The Host: A Novel
by Stephenie Meyer
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Book Reviews of The Host: A Novel
Book Review: Better than Twilight, but still needs a lot of work.
Summary: 3 Stars
Buglike aliens that infiltrate our spinal cord/skull and take over our bodies, and have done so on other worlds? Check.
Ragtag band of humans fighting against said aliens? Check.
Other aliens helping the resistance? Check. Check. Check.
Sorry guys, not talking about Animorphs. Stephenie Meyer's latest "adult" novel, The Host, is what I'm talking about here. I wish it was Animorphs instead.
I'll say this first: I enjoyed the book. I was skeptical when I started reading, because I'm not a fan of Meyer's Twilight series, but I was bored and figured I'd give it a try. I think it's better than Twilight in a few ways:
1. There's no Edward. The male characters in this book are pretty generic, but they're nice. Not perfect - nice. It was much more realistic in that manner, and I appreciated that.
2. The souls (what the aliens call themselves) are pretty cool, even if they fail to sound terrifying. The Yeerks (K.A. Applegate's aliens) are terrifying. These guys are pretty, like little silver ribbons. You can't help but kind of like them. My favorite parts in the book are when Wanderer's telling everyone about the other worlds, because that was the most original bit in it.
3. Not so much purple prose. You don't have to get through pages of listening about Edward's "scintillating white skin" or his "liquid topaz eyes." And the word "chagrin" was much less pronounced, if it was there at all. I still think Meyer's only a mediocre writer, but this was an improvement in some aspects. Kudos.
However....there are some things I'd like to complain about:
1. Wanderer makes me sick. She is completely spineless - and I'm not just being literal here, as souls don't have skeletons. She's entirely passive throughout the entire book; it's Melanie who makes the story go on. I understand that souls are by nature very gentle (how they conquered ten-plus worlds is a complete mystery to me) but this was just....well, nauseating. Like Bella, Wanderer's obviously "above" the normal humans, and it didn't help the story at all.
2. Filler. Lots and lots of filler. This book needs a good hundred pages - at the least - to be cut out. It would have been much better. Instead, we get to read about endless days in a dungeon. Not only does it choke the pacing, but it makes Wanderer seem more boring than she is. One of the redeeming factors in Twilight is that Meyer can make 500 pages seem like 200, which is a pretty good skill. She lost it in Breaking Dawn and it never came back.
3. Plot. I understand this was a love story, but like in Twilight, there was no real action until Meyer decided to squish some in at the end. I thought these humans were fighting a war here, not sitting around making lovey faces at one another. Having alternating chapters between Wanderer and the Seeker as it tracked her at least would have had been more interesting, and a better way to worldbuild without all the infodumping we get.
4. It's completely unoriginal. K.A. Applegate got this idea years ago, and she did a much better job with it. Meyer managed to put some original twists into the souls, but they're basically pretty-looking Yeerks. It's Animorphs, with way too much fluff and not nearly enough sarcasm and action.
There are a lot of problems in this book, but I still managed to enjoy it. Why? Because, loathe as I am to admit this, Meyer does have a clear style of writing so that you don't have to work to read anything of hers. This is an airport fantasy - it's good while you read it, takes a long time, and is utterly forgettable.
-Ari
Book Review: Science Fiction for the Non-Science Fiction Fan
Summary: 4 Stars
I am one of those rare individuals who has not read any of the TWILIGHT books -- GASP! I guess I'm interested in reading them, but I think it's only because I don't want to feel left out. Having said that, I've had plenty of opportunities to read them and still haven't picked them up. I'm not sure that they even appeal to me -- I just feel as if I should read them to know what all the fuss is about.
So, when the opportunity came to read THE HOST by Stephenie Meyer, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for me to give Ms. Meyer a try. I have to admit that the premise of this book did interest me more than teenage vampires, and I had heard from many fellow bloggers that this was definitely her "best" book. I was a little intimidated though, because this book is pretty darn big and weighs a lot -- it's over 600 pages. I had been assured by many not to worry because THE HOST is a quick read. After finishing this book, I agree with them -- but only to a certain extent.
I did end up enjoying THE HOST; and the more I reflect on it, I find that I like it better and better. However, I had a heck of a time getting into the story! It could be that I had other things going on in my personal life that kept distracting me, but it took me about 150 pages to become involved with this novel. I really appreciated the storyline and the characters, but I just felt as if the first quarter of the book took entirely too long to develop. After I finally got into the story, I really enjoyed reading it and found myself caught up in the characters' lives. And then I understood what everyone was talking about -- THE HOST actually was a very quick read.
