driven author. If you've read Twilight, you know that. This is probably what I love best about her books. She says herself that she doesn't know when she starts writing where her characters will go. She lets them develop themselves and she can't make them do anything they wouldn't do. It's sounds a a little crazy, but I buy it. Stephenie writes a first person narrative like I've never seen done before. Most authors do better with a 3rd person, in my opinion, but Stephenie Meyer makes me almost feel like those "I's" are me. I feel like I am part of her writing somehow. The characters become so real, it's like they are your friends, like people you've known forever. Somehow, I feel like I become part of the story as I read her writing. It is a powerful connection to these books that I believe keeps people reading. If you've read Twilight, you may understand what I'm saying. You feel like you know Edward and Bella, and you think about them and the others for days and weeks after reading. This happens again for Melanie and Wanderer and so many others in the book (I'm not going to give anything away!).

Aside from the genre, I can't say a negative thing about the book. I read it in less than a day - couldn't put it down. Well, that's not true. The first 200 pages were a little less "keep-me-up-till-3-am" than the last 400. I loved the beginning, but it was a lot to set up, a lot to sort out, and it didn't drive me like the last two-thirds of the book did. Not that it was hard to read. Her writing flows like I've never seen before. It isn't cumbersome, although she uses a lot of detail. I never feel bogged down with unnecessary information. It all seems so pertinent and important, even if I'm not sure how at the time. The underlying themes of the true nature of humanity, the beauty of our world that we take for granted, and most of all, what it means to love in so many different ways are very beautifully explored and developed, leaving the reader thinking long after the book is finished.

So, if you didn't get what I'm saying, I loved the book, spaceships and aliens and all. Odd isn't it? Some reviews say it isn't science-fiction at all and should be classified as fantasy or romance. I disagree. If you (meaning someone like me) don't go into it knowing it's science-fiction, you might be distracted. But it is science-fiction that I could read all day.