Books

If you haven't heard of Stephenie Meyer, most likely you don't have a teenage girl living in your house.

Even so, Meyer's popularity seems to be growing exponentially. Having spent a few weeks at No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list (now down to No. 2), her new novel for adults, The Host, is a sensation thanks to the immense fan base for her young-adult books.

Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse are the first three books of a series that will see its conclusion, Breaking Dawn, published in August. The movie version of Twilight will hit theaters in December. And fans are hopping up and down in anticipation with just as much feverish excitement as did Harry Potter followers.

I first heard about Meyer a year or two ago in my university's alumni magazine. She graduated from Brigham Young University a few years after I did. When I read that this fellow alumna had written a teen novel about a vampire in love with a human girl whose blood he craves, I shook my head and thought, "Ohh-kaaay. I don't think that's something I'll be reading."

Ha. How wrong I was. Months later, a friend with whom I regularly trade books handed me the thick black-jacketed novel, saying, "I'm curious to see what you think about this one." With book in hand and possibly a recommendation from a trusted reader, I had to give it a try.

And then when I started, I couldn't stop. I had fallen into an addiction shared by millions of other readers, teens and adults alike. (It's probably not a coincidence that this same friend introduced me to Harry Potter, back when there were only three books out.)

Twilight is a riveting tale of a seemingly ordinary teen girl, Bella Swan, who moves to rainy Washington state and falls in love with a dreamily handsome vampire, Edward Cullen, whose first attraction to Bella is the intoxicating aroma of her blood. It has such a draw to him, above anyone else's blood, that the struggle not to bite her is intense — and he absolutely must not bite her.

See, Edward and his adopted parents and siblings are an unusual group. Somewhat jestingly calling themselves "vegetarians," they have chosen not to drink human blood, but to feed themselves by hunting wild animals instead (and they're environmentally conscious enough to hunt in overpopulated game areas).

They live among humans and try to blend in and live normal lives, as much as they can for being the nonhumans they are.

Thus is the tension of Twilight. Bella loves Edward, Edward loves her. But she is constantly in danger not just of Edward's baser instincts, which he is constantly working to subdue, but also the instincts of vampires passing through their small-town area who have no ethical problems about killing humans.

The "forbidden love" theme is certainly an old one, but Meyer gives it a great new twist. And she makes it so compelling, so "sexually tense," while still leaving it "clean." It's all about the wanting, but keeping instincts reined in. It's about making the right choices when faced with what could be seen as irresistible impulses and impossible situations.

Teen girls understand; moms understand. This explains how literally hundreds of fan Web sites are devoted to Meyer's books, including ones aimed at adult women and moms.

Meyer's newest book, The Host, is technically for adults. The only real difference is that most of the characters in Twilight are in their late teens; The Host's main characters are a few years older. Of course, the story is pretty different — in The Host, aliens have invaded Earth and implanted themselves in human hosts, taking over their minds and lives.

However, the themes are very similar. The Host is about making choices, about doing "the right thing." It's a love story too. This time, the human host, Melanie, won't give up control of her mind, so the new inhabitant, who comes to be known as Wanda, must share brain space — and romantic feelings about a man named Jared — with Melanie.

Over time, the two form an uneasy alliance, and then a friendship. And Wanda must face the notion that her generally "evolved," pacifist race might not be better for Earth than its human inhabitants, flawed and violent though we humans may often be.

Meyer is one hot commodity. Just a few years ago, she was a "typical" stay-at-home mom of three young boys who had an English degree and an idea. Typing away at a computer like a madwoman even while holding a baby in her lap or late at night while those boys slept, Meyer quickly grew that idea into a set of novels that have become a phenomenon.

The books are irresistible. Be warned: once you start, you must have a calendar free of distractions for a few days. And then you'll want to read the whole series, and read it again, and then start following the progress of the movie ...

And then you'll be spreading the word about Stephenie Meyer with just as much zeal as her other devoted fans. Yes, most definitely clear some time on your calendar.