I have a huge appreciation for the story that Ms. Meyer created within the pages of THE HOST. I am not a big fan of science fiction, and I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to get past that; however, I didn't have that problem at all. In fact, I thought this book dealt with so many relationship issues and social commentary that I didn't even really consider it "science fiction." I loved how Ms. Meyer created the concept of a soul living inside a human host; and I thought the twist on the story that the human mind didn't just disappear when it was invaded was wonderful. Having the interactions between the human host Melanie and the soul Wanderer made for terrific reading as well as presenting many ethical dilemmas.
This book actually contained a lot of adventure and action as the humans struggled to hide from the Seekers and stay safe. I think these stories definitely intrigued me and kept my interest, but I think I really liked all the characters' interactions and personal relationships even more. I was amazed by how much thinking I did about human nature while reading this book (and even when I wasn't.) I especially enjoyed seeing how humans were perceived by the hosts. This book definitely pointed out to me many of our "human" characteristics -- some good and others not so good!
I actually think THE HOST would make a wonderful discussion book for book clubs. I was pleasantly surprised by how deep this book was and the serious subject matters that it addressed. I also found myself wanting to talk about it with friends as I read it just to get some feedback on my ideas. There are many themes to delve into including: basic human nature, maternal bonds, romantic love, free will/choice, sacrifice, and loads of ethical issues. It is a fascinating book on so many levels.
Book Review: IF YOU HATED TWILIGHT READ THIS
Summary: 4 Stars
Let me start off by saying that I'm not one of those pathetic, zombie-like Twilight fans. I'm perfectly aware that based on the Twilight series, Stephenie Meyer is HARDLY the next J.K. Rowling. Bella was whiny and uninteresting, Edward was nothing but a pretty face, the plot was nonexistant, and vampires don't glitter. Saying that, that's why you should believe me when I say the The Host was fantastic.
I purchased The Host out of pure curiosity. The story seemed different, and everyone seemed to praise that the writing quality was far better than Twilight. Once I began reading it, I didn't put it down. I could tell by page 15 that Stephenie Meyer has grown immeasurably as a writer. It's almost hard to tell that it's by the author that created Edward Cullen. The descriptions are vivid and beautiful in this story, both the physical ones and emotional ones. These are especially poignant. Let me explain...
When I first heard the plotline of this story, I burst out laughing shamelessly. However, once again, bear with me because the book is worth it. Basically, at some point in the future, body-snatching aliens (known as "Souls") overtook earth. Through surgery, they inhabit human's bodies, killing only their spirit...basically, all of the humans are dead, but the aliens have kept their bodies intact and now inhabit them. Wanderer, a soul that's earned her name from the great number of bodies she's lived in, has been warned that life as a human is difficult. Not only are their senses vivid, but the emotional range of being a human is even more painful. The situation isn't helped by the fact that the former tennant of Wanderer's human body, Melanie Stryder, is somehow holding on. She refuses to fade away, filling Wanderers head with visions of the people she loves, who are still in hiding. Soon Wanderer is torn between her allegiance to the Souls and the love she feels for the humans.
Basically, it sounds out there, but is fantastic. Though the beginning is very slow, I urge you to continue. Stephenie Meyer paints a fantastic image of the setting -- the scorching desert -- and makes use of Wanderer's unfamiliarity with human reactions to explore her relationships beautifully. This is without a doubt what makes this books special -- at its core, it is a book about love. All kinds of love, not just the superficial fairytale romance explored in Twilight. It describes the maternal love Wanderer feels for Melanie's younger brother, the appreciation for her eccentric Uncle Jeb, the friendship she developes for Mel's former comrades, and the romantic interest she soon developes for Melanie's former boyfriend, Jared. What really puts the icing on the cake is that Stephenie illustrates how love is really a double-edged sword. Not only does she go into the depths of how wonderful having the love of so many people feels, but she describes the pain Wanderer feels when she contemplates their love for Melanie versus her herself.
The emotional aspect of this novel is beautiful and I guarentee you won't regret picking it up. In the end, Stephenie poses the timeless question: To be or not to be? For, as she illustrates, light cannot exist without shadow, relaxation without exhaustion and love without loss. As the particularly lovable character of Wanderer finds out, it seems like a tough question, but the answer is more obvious than it appears.
Book Review: Powerful
Summary: 4 Stars
After reading some of the reviews on here, I decided to throw my two cents in.
I'm with a lot of people that found the story a little hard to read at first. The prologue throws you right into the meat of the story before you have any idea of what's going on, but upon reflection, I can't think of a better way for Meyer to have started the book.
While some have complained about the pace and length of this novel, I think it's fine. Because I was intrigued and wanted to see how Wanda saw her human experiences, I didn't really mind the lapses of time between physical events in the story. Most of the actual action is mental. Most of the growth that takes place for the characters is internal. If you want to read a book that will make you think and open up a whole list of philosophical things to think about, this is it.
