The Host

The Host

This Picture shows the theme sacrifice because soldiers sacrifice their safety and lives to protect our country

 

  The Host, by Stephanie Meyer is a great book about an alien, named Wanderer, who defies her entire species' culture. After living on many planets, Wanda decides to try out planet Earth, and gets put into one of the last humans, Melanie Stryder. Driven by the love of her brother and boyfriend, Melanie is determined not to disappear, and to stay alive in her mind, but usually a host is lost when an alien soul takes over the body. Haunted by the memories of Melanie's loves, Wanda starts to love them herself. When Wanda, and Melanie, who is still alive in, make their way to Mel's uncle's rebel camp, they find Jared and Jamie, Mel's brother and love.. Automatically, no one trusts her, how could they? She's one of them, except for one person, Melanie's uncle, Jeb.Slowly,more people begin to trust Wanda, and one in particular, Ian, begins having feelings for her. With Melanie's love for Jared, Wand is unsure of her feelings toward Ian, since her host's body is in love with Jared. Meanwhile, a seeker, like a police for the aliens, is out looking for Wanda, but the rebels capture her, and Wanda reveals how to remove the soul without harming the human body. Wanda decides she has to give Mel her life back, and her love, Jared, but that means she must leave the one planet she loves. After removing Wanda, the soul. from Melanie's body, instead of sending her to another planet, the rebels find her a new body to inhabit, one where the human is already dead, so she's not taking another humans body from them. The operation works perfectly and Melanie and Jared have each other back, and Wanda gets to have feelings for Ian, without the confusion of Mel's love for Jared. That's what The Host, by Stephanie Meyer is about. 

The main character in this book is Wanda, the alien soul that takes over Melanie Stryder's body. Wanda has lived on 8 different planets before coming to Earth, and hasn't felt attached to any of them, hasn't felt at home. When she comes to planet Earth, she is overwhelmed by all the emotions and senses, it's not like any other planet she's lived on. Wanda feels everything so strongly, she is not used to hormones, and when she feels something, she feels it hard, "It's like pain, this pleasure." (Meyer) Wanda is very strong, and gracious, she would do anything to help someone she loved, or even didn't love, if it meant helping someone. Wanda was a great main character, and I enjoyed reading about her journey on Earth, her 9th planet.

One theme I found in the book, The Host, was sacrifice. There are many forms of sacrifice in this book, some are good, others aren't. Wanda would sacrifice her life on the only planet that she loves, and Ian, the only person she would stay on a planet for, to give Melanie her life back. One of the sacrifices that you could consider bad in this book, is the fact that Jared would let Wanda leave, to get Mel back, he would sacrifice Wanda for Mel, without thinking twice. On the other hand, Ian would sacrifice Mel so he could have Wanda, he would leave Mel in trapped in Wanda's brain, so he wouldn't lose Wanda. Another character willing to make a big sacrifice is Melanie. Mel is willing to stay trapped in her head, while Wanda controls her body, just so Wanda can stay on Earth. Many characters in the book, The Host would make a sacrifice to save somebody, but Wanda and Melanie are really the only ones willing to sacrifice themselves to save someone, and they would do it for each other. That's why I thought that one of the main themes in the book, The Host, was sacrifice. 

I loved The Host! This book has a great plot and has many twists and turns that you weren't expecting. The book started off good and ended good, there was no in-between. I think that any one would like this book, boys or girls, it has different aspects to it, appealing to everyone. While this book is a little long, I think the great story, and writing would keep even someone who doesn't particularly like to read interested. I loved this book and can't wait for the rest of the series to come out. Overall, this book keeps you at the edge of your seat every word, and more people should read this amazing book.

Stephanie Meyer has written many other books, other than The Host. One of the most popular series, that everyone hears about, that has thousands of teenage girls obsessed is, of course, the Twilight Series. I have not read this series, but have heard much about it. Twilight is the first book in the series, followed by, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, and Midnight Sun, which is not yet released. While reading The Host, I thought Stephanie Meyer was an amazing writer, and thought she captured Wanda's feeling of being an outsider, in the world of humans very well. Stephanie Meyer is a spectacular writer, and I hope she writes more books like The Host in her future career.

I got this photo from: http://www.howstuffworks.com/economics/volunteer/opportunities/become-volunteer-military-officer.htm

Catching Fire

Catching Fire

 

Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins, is the second book in the Hunger Games series. IN the previous book, Katniss Everdeen took her sister's place in the Hunger Games, a fight to the death performed by 24 children from the ages of 12 to 18. She and Peeta, the boy from her district in the games, survive. Now it's the 75th Hunger Games, and it's time for a Quarter Quell, the Hunger Games, with a twist. This Quarter Quell's twist is that the participants will all be previous victors. Katniss, the only girl victor from her district is automatically chosen, and Peeta joins her, again. While in the arena, Katniss and Peeta ally with Finnick Odair, a career from district 4, and Mags, an elderly lady. As the games are coming to an end, where allies begin to turn against each other, the unthinkable happens. The tributes break out of the arena, with the help of the head game maker, Plutarch Heavensbee. They go back to district 12, where they discover that it was destroyed by the capital. Then they go to the newly discovered district 13, where Katniss becomes the face of the uprising, the Mockingjay.

 

Katniss Everdeen is the main character in Catching Fire. Katniss has many personality traits, and throughout the book you see her act like many different people. Sometimes shes the strong girl who pushes her emotions down, and others, she's the emotional girl who needs someone to depend on. One thing you can say about Katniss is she's passionate, and she never gives up. Katniss always fights for what she believes in, no matter what the cost is. Katniss is a very strong person, but one bad thing about her is that she never thinks through situations. You find her reacting to problems before thinking about what she's doing. I love Katniss everdeen, and think she's a courageous, passionate, and inspirational character.

