The Host

This book is quite simply nothing like the Twilight Saga.

Aliens have invaded Earth, not only claiming our homes but also our bodies as their homes. The aliens are parasites that take hold of someone's body, the only sign being a ring of light around their iris. Melanie is one such person caught and infected, becoming known as a host. Along with the alien inside of her, known as Wanderer, Melanie must journey to the human rebels and her little brother and protect from those that hunt them.

It is rare for a host to survive being occupied but Melanie is one of the strong souls who does. She and Wanderer talk inside their head, even sharing memories from their lives. They do not trust each other at first but as they soon become close friends even referring to one another as 'sister'. Melanie's memories and feelings for her brother and her boyfriend lead Wanderer to have feelings for the both of them as well.

The love triangle between Melanie, Wanderer, Jared (Melanie's boyfriend) and Ian (the man Wanderer develops feelings for) is very complex and unique. This is extremely complicated as Melanie's body longs for Jared while Wanderer cares for Ian. When Wanderer kisses Ian, Melanie reacts by screaming and even gaining control for a moment. When Wanderer/Melanie kisses either man both entities react with distress, Melanie even manages to gain control to push whomever away.

Wanderer's acceptance by the humans is a difficult road. She is treated with mistrust and hate when she arrives. However, as they learn that she is not some evil creature she eventually becomes one of them, even getting the nickname Wanda. The relationship between the humans and Wanda is great to read about as it develops slowly. Through this, we also learn about Wanda's past times on other planets as other beings and even about her species history. The aliens refer to themselves as souls which is a suitable name for them as they are very gentle beings even though they are in fact parasites.

I simply love this book. With one of the strongest bonds between people being the centre of the story, an interesting love triangle and a complex world this book has everything. This is one of my favourites!

A don't want to stop reading book about love, not only love as a couple, but love for the family and the human race. It makes you really think what are the truest valuable things in life. So highly recommended for those who like to discover what makes us human and what love is capable of accomplishing. Love it.

THIS is my favorite book.

Wanderer, or Wanda for short, is a soul, and like other souls on her planet, they are invading human bodies, and living in them on planet earth as well as being born again on other planets. Wanda knows this and is given Melanie Stryder's body. But, unlike most humans, Melanie's mind doesn't fade away. And together they must both live in the same body and learn to protect each other along with escape from the dangers of planet Earth.

I absolutely loved this book....not from the start, but pretty close. The beginning is a lot of history and science, and it can get kind of hard to read. But, then it starts to get more interesting. I really liked this book a lot. And if you need another excuse to read it: it's becoming a movie. So, read it before it hits theaters near you.

I honestly can't even explain how much I love the characters, and the plot...and the whole story.

Okay, I like the concept. Point for that, Stephenie. I mean, seriously. Weird silver alien things that possess human beings and stuff? YES, I like it.

But the sappy love stuff? No. Just. No. It was more of that same old, same old, you know, in those horrible books where the girl doesn't do anything except obsess over the guy, who, let's face it, might be handsome but has a total lack of emotion. It was a little more interesting with the whole alien thing though... Anyway. I'll explain more later in this review.

So. Flash forward a bit into the future... And we meet these alien things called souls, who can't do anything themselves, but they can possess other bodies and take over their thoughts and stuff. We meet our main character, who doesn't really have a fixed name, but they call her Wanderer on Earth, because she's been through nine lives without settling down. Right now she's occupying a body of a human girl called Melanie.

What Wanderer doesn't expect is to encounter resistance, to hear Melanie's voice inside her. Melanie just doesn't want to back down. And through her, Wanderer learns of a human resistance, somewhere in the desert. She also learns of Jared, the guy who Melanie obsesses over, and Jamie, her little brother.

So flash forward maybe a hundred pages (I'm not kidding people, this book is six hundred pages long. Not one for the light-hearted.) and Wanderer has discovered the human resistance. Then she gets captured and kept under lock and key with lots of hostility.

And then of course, there's this whole dilemma about Melanie and Wanderer both loving the same person, who hates Wanderer, and another guy loving Wanderer, and lots of people trying to kill her rather than accept her, and so on.

Now I will explain more about this whole love-triangle. It was quite interesting, with Wanderer loving the same person as Melanie, but they shared the same body, and so that made it a bit difficult. But really? There was this whole thing that you get with a lot of sappy books like "Oh, I love you so much" and "I would die to protect you" and "Oh no, you can't handle this by yourself, I need to come along and protect you because you are much too soft and unprotected. You certainly are uncapable of keeping yourself safe." And then the whole "No! don't go Jared! (the guy) i love you too much even though I don't know why the hell why I do, I just do, probably because you are so cute, even though you have ABSOLUTELY NO PERSONALITY AT ALL!!!" (fine, she didn't say that).

I liked the concept though, as I said before. It was really interesting, especially being inside Wanderer's head and knowing how she felt, what she thought, the whole way through.

I must say, at the start I was worried that this was going to be just six hundred pages of nothing-ness, but I have never finished a book, so I kept pushing on.

So, to sum it up, this was a great book, just please, Stephenie. No more of the lovey-sappiness.

