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| The Host: A Novel | 
 enlarge | Author: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Category: Book
List Price: $25.99
Buy New: $8.50
You Save: $17.49 (67%)
New (79) Used (33) Collectible (8) from $8.50
Avg. Customer Rating:  628 reviews
Sales Rank: 69
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 624
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.9
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 5.6 x 2.1
ISBN: 0316068047
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780316068048
ASIN: 0316068047
Publication Date: May 6, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW BOOK NEVER READ!!!!!!
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| Customer Reviews:
 Dreadful prose, poorly written, couldn't even finish it June 5, 2008
15 out of 27 found this review helpful
I enjoyed the Twilight books sort of. They are not well written, or well told stories. They were a guilty pleasure--but I still read them. The Host is bilge and I could not get through the first 100 pages without rolling my eyes at the very bad writing. Meyer is TELLING me what happens, instead of just showing me what happens. Because I'm being told how to feel and what to think about her characters I really don't care about them at all.
I laughed at some of the melodrama and badly constructed phrasing. So far that is the only joy this book has brought to me. I wish I could get my money back. UGH.
Truly a Disappointment June 19, 2008
15 out of 31 found this review helpful
While the concept was engaging - visitors from outerspace making this world a peaceful place at the sake of our humanity, all the characters in this novel were one dimensional. Especially Wanda, who only had one reaction...all the time. How many times did we have to read how she cringed in fear - actually we read it many times because the book was way longer than necessary. I couldnt wait to finish the book. I kept hoping that somewhere, I would find some redeeming quality. But alas, no. Ms. Meyers writing style proved to be pedantic at best and torpid at worst.
 The Host Delivers July 3, 2008
14 out of 16 found this review helpful
Stephenie Meyer's The Host is set in an alternative Earth, one in which parasitic aliens have invaded and taken over humans' bodies and minds. The aliens, known as souls, actually feel that their coming to Earth is a good thing for both themselves (because they cannot survive without a host body) and for Earth itself since the humans have so misused the planet and one another. As the book opens, we meet Wanderer, a soul who has already lived eight lifetimes on other planets and has begun her ninth life inside a young female human named Melanie. Wanderer expects things to go as they always have on other planets: she will take over the host body and the host itself will "fade" as she takes over. Unfortunately for Wanderer, Melanie refuses to leave and the two conflicting personalities must learn to coexist.
With over 600 pages, The Host could have been rambling, yet it has a story that kept me turning the pages (and even, I confess, peeking ahead to see how things would be going!). As Melanie and Wanderer come to a sort of truce, Melanie brings the alien to a secret hideaway of underground caves where a few rebellious humans have managed to escape the invasion and are making a life for themselves. To say that Wanderer is unwelcome is an understatement; yet the fact that she inhabits Melanie's body provides the link to Melanie's younger brother and her boyfriend, Jared. Wanderer, eventually renamed Wanda, starts to become an integral part of the community, and through her relationships, she begins to understand that her species should not have taken over Earth, whatever their gentle reasons. But how can Melanie and Wanda continue to live in one body, and what will happen once the Seeker who is desperately looking for her finds her? Will Wanda ever be accepted into the community fully, or will her history as a soul interfere forever?
I absolutely loved this book. I loved that Wanda the alien was so sympathetic, and I loved the humans' determination to avoid assimilation. The relationships are so intricate and real; I could feel the emotions both for and against accepting an alien into the small underground community. The characters are very realistically written; it would have been much too trite to have everyone either hate or love Wanda, and the amount of time it takes for her be "accepted" felt genuine. I was on the edge of my seat frequently as I awaited outcomes of dangerous missions, and I found myself near tears at losses, and yes, even acceptances. Ms. Meyer has created an entirely believable world peopled with flawed characters who found their way into my soul (pun intended). Highly recommended for action, emotional punch, and plain ole good storytelling.
The only science fiction story I have ever loved... May 7, 2008
12 out of 13 found this review helpful
I am a huge fan of the Twilight series, I believe that they are the best books ever written (except "classics," though these are classics in a way). I was extremely worried about this book - scared that she wouldn't be able to live up to what she has already written. I was also excited to meet a new cast of characters - and excitement won out.
