The Host: A Novel
 | Average Customer Rating: Recommend The author of the Twilight series of # 1 bestsellers delivers her brilliant first novel for adults: a gripping story of love and betrayal in a future with the fate of humanity at stake. Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed.Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given… Product details and pricing info |
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627 Customer Reviews Posted
- Pretty good
- i bought this book after hearing how great it is and how big of a hit it has been. I was a little misled in the storyline but regardless was not let down. I wouldn't say it is the best book i have read but that might just be because it is more of a chick flix kind of book. Overall it is a good story and i would recommend reading it.
- 2008-10-09, 0 of 0 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Can't wait for the next one!
- This story grabs you from the first and won't let go. I could not stop reading it. I have read the "Twlight" series. Can't wait for the next adventure in the "Host" series.
- 2008-10-09, 0 of 0 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Fascinating Novel, Beautifully Written
- I thoroughly enjoyed this unique alien love story. It does take a little bit of effort to get through the first part of the book, but it quickly becomes and amazing story. I hope there's a sequel!
- 2008-10-09, 0 of 0 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Not what I expected
- Stephanie Meyer has a way of writting that allows you to feel all the senses that the character is feeling. Like you are a soul inside the host which is a book. I was emersed from the moment I started reading and sad when I turned that last page that the story was over and I was returned to my current body. I look forward to other stories written by Mrs. Meyer and the places she will take me.
- 2008-10-08, 0 of 0 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- One of the most original reads I've come across
- 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. - 2008-10-07, 0 of 0 people found this review helpful, Rated:
