“Twilight” Author Branches Into Sci-Fi

Earth has been invaded by small, many-legged beings from another planet that insert themselves into the human brain and take over the body. These octopus-like aliens force the human psyche away and have caused the loss of countless precious souls.

Author of the immensely popular Twilight Series, Stephanie Meyer has tried her hand at her first piece of Adult Science Fiction. “The Host” is a provocative, sensual and endearing novel that debates age-old ideas: With how much destruction humans cause, are they even worth keeping around? If the world could be a better, safer place, would that justify killing millions?

Melanie is a human fugitive hiding from the “souls” that have been taking over the world. Determined to keep her brother safe, she searches for any way possible to find permanent shelter. She is captured, however, and is inserted with Wanderer, a soul who has never quite found a home. Wanderer is given the task of ferreting out the remaining “wild” humans in Melanie’s memories.

There is just one problem: Melanie refuses to relinquish control of her mind.

Instead of giving up the information Wanderer wants, Melanie blockades her attempts and distracts her with her vivid memories of Jared, the love of Melanie’s life. Eventually, Wanderer succumbs and falls for Jared as well. With Melanie leading the way, and Wanderer controlling the body, they head out into the desert and search for what could be the last remaining group of wild humans left in the world.

Meyer has created yet another world and culture that Twilight fans can sink their teeth into. Far more than just a teenage romance story, “The Host” weaves epic romances in with midnight raids and blood feuds and wraps them up in the human struggle for survival.

Although the six-hundred-plus page novel can be slow and tedious at times, it is not a book to be ignored. “The Host” is just a precursor to other novels Meyer will continue to awe us with.