The Host

Title: The Host

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Pages: 20 discs

Genre: Science Fiction

Grade: B-

Synopsis: The earth has been taken over by alien lifeforms, called souls, in the shape of small silver worms. The worms have been inserted into the back of the humans necks where they take over the brains and bodies of the humans. To an outsider, everything appears to be life as usual on earth, but to the few remaining humans hiding and running for their life this is not the case. This story is about one soul/human conbination in particular Wanderer and Melanie and their life sharing Melanie's brain and body.

My Review: My personal title for this book is The Book that Never Ends. I could see how it was going to end halfway through the book and then had to get through the particulars before it finally ended. When I first started the book I was surprised by how strange the story was, but I began to enjoy it before too long. The book is a little annoying, very strange (but then again, so is Twilight - especially book 4), and far too long. There were parts that I really liked, but far too much of the book just drags on.

breaking dawn

Title: breaking dawn

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Pages: 756

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Grade: B+

Synopsis: Bella Swan is still in love with both Jacob and Edward. How can she marry the vampire without hurting the "best man" in the process?

My Review: I just have to laugh when I'm reading these books. The plot line can get so ridiculous that it's almost comical. This book has so many twists and turns it will have you wondering which way is up. Although long, it's an easy read that will keep you interested. By the end, Meyer has done a surprisingly good job at tying up all the loose ends and somehow partially satisfying everybody.

From the Book: "(p. 188) Did you know that 'I told you so' has a brother Jacob?" she asked, cutting me off. "His name is 'Shut the hell up.' "

"(p. p. 259) Nudity was an inconvenient but unavoidable part of pack life. We'd all thought nothing of it before Leah came along. Then it got awkward. Leah had average control when it came to temper--it took her the usual length of time to stop exploding out of her clothes every time she got pissed. We'd all caught a glimpse. And it wasn't like she wasn't worth looking at; it was just that it was so not worth it when she caught you thinking about it later."

eclipse

Title: eclipse

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Pages: 629

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Grade: B+

Synopsis: Bella Swan is preparing for graduation and immortality with her lover, vampire Edward Cullen. This book follows her last few months as a mortal and her preparations for becoming a vampire herself. The Cullen's are forced to fight for Bella's life, protecting her from other vampires. To Edward's dismay, she still spends as much time as she can on the Indian reservation with her good friend Jacob and realizes that she is madly in love with him as well.

My Review: While I feel that these books border on ridiculousness, I quite enjoyed this one. It spends a little more time delving into the stories behind the vampires and werewolves - which I find quite interesting. As for Bella's love struggles - like I said, I think she's being ridiculous. Although this book only covers a time period of a couple of months, I felt that it moved along well and didn't drag too much. Aside from being a little on the long side, it was a good read.

From the Book: "(p. 206) I was slowly realizing that vampires were much bigger participants in this world than I'd once thought. How many times did the average human cross paths with them, completely unaware? How many deaths, obliviously reported as crimes and accidents, were really due to their thirst? How crowded would this new world be when I joined it?"

"(p. 527) He was too strong to recognize that my hands, trying to yank his hair out by the roots , meant to cause him pain. Instead of anger, he imagined passion. He thought I was finally responding to him."

new moon

Title: New Moon

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Pages: 563

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Grade: B

Synopsis: Bella Swan has recovered from her close call with a vampire and things are going well for her in Forks. She is going with Edward to a birthday party thrown for her by the Cullens that is cut short when she trips and falls, getting cut on a piece of glass. Chaos ensues, Edward leaves and Bella begins to fall in love with her childhood friend Jake from the Indian reservation.

My Review: This was an interesting book for me. I liked most of the beginning and middle of the book more than twilight (I think I do anyway. I can't really remember that well that far back). The book after the middle was really anticlimactic though. I left the book on my shelf for 5 days when I only had 3 chapters left to read. If this had been a true thriller there's no way that I would have been able to go that long without finishing it. For the record, I like Jake. I like him at least as much as Edward and possibly more. Bella and Jake's relationship is so much more natural while her relationship with Edward just seems awkward. A classic love triangle has formed for eclipse which should keep it interesting.

From the Book: "(p. 74) Not tonight. Tonight the sky was utterly black. Perhaps there was no moon tonight--a lunar eclipse, a new moon.
"A new moon. I shivered, though I wasn't cold."

"(p. 200) 'Bears don't want to eat people. We don't taste that good.' He grinned at me in the dark cab. 'Of course, you might be an exception. I bet you'd taste good.'
'Thanks so much,' I said, looking away. He wasn't the first person to tell me that."

twilight

Title: twilight

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Pages: 498

Genre: Fantasy

Grade: B+

Synopsis: 17-year old Bella decides to move from sunny Phoenix, Arizona where she lived with her mom to always-rainy, always-overcast Forks, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula to live with her dad. Bella makes friends quite easily at the small high school in town. She quickly notices one family (the Cullens) in town that doesn't seem to fit in with the others. As she falls in love with Edward Cullen she begins to learn more and more about them.

Why I Chose this Book: My mom really liked it, lots of people here on the web like it and Alison read it just before I did.

My Review: This was an enjoyable, easy read. While I certainly didn't love it like so many other people have, it was a relaxing read. I thought that that Meyer was a little wordy at times and could have said what needed to be said in less words than she used. There was something almost amateurish about her writing style that was reminiscent of Eragon. Although this book is a love story it was certainly unique and hard to put down.

From the Book: "(p. 139, Bella's thoughts) And I knew in that I had my answer. I didn't know if there ever was a choice, really. I was already in too deep. Now that I know - if I knew - I could do nothing about my frightening secret. Because when I thought of him, of his voice, his hypnotic eyes, the magnetic force of his personality, I wanted nothing more than to be with him right now. Even if...but I couldn't think it. Not here, alone in the darkening forest. Not while the rain made it dim as twilight under the canopy and pattered like footsteps across the matted earthen floor. I shivered and rose quickly from my place of concealment, worried that somehow the path would have disappeared with the rain."

I only share the following quote because it's on the back of the book:
"(p. 195) About three things i was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was part of him - and I didn't know how potent that part might be - that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him."