Well? Does it live up to expectations?

Yeah. I don't think that Stephenie Meyer fans will be at all disappointed. In FACT, the Bella-Edward-Jacob love triangle has NOTHING on the romance in this one. I'm not kidding. Really. But I'm not going to say any more on that point. Spoilers Suck.

It's very approachable science fiction. Reminds me of Orson Scott Card or Scott Westerfeld. I think I described it as "Westerfeldian" at one point, to someone. That might have been because it's really fun to say Westerfeldian. Try it. Aloud. It's the "feldian" part. It just rolls off the tongue.

ANYway...

It's the action that reminds me of Westerfeld. But don't make me describe it, I'm not up to that tonight. Hey, you say, what's the book about? Well.

So there are these parasitic aliens, right? They are basically immortal, and they move from world to world taking over all sentient creatures. Until they reached Earth. Humans didn't just lay down and get infected. Well, most of them did, but not all. There are renegade humans living in constant danger, scavenging and stealing what they need to live, always at risk of losing their...souls... if they get caught, becoming mere shells for the controlling parasites. This is about how one renegade, one girl, refuses to stop fighting - even after she's caught - and infected. Becoming The Host.

Read it, don't read it. Whatever. I wasn't a huge fan of the epilogue. I will say that it was the first book I read since the Big Move that actually, really, truly, held my attention. The ridiculous romantic situation didn't hurt. Melanie is, I think, the very antithesis of Bella, if that puts any of you at ease. Hmm. No, that might not be true, now that I ponder it more. We're told she's the opposite of Bella, but due to the situation, I don't know that Bella would do anything different. Melanie certainly has mettle - but in some aspects Bella does too. At least when it comes down to the one she loves. And that's ultimately what The Host is all about. Love.

You know. Like Deathly Hollows was.