The Host: A Novel by Stephenie Meyer Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Host: A Novel
Book Review: A Fascinating Sci-Fi With Unusual Understanding
Summary: 5 Stars
I wasn't expecting that "The Host" would be as interesting as the Twilight series. It is a wonderful Sci-Fi novel that really explores the virtues of a noble character. It is a wonderful fascinating journey with many twists and unexpected turns.Book Review: A Fascinating Story!
Summary: 5 Stars
In the future Earth has been taken over by a unique alien species. The infiltration was slow and undetected until it was too late. Now these aliens, known as Souls, live inside human bodies, which act as hosts for the invading parasites. Usually when a Soul is placed in a new host it is able to take full control of the body, pushing aside any remnant of the human consciousness that once lived inside.
After a Soul named Wanderer is inserted into her new host she soon realizes something isn't right. It seems the human who once inhabited this body refuses to give in and die. Melanie Stryder wants no part of Wanderer and is doing everything she can to fight back. Even though Wanderer controls the body, nothing she does is able to quench Melanie's spirit. She is always there, in her head, so to speak.
As time goes by Melanie's memories become Wanderer's and soon she finds herself longing for the people that meant so much to her host. Melanie left behind her brother and the man she loves, and now Wanderer has developed those same feelings. Soon Wanderer and Melanie begin working together to track down Melanie's loved ones, all the while being careful that they don't lead the other Souls to the humans who are in hiding. When they finally do find them, they must figure out a way to live peacefully with a group of humans who have grown to hate Souls. Emotions flare and relationships are tested in agonizing ways as two lives must share one body and as enemies must learn to co-exist and survive.
Stephenie Meyer has taken the publishing world by storm with her groundbreaking young adult Twilight series. The Host is her first stand alone adult novel and millions of readers are anxiously waiting to see how it stacks up. Having never read any of the Twilight books, I didn't know what to expect from a Stephenie Meyer novel. What I found was a fascinating story that is really unlike anything I have ever read.
While this story certainly has sci-fi elements, it is not what most would consider hard-core sci-fi. Meyer focuses more on the relationships of the characters and the intriguing dilemma of two lives sharing one body. Much of the book deals with Melanie and Wanda's complicated love triangle with Melanie's old flame and Wanda's new love interest. There is action and suspense laced throughout, and Wanda's relationship with the surviving humans is tension filled to the max. The novel's real strength lies in the character of Wanda as she is constantly pulled between her duty as a Soul and the compassion she develops from her connection with Melanie and the other humans. Indeed, Wanda is the most human character of them all.
Meyer's writing is top-notch throughout and never lags despite the massive page count. Readers who expect a fast paced storyline wrapped up in a mere 100,000 words may be disappointed. However, those who enjoy a steady paced tale that slowly builds into a powerful and emotional ending will love The Host. In the end we are left with just the right amount of closure, but also with a little taste of what is to come. I can only hope Stephenie Meyer will continue this incredible saga she has begun.
Book Review: A Fascinating story that makes for a great read!
Summary: 4 Stars
I just enjoyed reading Stephenie Meyer's Twilight books and so did my two young boys. When I first started to read The Host I couldn't help but wonder if it would be as enjoyable as the Twilight series. Well I didn't need to wonder for long, because after the first 20 pages I was hooked on the story. It was a fascinating story in which she developed the characters so that I adored them. She kept the dialogue and descriptive matter down to a level that made it an easy read for both me and my children. This unique story moved along at a steady pace and I never got lost or had to flip back two or three pages (as I do sometimes with other authors) to get an understanding of just who the character was or why something was happening at this point in the story. In my opinion Stephenie Meyer is very talented writer and I look forward to her next release. Highly recommend The Host.
Book Review: A Good Read
Summary: 5 Stars
Like alot of other people I only bought the book because Stephenie Meyer wrote it and being an over 30 fan of the Twilight Series I had to read it. I will admit that it started s-l-o-w. OMG it took me 3 days to read it (I read the last Harry Potter in a day and a half). For me the Host didn't really get interesting until Wanderer/Melaine came across the others. That was when it started to get good. I gave it 5 stars because it was a good novel. I'm not likely to re-read it in the near future, like I do the Twilight books.Book Review: A Good Read
Summary: 4 Stars
I really enjoyed this book. It was hard to put down and I didn't have any problems getting into the story. The Host is more of a psychological story than anything else. I'm not one for a fast paced action story anyway. I love a good book that makes me think.
The Host isn't exactly SciFi, it's a different way of looking at humanity, relationships and love.
I fell in love with both Wanda and Melanie but I knew everything would be a-okay in the end. Meyer can't write a book without a feel good ending. Which, is something I don't mind. Who wants to be depressed when they finish reading a lengthy book?