The Host: A Novel

The Host: A Novel
by Stephenie Meyer

The Host: A Novel
List Price: $25.99
Category: Book
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Book Summary Information

Author: Stephenie Meyer
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-05-06
ISBN: 0316068047
Number of pages: 619
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Product features:

Book Reviews of The Host: A Novel

Book Review: A Study in What It Means To Be Human
Summary: 5 Stars

"There are several things a person should know about this book. First of all, it is not `Twilight'. While there is romance suffused throughout the pages, it is not the teenager romance of Meyer's `Twilight' series that may have turned away a few adults. I say `may' due to the fact Meyer's writing has managed to draw a significant adult crowd regardless. "The Host" is a story of adults. It contains no vampires, no werewolves, no mythical, supernatural elements dating back thousands of years. Yes, there are aliens, but the aliens are merely a vehicle Meyer successfully employs to explore the theme of this incredible tale: the essence of humanity. How better to do so than from the vantage point of someone who is not? Take, for example, the existence of the two (Melanie and Wanderer) within the one body. Who among us has not struggled with the two voices, one telling us to go this way, the other saying the other? `The Host' is a novel study in what it means to be human."

Summary of The Host: A Novel

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 Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, 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.

Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves-Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring what may be the first love triangle involving only two bodies, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel that will bring a vast new readership to one of the most compelling writers of our time.
Amazon Best of the Month, May 2008: Stephenie Meyer, creator of the phenomenal teen-vamp Twilight series, takes paranormal romance into alien territory in her first adult novel. Those wary of sci-fi or teen angst will be pleasantly surprised by this mature and imaginative thriller, propelled by equal parts action and emotion. A species of altruistic parasites has peacefully assumed control of the minds and bodies of most humans, but feisty Melanie Stryder won't surrender her mind to the alien soul called Wanderer. Overwhelmed by Melanie's memories of fellow resistor Jared, Wanderer yields to her body's longing and sets off into the desert to find him. Likely the first love triangle involving just two bodies, it's unabashedly romantic, and the characters (human and alien) genuinely endearing. Readers intrigued by this familiar-yet-alien world will gleefully note that the story's end leaves the door open for a sequel--or another series. --Mari Malcolm

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