The Host - Stephenie Meyer

So, I recently finished reading The Host (I know, everyone and their mother has already read it, but, what can I say, better late than never) and must say, I was agreeably surprised. I expected to dislike it because I hated Twilight so much, but I actually ended up kind of loving it... :s It was a Stephenie Meyer book, so the writing wasn't perfect, but, contrarily to Twilight, it actually had a creative and interesting plot. The characters didn't make you want to gauge your eyes out and it wasn't horribly stereotypical. So, altogether, very different from Twilight in an extremely pleasant way.
So, I'll start by talking about the main characters: Wanda and Melanie. One of the very nice things about this book was that both of these characters were extremely strong and independent, though both in very different ways. I was scared we might get a Bella scenario all over again, but both characters were polar opposites to our Twilight protagonist. It was very interesting to read from Wanda's POV, because since she was an alien, her thought process and reactions to different events were very peculiar and surprising. The way she processed everyone around her and how they treated her was quite nice to read. Melanie was also interesting, though sometimes her extreme impulses and reactions to Jared and Ian could become aggravating. Now, onto he boys. Jared was annoying at times, but the bond between him and Melanie was quite touching and sweet. I personally preferred Ian, who was the sweetest boy (or man, I guess) you could ever encounter. I want an Ian in my life. He and Wanda were the most beautiful thing ever and those last few chapters made me squeal in the best way possible. I wish we could've seen more of them together, but then again I always wish that at the end of a book with a cute love story. I really appreciated the fact that the book didn't turn around these love stories like Twilight did. Though they were an important part of the story, they weren't the focal point.
The plot was quite interesting. I'll try to tell you a bit about it without being too spoilery. I'll tell you a bit of context so you're not completely lost if you haven't read the book. The story is set in what seems to be a not-too-distant future. In this future, aliens called Souls have invaded our planet and many others by using our bodies as 'hosts'. They do so by inserting themselves into our bodies and claiming them for their own. Usually, when this happens, the host disappears, leaving only his last memory behind. So, Melanie is a human that's been on the run since the souls invaded Earth. She gets caught and Wanderer (Wanda), a soul, is inserted in her body, but instead of disappearing, Mel stays inside Wanda's head, talks to her, and, eventually, leads her back to her human life, her friends and family. There, the two are confronted to a group of humans who don't know how to react to their former friend who has been taken by the souls. It's all quite complicated, but it makes for a beautiful story.
I, personally, really enjoyed this book and would recommend to any teenager and possibly some adults. All Twilight fans will love it, but some who, like me, didn't like Bella and her surroundings, may very well enjoy it as much as I did.
I truly can't wait for the movie to come out (March 29th, people!). When I saw the trailer at the movie theatre for the first time, I had a serious fangirl moment. Anyway. This book deserves to be read, and if you haven't read it yet, go! What are you waiting for? So, I'll give The Host 9.5/10.
Toodlepip,
x Clara