THE PENDULUM

by Mary Nease, October 1, 2008

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Stephenie Meyer and her “Twilight” series. It has been said that she writes vampire books for people who don’t like vampires, and in her book, “The Host,” she does the same thing with science fiction. 

Picture this: Earth, just as we know it, only violence has disappeared. You turn on the TV and it’s all good news and heart-warming stories. No one curses, everyone is helpful, no one lies and you can’t help but wonder, what has happened. You soon come to the realization that the planet has been taken over by an alien race of parasites that steal people’s bodies and make everything “better.” To keep from having your mind and body taken over, you’re forced to go into hiding as perhaps one of the last true humans left.

This is the situation in which Melanie Stryder finds herself.

Unfortunately for her, she is caught and one of the parasites is placed into her body. That should have been the end of her, but Melanie refuses to just fade away like the other humans. Wanderer, the parasite inside of her, is not happy about this at all. Melanie starts bombarding Wanderer with thoughts of the man she loves, Jared, who is still in hiding. She attempts to get Wanderer to find him so they can reunite. Her plan works too well when Wanderer not only sets out to find Jared, but falls in love with him as well. 

So what do you get when you have a love triangle with only two bodies? One heck of a story. Truly earning its number one spot on the New York Times Best Seller List, “The Host” is an engrossing story that takes you far away from Earth without ever leaving the planet. 

If you aren’t familiar with the “Twilight” series (and if that is the case, you should make yourself familiar with it), Meyer has a knack for creating tales of darkness and despair, and yet at the same time, her stories are infused with incredible hope. She tells love stories featuring characters who are faced with insurmountable odds. They overcome them, but in the most unexpected ways. “The Host” incorporates these undeniable elements of Meyer’s prose, creating a story that makes you question what exactly it means to be human and blurs the line between good and evil.   

But to give you fair warning, don’t read it during exam time, because as soon as you pick it up, you will not be able to put it down. “The Host” will take hold of you and leave you possessed, just as sure as Melanie is, well after you’ve finished it.