While I agree with some that this isn't exactly an "Adult" book, I'll take a quote from Stephenie Meyer herself: "Don't be put off by the label on a book because you don't think you belong in a certain section of the store. You belong wherever there's a good book." And, in my opinion, this is a good book.
I found myself absorbed in Wanda's mind, not because she was the narrator, but because SHE was intriguing. It's like watching a child grow up, but in super fast motion. She learns a lot of things the hard way, but that's not to say she isn't intelligent. The bond that Melanie and Wanda form is something precious and something to be marveled at.
I could go on about all of the wonderful things this book has to offer to readers of all demographics, but I will throw out a negative opinion to pacify those of you who want to know the good and the bad. I didn't like the Epilogue. I would've much rathered the book ended the way Wanda intended it to. That would have been the most noble ending, the most real for Wanda. Again, in retrospect, one can see that Wanda was dealing with HUMANS and humans aren't perfect. Humans lie... So I guess the Epilogue makes perfect sense and one has to expect it, but regardless, I would've rather stopped before the epilogue and let out the rest of my tears. I would've been more satisfied that way.
On that note, this is the only story that has ever moved me to tears. Like someone else said, the decisions these incredibly well-developed characters make force the reader to consider what they would do in that situation. At the end, I could only see that Wanda made the RIGHT decision, in every sense of the word, and no matter how wrong some might think it was, including other characters in the book, she was right. The rightness of her actions bring tears to my eyes, no matter how many times I re-read the ending. (After I read it the first time, I haven't read the Epilogue again. For now, unless she makes a sequel, I will happily pretend the Epilogue doesn't exist...)
All that being said, I still rate this book "5 stars" because, even with its "faults", I can't help but feel that everything has its purpose in the overall scheme of the novel. I take this book with all of the positives and negatives and can only remember the weeks, months even, of wonderful contemplation it left me with.
But why don't you read it for yourself and make your own decision?
By the way, I'm a sophomore in college, just so you know where I'm coming from.
Book Review: Learning to play well with others
Summary: 4 Stars
THE HOST by Stephenie Meyer is a relatively subtle story of invasion by space aliens that's more a lesson on assimilation than anything else. If you're expecting (or hoping for) the needle-fanged creature that menaced Ripley in the Alien Quadrilogy (Alien/ Aliens /Alien 3 /Alien Resurrection) film series, look elsewhere.
Herein, the United States, and presumably the rest of Earth also, has been conquered by a race of interstellar parasites - silvery, centipede-like creatures - that attach themselves to the brainstems of their hosts and take control of the latters' mental and motor functions.
Melanie has been parasitized by an alien named Wanderer. This is the Wanderer's first human host, but the latest in a series that has spanned eight previous host lifetimes on different far-flung planets. Wanderer has previously been called Lives in the Stars and Rides the Beast.
Once parasitized, the host's original resident consciousness is isolated to a small corner of the brain where it may wither away - or perhaps not if the human personality is strong.
Melanie is strong.
Prior to her body's takeover, Melanie had been on the run with her brother, Jaime, and lover, Jared, both still unoccupied. Once inside her new host, Wanderer - a basically gentle and non-malicious intelligence - is compelled by the force of Melanie's residual mental presence and love for Jaime and Jared to seek out the two, whom she (Melanie) suspects is headed for her recluse Uncle Jeb's hideout somewhere between Phoenix and Tucson.
After hiking through the Arizona desert to the point of near-death, Wanderer/Melanie stumbles upon Uncle Jeb and his following of thirty-plus human fugitives. Recognizing that Melanie is now carrying Wanderer, all but one member of the group wants to immediately kill the new arrival. Wanderer/Melanie is only kept alive and relatively unharmed, for no apparent reason, by her uncle's protection and his rifle.
The vast bulk of this thick novel revolves around Wanderer/Melanie's acceptance by and integration into the band, which lives in a clever hide-out constantly in fear of discovery by the "Seekers", whose task is to ferret out the last remnants of the human population and incorporate parasites into them.
THE HOST is a monster of a book at just over six-hundred pages, the length of which made me reluctant to start. However, I was pleasantly surprised to become quickly engaged as the odd relationship between Wanderer and Melanie began.
Perhaps the author's greatest achievements in the story are how she depicts the coexistence of the two intellects within one body and the gradations by which the humans come to terms with Wanderer's presence among them. That being said, I found THE HOST interesting, but not arresting; imaginative, but not superlatively so; thought-provoking, but not profound. I can easily award 4 stars, but must withhold a fifth since the book never became one that I couldn't put down, and I require a bit more from a novel that demands two weeks of my time. It is, perhaps, the perfect diversion for a two-week cruise when it can pleasantly fill-in the dead time between meals, other onboard activities, and outings ashore.