The Host: A Novel by Stephenie Meyer
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Book Reviews of The Host: A Novel
Book Review: Amazing and Unforgettable
Summary: 5 Stars
Earth has been invaded by parasitic souls. The souls think they are helping the humans by purging the Earth of violence; the resisting humans see it differently. Humans have become hosts for these parasites and been forced to relinquish control of their bodies and minds to the souls. The resisting humans see this as bad as murder, if not worse.
Wanderer is a soul who has chosen Earth as the setting for her ninth life. She is given the body of Melanie Stryder, a recently captured resister. Wanderer has been informed about the increased difficulties of a mature adult host, but she never expects for Melanie's mind to still be there. Melanie, always a fighter, refuses to give up. Instead, she tries to protect the humans she loves from Wanderer, lest a Seeker find them and make them into hosts for more parasites. But Melanie slips up and Wanderer gains knowledge of the existence of Jared, the man Melanie loves. Strangely though, Wanderer finds herself unable to completely separate her body's desires from her own, and she begins to fall in love with this human she's never met. Soon, an annoyingly persistent Seeker unites Melanie and Wanderer, and they set off to find the man they both love.
I will admit that after reading the slightly disappointing Breaking Dawn, I was afraid that Stephenie Meyer's writing had gone downhill, but after reading The Host, my faith was restored. Firstly, the idea behind this story, a science-fiction romance, was so unique that it immediately captured my interest. On top of that, the characters, especially Wanderer and Melanie, were so well developed that they actions were always easy to understand. Plus, the sense of desperation added in some action. I loved how everything fit together perfectly in the end, even thought that doesn't leave room for a sequel. The ending of the story, probably the last fifty pages or so, was my favorite part of this book, because that was when everything really came together; every character realized their importance and other conflicts were unexpectedly resolved. I don't think I could've asked for a better story than this; it was all I was hoping for from the incredible author of Twilight and more.
I loved this story and recommend it to all readers, whether they be fans of Stephenie Meyer/science-fiction/romances or not. Length shouldn't be an issue either; those 600 pages really flew by. I suggest everyone find a copy of The Host so they can read this amazing story for themselves.
Book Review: Amazingly complex and interesting story
Summary: 5 Stars
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Summary: The Host begins with the insertion of an alien into a human's body. Some of the aliens were afraid of using this particular body because Melanie Stryder was part of the resistance that formed after the initial alien invasion. However, it was deemed necessary so they could have access to her memories but they got a lot more than they bargained for. Against the norm Melanie did not fade into obscurity with her memories as the only evidence that she lived. Melanie fought to keep control of her body against the alien Wanderer that now occupied her body. It was only because of their mutual hatred toward their Seeker that they bound together and eventually found a settlement of humans that had escaped the invasion. At first it was hard for the humans to trust that Melanie was still there with Wanderer, nicknamed Wanda by the humans. One by one they started to believe and they saw how she could be helpful. In the human colony they reunite with Jared, Melanie's companion before the alien encounter. They also meet Ian who becomes their unofficial bodyguard while the other humans get used to the idea of a non-hostile alien. Complications arose because of Jared's love for Melanie and Ian's love for Wanda. They could not all have what they wanted. Wanda and Melanie must solve the problem while doing what's best for everyone, the only question is what will happen to Wanda?
Personal Notes: I don't know if it's fair to compare this book to Twilight because they are not even the same genre. However, I think our enjoyment of Twilight is why most of us picked up, or will pick up this book. The Host was an amazing book. It did grab me from the start but not as strongly as Twilight because I actually slept that first night instead of reading it all night long, but I bought it only yesterday and here I am finished so it did grab me. This book was also intended for adults so it has a different feel to it but by no means inferior.
It was an amazingly complex and interesting story. I think it was a stroke of genius to combine the alien and the human in one body so we can get the perspective of both from the same experiences. It was fascinating to see how they could view the same thing so differently. I also enjoyed their internal interactions, the struggles between what is right and wrong and the love they have for different men. Overall it was a captivating story and it surpassed even my high expectations.
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Book Review: The Host - CAPTIVATING!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I love love loooove all four of Stephenie Myer's novels....she has an extraordinary style of writing and I bought (4) of these books so my friend, co-worker & mother could read it and I got everyone to read the Host.....great book! I thought I couldn't get my mind off of Twilight but now these are my favorite, the Twilight Saga and I'm crossing my fingers that Stephenie will indeed continue on with the Host and make this a series as well.
It starts off a little slow.....it's a bit confusing at the beginning but promise you....you will not be disappointed. You can't help but fall in love with the characters and you feel as if you are the characters and you can't help but cry, laugh, be terrified, angry, sad, anxious......all these emotions. The book is not what I expected, you make all these assumptions and you bite your finger nails hoping things will turn the way you want it too and you'll just not be able to put the book down. I stayed up many nights reading this book, sacrificing sleep and sipping on coffee on early work mornings and rushing home so I could continue reading and was done in a couple of days because I could not close the book.