I suppose the only one who can top the Twilight series is the author who wrote them. (I do think this book is just as good, if not better [smiley face, Twilight fans don't be mad).
Wanderer is the kindest, sweetest person that I think I have ever run across in literature - more self sacraficing than many could be; emotionally and mentally strong. So unwilling to hurt others that she is constantly the one who is hurt. She would rather take the blows for others - an inhuman strength that may come from not actually being human.
While she was the character that I loved the most, there are other characters to admire here. Mel is physically strong, she's tough emotionally and physically able to protect herself. (Well, not physically exactly, since Wanderer has control of her body). she is the one that if a reader objectively thinks about it, they know they would act like. or would hope that they would act like, in the same situation.
The description and character developement is stunning in SM's new work. This work is a stunning book. It is easy to imagine that it is not really science fiction, that this is really happening. While readers may have wanted to step into the world of Twilight and meet the Cullens, me included, a reader would not want to step into the world of The Host. However, I would still LOVE to meet the characters that have grown so close to me in such a short amount of time, closer still every time I think about the story. Wanderer, Melanie, Ian, Jared, Jamie - and avoid some decidedly nasty characters.
this book is actually a little bit deeper than Twilight, on an intellectual level. While some may get mad (but please don't!) Bella only has to deal with problems that concern herself and her family. Wanderer is forced to deal with things that not only concern those whom she loves, but those who she fears and maybe even hates. She has to decide to do the good thing for everyone, not just those that are near and dear to her. and what that thing is.
Please read this book. Yes, I am speaking to you. It will entertain you, it will tell a BRILLIANT story, and it will make you think. Not in an annoying, in your face type of way, but subtly, and in a way that will make each and everyone of us better. and taht is what this story is about - it is about humanity from the point of view of someone who isn't, and it is about what being human means, and it isn't always defined by what species a character is.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - (warning: you might want your own copy,you'll want to read it again).
 A different sort of read, but riveting nonetheless May 15, 2008
12 out of 14 found this review helpful
I was almost reluctant to pick up The Host. A body with two minds? A love triangle with just two people? It all sounded too weird for my tastes. But even though I don't see myself re-reading it again, at least not in the near future, it was still an interesting and worthwhile read. It wasn't quite what I expected. I don't really know what I was expecting, though... It's not even comparable to the Twilight series. The only thing that is similar is Ms. Meyer's awesome talent for expressing and conveying such depth of emotions and the strong connections that can develop between unlikely people. Plus the characters are still so well depicted that they feel real.
Luckily, there wasn't much focus on the science fiction aspect to turn me off completely. Though, the aliens/body snatchers are central to the story, they are not that threatening or overwhelming an addition to the story to make it feel different than a normal story with normal characters. The only time there was too much fantasy going on was when Wanderer was telling stories of the other planets she lived on. At first this was very interesting but then it got to be too much- too random, too weird. Even with that chunk, the story makes for a fascinating read. Wanderer (aka Wanda) is definitely a very unique narrator and heroine. At first it is easy to side with Melanie, and hate Wanderer for the invader/body snatcher that she is. But just as Melanie comes to know and appreciate the more human and likeable aspects of Wanderer's personality, the readers are also better able to like and even relate to some of what she's going through.
Wanderer is an alien soul, an outsider. Her emotional journey is riveting. She is able to come to love and understand Melanie, who other souls had deemed a resistant/aggressive host. She is able to live among humans and come to understand and sympathesize their struggle to survive against her species. She is in many ways a diplomat between the souls and the humans. Her story is bittersweet, touching and compelling. Despite the fact that the book could've been cut down quite a bit, it is still a whirlwind of a read. This book will definitely make you think; and it will stick with you long after you finish. It's a different sort of read, but enjoyable nonetheless. Fans of Twilight may be a little disappointed because The Host is not as powerful or as wildly addicting. It takes longer for you to get into it but the characters are just as strong as the Twilight gang, enough for you to root for them and want to see how it wraps up. Though, this book is aimed for adults, other than some passionate kissing this is definitely young adult friendly.
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