With "The Host", I did genuinely enjoy the meaning behind the story, and the story itself. I actually started to get really into it. The first few chapters were difficult for me to get into- I even considered just deleting it off my kindle and not even bothering, but I've never done that with the hundreds of books I've read, and I didn't want to have that one blemish on my "book-log". Who can judge a book wholeheartedly without even finishing?
So, after a few chapters, it started to get more interesting. I understood the plotline as it got clearer, and the writing style started to get easier to read as well. Truthfully I'm very glad that I finished it. I even got a little teary-eyed towards the end. Sure, some parts were sappy, but when you look at the overall picture- its pretty good. Humanity in it's purest form is shaped and outlined through the story of Wanderer/Melanie and the other humans. I'd rather give this book a 4.5 star rating, but since I technically can't, 5 stars will do. I'd rather over-rate the book than under-rate it.
If you can get past the first few chapters, the book will definitely be worth it- it's worth a try. I'd explain what makes me feel the way I do about this book, but I don't want to give any spoilers. Read the book- it'll be worth it in the end!

*The movie comes out March 2013- can't wait for that!

This book is so unique, so unlike anything else out there, you simply must give it a try.

Body snatchers have invaded our planet and they’ve just about taken over the world. The good news? They are peaceful and only do good. The bad news? Well, they take over your body.

Wanderer, one of the Souls (aka body snatchers) is implanted into the body of Melanie, a member of the resistance, a group of humans who are fighting the Souls. Only Melanie doesn’t quietly disappear like she’s supposed to. She sticks around and she and Wanderer begin duking it out for control of her body.

Complicating matters is Melanie’s memories of her boyfriend Jared, and her little brother Jamie, both hiding out with the insurgents. With Melanie unable to control her body, she has nothing to do but think about her life, exposing Wanderer to those memories. Even at night, Wanderer experiences Melanie’s life through her dreams. Though she fights it, Wanderer finds herself intrigued with these people, especially Jared.

Wanderer decides she must meet Jared and though letting her do that puts him and the entire resistance in danger, Melanie can’t help but agree. She needs to make sure he is okay.

We follow their travels as they search for where the resistance is hiding out. We’re treated to flashbacks to how the Souls took over, how Jared and Melanie met and how Wanderer ended up where she is. Once they do find the resistance, will Melanie and Wanderer finally be safe? Can they trust the resistance? Can (and should) the resistance trust them?

Once they find where the resistance is hiding out, the story takes another turn as Melanie/Wanderer try to find out where they belong. Not quite human and not quite Soul, it is difficult for them to find out where that place is. And these feelings that Wanderer finds herself having for Jared, are they real? Or are they Melanie’s memories and feelings?

The plot is so different, I never knew what was going to happen next. There were a few spots where it got a little long (especially the trek through the desert), but it picked back up quickly. There are elements of mystery (Will Wanderer give them all up? Will the Seeker find them?) and action. The dialogue and characters are excellent, very real. Nothing fake or stilted. Especially the (inner) dialogue between Melanie and Wanderer. It could have been hokey, with the two “people” inside 1 body, but Meyer manages to strike the perfect balance. The romance is also different – with 2 people in 1 body caring for 1 guy (and that’s before the second guy shows up!), it’s quite a lusty triangle.

The Sum Up: The Host is an amazing, un-put-downable story. The writing is vivid and the characters are real and full. It’s a long one, but I found myself hurrying to find out how it ends and wishing it would go on and on.

Reader reviewed by book addict

if you were considering reading this but decided against it stop and grab this book as soon as possible.With endearing romance and a sci-fi twist this books is one of the best i have ever read,and if you have read this book and you dont like it than you dont exist.

Reader reviewed by Kim

This is by far, Stephanie Meyer's best novel. In this novel, Meyer leaves behind her fantasy vampire world, and takes you to a futuristic society where humanity has been taken over by a race of aliens, making humans calm and complaint. Wanda's host isn't going to take it though, and fights back against the alien that has been implanted in her head. This is a great story about love, and finiding your true identity.

Reader reviewed by Katie

"Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away.

Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind." - From author's website
"Science fiction for people who don't like science fiction." - Stephenie herself
   
   This book was really good. The first time I finished it, I closed the book, turned back to the front page, and started reading again. I did that the second and third times I read it, too. That's how enchanting it was.
   Those of you who have read and loved Twilight will understand when I say that Stephenie Meyer makes you feel as if you're in the story, in every word on the page. You might not understand, though, when I say that this was so much better than Twilight. Don't believe me? Read it and see.
   Now, don't misread the quote up there - if you like science fiction you will like this too. But those of us who prefer fantasy will feell like this is fantasy. This is just an amazing book. I can't describe it any better than that. Seriously. If you like books, go read this one.

Reader reviewed by Jonathon Arntson

Writing: 5/5 
Originality: 5/5 
Cover: 5/5 
Characters: 5/5 
Reading experience: 5/5 

After I flew through the Twilight Saga in the fall of 2008, I questioned Meyer's ability to write a comparable work and in such a short time. I put off reading The Host until the June of '09. I fell in love with Twilight, despite the spelling and grammatical errors, and when I started reading The Host my skepticism did not cease within the first ten pages. In fact, I almost abandoned the book, which I rarely do, but I decided to persist and boy am I glad I did. The Host is officially in my Top Five favorite books of all time. I soon found out the bizarre beginning was perfectly written and contrasts well with the rest of the book. Meyer captures the emotions and facial expressions of the characters in an unmistakeable manner, forcing you too love or hate the characters. But as the plot progresses and the character's demeanor changes, so too does your opinion. While daunting at first, I came to enjoy the length of The Host. You will find yourself going through so many emotions when reading this book that you are thankful she includes as much as she does. It is safe to say everyone will feel closure in the end, but it is a rollercoaster ride to get there. The first ten pages are that awkward clinking you have to sit through before the initial drop and then you find yourself waiting in a queue through the next hundred or so pages. But it all fits well into the storyline and The Host completely blows Twilight out of the water.