It's no secret, I love the Twilight Saga. Twi-hard, Twilighters, Twi-mom, ... whatever; I'm all in on the books and ESPECIALLY the movies. So when Stephenie Meyer came out with a book, not part of the Twilight saga, called The Host, I was skeptical. Why is she wasting her time writing different stories. Give me more Cullens, more Wolfpack, more Volturi. Midnight sun, anyone?
I didn't read the book.
When I saw they were making a movie out of the book, I wasn't surprised. The billion-dollar Twilight franchise was ending. Why should the gravy train end?
I didn't go see the movie.
No one else did, either. The movie didn't do well at US box offices, although international sales helped it exceed its budget, which is more than a lot of movies can claim. Still, to say its box office performance was a disappointment is an understatement.
A couple of weeks ago I was sidelined with the flu. I don't get sick often, but when I do, it's bad. Bad enough that my family leaves me alone, which means they only burst into the room once every couple of hours. I was in bed, unable to sleep, but bored with the over 300 cable channels at my disposal. (I know, first world problems ;-) ) On a whim, I rented The Host.
I loved it.
It's the story of an Earth that's been invaded by an alien race, literally. These alien creatures invade human bodies and take them over, a la Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The essence/soul of the human usually cede to the alien, but some souls are strong. Stubborn. They refuse to go away. That's what happened to Melanie Stryder and as the two essences share the same body, it's the journey of the human side's fight to reclaim her body and get back to the people she loves.
If you love sci-fi, you'll love that part of the story and the look the director envisioned. The alien side of the world has a clean, modern, sleek feel completely at odds with the earthy, neutral tones of the human side of the world.
I'm conflicted about the love story. It's another triangle, and it was clear, to me, that one couple was the "meant to be" couple, but I thought the heroine had way more chemistry with the other guy. Of course, I've been reading a lot of menage romance lately, so I was hoping the movie would take an interesting twist in the end, but, alas...
Still, I really enjoyed this movie and am bummed that there won't be a sequel, although the movie ended in a way where that may have been possible. I'm even going to get the book, because I love comparing and contrasting the two mediums.
If you're in the mood for a good sci-fi movie, with a bit of teenage angst, give it a try.
Tracey Livesay's debut novel, The Billionaire's Socialite Bride, will be published by Entangled Publishing in January 2014. She blogs here on the third Monday of every month. If you like the flavor she's bringing, you can check out her blog, Mimosas at Midnight or Like her Facebook page.
True Love... in black & white.