 

There are many sub-themes in this book, but one of the main ones that you see throughout the entire book is courage. Every single character in this book has courage, especially the tributes. Both Katniss and Peeta are ready to die for each other, at any second. Mags, the elderly woman Katniss allied with, gave up her own life to save Finnick, Katniss, and Peeta. "I can't let President Snow condemn me to this. Even if it means taking my own life. Before that, though, I'd try to run away. What would they do if I simply vanished? Disappeared into the woods and never came out? Could i even manage to take everyone I love with me, start a new life deep in the wild? Highly unlikely but not impossible." (Collins) I think this quote definitely shows courage. Katniss would rather do anything, but give up, even if it means dying. She would rather risk the lives of her loved ones than let President Snow win that easily, and I think that shows an incredible amount of bravery and courage. That is why I think courage is one of the main themes in the book, Catching Fire.

Suzanne Collins has written many books. There's the rest of the Hunger Games series, including, the first one, The Hunger Games, and the third one, Mockingjay. I think Suzanne Collins is an amazing writer and really enjoyed reading this series. Another series that Suzanne has written is the Gregor and the Overlander series. I read, and loved, this series. I think the thing that makes Suzanne's book truly unique is the fact that she is very creative and writes about things no one would would even imagine. Suzanne Collins is an amazing writer and I hope she writes more incredible, creative books.

Catching Fire is an amazing book. It has a great plot, and a lot of action. I would recommend this book to everyone. Most books are a lot of just one thing, wither a lot of romance, or action, but this book has a little bit of everything. I think both girls, and boys would love this book, which I find is a rare thing. Overall, I thought this book put you at the edge of your seat up until the last sentence. Everyone should read this book!

Picture from: http://animefrenzy17.deviantart.com/art/The-Hunger-Games-Mockingjay-258962978


Pretties

Pretties

Pretties, by Scott Westerfield, is the second book in the Uglies series. The book starts off with Tally Youngblood, the heroine, in New Pretty Town, as a pretty. In her previous adventure. Tally found herself in the wild, and in love with an ugly, but she turned herself in, in order to test a cure for pretty heads, and to save Shay, who get's turned into a bubble-headed pretty in the midst of Tally's betrayal. Tally get's conflicted when a Smokey brings the cure to her, but she splits it with Zane, a new companion. She finds herself slowly being cured, and falling in love fast. Zane and Tally plot an escape, and when they finally do it, Tally gets held up, and ends up in a scientific reservation. After escaping, Tally makes her way to the Rusty Ruins, where David, the ugly she fell in love with before she had the pretty operation, is waiting for her. When she gets to The New Smoke, Zane is very sick, turns out, the cure wasn't meant to be split, one pill contains nanos that eat the lesions from pretty minds, and the other stops the nanos. Zane got the nano pill and after eating the lesions, they continued to eat away at his brain. The Smokies discover a tracker in Zane's tooth, attached to the root, and flee, but Tally stays behind with him, and they both get caught. That's what Pretties, by Scott Westerfield, is about.

Tally Youngblood is a lot things. She is brave, strong willed, and a little crazy. One thing about Tally, is she can't be alone, as an ugly she had Peris. Then when he turned Pretty, she got Shay, then David. Now, as a pretty she has Zane . Another thing, no matter what, Tally always manages to make things complicated, whether she means to or not. I really like Tally, although she doesn't believe it, she's very strong, and can survive on her own. Tally is also caring, at the end of the book, Tally didn't leave Zane behind, even if it meant going back to New Pretty Town. As David left, Tally said, "No. It's because I love him." I think this definitely shows Tally cares about Zane, no matter what it means for her. Tally is the perfect main character for this series, and I really enjoyed reading about her.

One theme I found in the book, Pretties, is looks don't matter. The pretties are very gorgeous, with no outward flaws, but have many imperfections on the inside. They can't even think for themselves, because of the lesions. Another example of this, is Shay, she is beautiful, but that doesn't matter, because deep inside she is still furious at Tally because of Ugly days. Also, Tally's city seems perfect, full of high technology, that gives them everything they want, and it seems strong and stable, but they're not. An example out of the book is when Tally is escaping the reservation, she steals a doctor's hovercar, and as she trapping the doctor he says, "But you're pretty." (Westerfield) Tally answers him by saying "I'm very ugly in the mind." (Westerfield) The doctor is surprised because she's a pretty, she shouldn't do anything bad, because she can't think that far. That's why I think, looks don't matter, is a theme in the book, Pretties.

Scott Westerfield has written many other books other than Pretties. There's the other books in the Uglies series, all of which I have read, and thoroughly enjoyed. He has also written the Midnighters Series, Leviathan, is yet another series of books written by Scott Westerfield, I have not read these, but they look very interesting. Those are some other books that were written by Scott Westerfield

Pretties, by Scott Westerfield, was an amazing book. I've read it 2 times, and loved it both times. This book is a little long, but flies by, and leaves you wanting more. Overall, I though this was one of the best books I've read. I would recommend this books to any girl who likes to read about a strong girl living in a messed up world. Although, I don't think many boys would find enjoyment in this book. That is what I thought about the book, Pretties.

Picture from: http://wallpaperstock.net/beautiful-girl_wallpapers_26602_1280x800_1.html