If you are not into science-fiction, this book will even capture the non-science-fiction readers.....it's captivating. And if you love Twilight, you'll love the Host.....Stephenie has a way of making you fall in love with the characters.....you feel as if you were "Bella" in Twilight and you fell as if you are "Wanda" in the Host.
I didn't want to give too much away because I just love all the emotions I had while reading this book and all the surprises. My friend is reading her book right now and she is loving it and she keeps bugging me to tell her what happens next but I don't want to spoil it for her. But I hope this review was helpful and somewhat persuasive. I really recommend you all to read the book, it's a good size novel, pretty thick......but I just get so eager & excited that I can finish a thick book in a couple of days. Both the Twilight series & The Host were so good that I could not get my mind off of them and I literally had to take a break for a week in order for me to get my mind back in order to start on any other novel after that. I'm so excited and fervent to see what the author has next.
(Host should be made into a movie as well)
Great book........5 stars! Read it, guarantee you'll love it. I did!
Book Review: If this review makes anyone read this great book, then I've done my job!
Summary: 5 Stars
I never really like doing reviews but after finishing this book I had to let others know how wonderful it is, to spread the joy, as the saying goes. Have you ever felt that happy and satisfied feeling when you get to the last page of a book, yet leaves you thirsting for more, for it to never end? I felt that feeling after reading the Twilight Series and this book doesn't disappoint either, so much that I can't stop smiling.
I must admit that I was a bit hesitant before reading this book because 1.) Twilight was so good I wasn't sure that Stephanie Meyer could top that and I didn't want to be disappointed and 2.) After reading the synopsis I felt like this wasn't my type of book, I mean aliens taking over Earth? I'm not a sci-fi type of reader (despite Twilight and Harry Potter) and felt that this storyline was a little too far out there for me to enjoy. But I told myself to have a little more faith and asked myself what was the worse that can happen. I am wholeheartedly glad that I went through with it; once I started I couldn't put the book down, except to sleep last night.
Why did I love this book you ask? Well I couldn't help falling in love with Wanderer, Melanie, Jamie, Ian, Jared and the list goes on. I found myself immersed in Wanderer's and Melanie's journey and internal struggle. Stephanie definitely knows how to write so as you feel like you are there, like you are the characters, feeling what they are feeling, the love, the hate, the hope, the despair. Other reviews have said that this book is slow and contains too much detail so that it drags in places, but I respectfully disagree. I believe that the descriptions are beautiful and vivid and necessary to enjoy and understand the story thoroughly. I admit that it's not an action packed book, but it is an amazing story, and those who have more patience and appreciation for something deeper will most likely agree. This book is a perfect mix of suspense, drama, and romance; I forgot that I was reading a sci-fi book. I don't know what else to say because I don't want to give anything away (Personally I don't like when reviews do that: giving more of the plot away like a spoiler; I believe that the synopsis on a book is just enough info for someone to know before reading). Anyways, just read this book and I am 99% sure that you will love it just as much as I did. I hope that Stephanie Meyers continues this story because it was just that good.
Book Review: One of the most original reads I've come across
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this book after reading the first two books of Meyer's Twilight Series, and after reading on the author's site that The Host was "science fiction for those who don't like science fiction."It may well have been the best decision I made all summer.
To begin with, the premise of the novel is itself more original than Twilight and its sequels, or even much of what is on the shelves today. We've all seen movies and read stories about invasions, of extra-terrestrials and the like--they are always bad and always a threat to our way of life. But Meyer offers us the chance to see what such an event would be like from the perspective of the "invader," who might not be so bad after all.
The dual perspectives, emotions, and thoughts of both The Wanderer and her host, Melanie Stryder, present readers with a complex, but remarkably real conflict that focuses not on science fiction and fantasy, but rather on the existence of our souls, our consciences, and our humanity.
Survival is a major theme here, not only in terms of the physical body, but of our too-often taken-for-granted ways of life. Melanie and the Wanderer are thrust into a world which neither is accustomed too, and yet they must both learn to live, love, and exist together in order to make it through each day. The Host is also a story of acceptance and unconditional love, both of which must exist in order for humanity to go on.
I found I could not put this 600+ page novel down, not even for a second. The content does focus primarily on emotions and thoughts of the characters, but it is also interesting to see how Meyers chooses to juxtapose the bare-minumum world of her strong-willed survivors with the technologically-advanced world they managed to escape from.
I highly recommend The Host to everyone, as it is an interesting statment on the human condition, allowing us as readers to ponder "what would we do?" if we were in a similar situation. I laughed, I cried, I prayed for a 'happy' ending. Meyer has the wonderful ability of presenting the gray matter of an issue in what, at first glance, would seem to be solely black and white. Despite all of the characters' flaws--or maybe because of them--you hope for the best case scenarios for each of them.
I must say, this book is better than all of Meyer's other novels, put together. Five stars for this one, hands down.