The Host: A Novel
by Stephenie Meyer
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Book Reviews of The Host: A Novel
Book Review: Never wanted it to end
Summary: 5 Stars
As a fan of The Twilight saga, I figured that I would give The Host, Stephenie Meyers first delve into "adult" fiction, a try. However, I was wary when I read the synopsis...I was unsure if I could be sympathetic and relate to the narrater, who is in fact a silver centipede like parasite imprisoning the mind of a human named Melanie and taking over her body. When the cryotanks appeared in the first few pages I almost put the book down. I have never considered myself a sci fi buff. But I missed Meyers voice after devouring Twilight and forged forward...and only a few chapters in, I was glad I did. The Host demonstrates how Meyers is growing as an author. A great story teller from the start with an ability to make the reader fall in love with her characters, the emotion and tension she creates leaps off her pages and sucks me in...her stories are addicting- like literary crack. The difference between The Host and Twilight is that The Host is so complex! It is an adventure in humanity that explores the range of the human character across its volital spectrum. In fact, I did become simpathetic to the "worm" Wanderer, I came to love her! Yet, I felt a deep sorrow for Melanie, still existing and feeling while trapped in her own body with Wanderer in control- trying to break free. These aliens known as "Souls" do not view themselves as evil body snatchers but as good kind beings saving this beautiful planet from a violent evil species. They can not survive in any other way. What Wanderer learns from Melanie and the small clan of surviving humans in the southwestern desert is that there is more to humans then the headline of the evening news. With Melanie and through Melanie, she experiences for the first time longing, loneliness, and love and sets out to find Melanie's little brother Jamie and her partner Jared. At their first encounter, the silver sheen in Wanderer/Melanie's eyes that comes with harboring a "soul" sparks hate, distrust, and violence in the humans, and Wanderer believes her notions were correct- humans are evil. But as the days pass living in the humans hideaway cave relationships evolve. Wanderer experiences the death of a friend, the love of a child, lust, trust, sacrifice, and ultimately romantic love. It wouldn't be a Stephenie Meyers work without a good love story and the love "quad"angle between Melanie and Jared -Wanderer and Ian is sure to frustrate the reader and tug at the heart strings. When Wanderer finally finds a happy life where she is wanted and loved for the first time in 9 planets and thousands of years she is faced with the ultimate dilemma- to continue living in Melanie's body ( is there really enough room for both of them?) or take on the ultimate self sacrifice and set Melanie free- it becomes apparant how altruistic Wanderer truely is. I laughed and cried a long with these rich characters, and was sad to leave them once the book was over. I heard rumors of an upcoming sequel and will be sure to read it as soon as it hits the shelves.
Book Review: Thoughtful and interesting
Summary: 4 Stars
Thus far, I've only read the Twilight portion of the four-book series and while I thought it was a decent story, I wasn't particularly impressed with it. Now that I can compare The Host to that work, I can honestly say that I think The Host is a far superior work, for many reasons.
The premise of the novel is interesting in and of itself. It's not as if the parasite/host type of alien invasion is a new concept but Meyer's aliens think of themselves as benevolent and hold steadfastly to the idea that they improve every world they visit. This really lays the groundwork for the novel's central struggle: Who's in the right here? The aliens certainly have many examples to use to back up their assessment of humans as violent and brutal but, as advanced as they are, are these aliens falling into the trap of oversimplification? This novel raises interesting questions about the powers of self-justification. It's entirely possible to draw parallels between the aliens and some of the less savory elements of humanity.
Perhaps even more interesting than these questions, though, are the effects of Meyer's sensitive handling of her characters. The aliens are ostensibly the enemy and, yet, it is also very easy to relate to them and they can be quite sympathetic. This is a novel about prejudices and the harm inflicted by them. There is some physical action in the novel but most of its action is driven by the examination of the impact of the various prejudices of the characters--human and alien alike. Some readers may find the novel rather slow for this reason but I enjoyed the fact that it delved into some deep, psychological issues. I could, at each moment, understand what was motivating each of the characters, even if I did not agree with their actions. I didn't feel that Meyer painted any of her characters as particularly evil or particularly good and it's her liberal use of the gray that makes this such a thoughtful novel.
This is also a novel about love and its redemptive power. Meyer paints love as the ultimate weapon against prejudice and she does so very effectively. Some very unlikely bonds are formed between characters and it is through these bonds that the most noble of traits are brought out in the characters. I've read summaries of the novel that refer to it as a romance. While there's no denying that romance plays a major role, I don't think this assessment gives a very accurate picture of the novel as a whole. Yes, there is romantic love but there is also motherly love, fraternal love, platonic love... I think Meyer is making a statement about love in general more than she is about romantic love in particular.
In the future, I hope to see more novels of a similar vein from Meyer. This is a deep novel, one that grabbed me from the very beginning and didn't let go until the final page. I think Meyer's skills as a writer are growing and, if this novel is any indication, she has some serious promise as a writer.
Book Review: The only science fiction story I have ever loved...
Summary: 5 Stars
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).
Book Review: Another home run by a very talented writer
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm a big fan of the Twilight series. Even though they're billed as books geared towards 'younger readers' I found them very well written and creative with wonderful characterization and imagination. So when I saw that The Host was going to be her first book geared towards and older sect of readers I was very intrigued.
I never read any blurbs or even so much as one synopsis of the book. I just picked it up when I could get my hands on it and plunged right into it. Never did I expect that it was going to be a work of science fiction.
After the first few pages I wasn't sure what I thought of the book. The beginning was a little disjointed but once I got a little deeper into the book it made sense as to why the first pages of the book are like that.
The Souls as they call themselves are creatures from another planet who travel from planet to planet and use whatever primary lifeform residing on that planet as, well, their host organism. Think Invasion of the Body Snatchers. They assume their identities one by one until they control the whole planet. Easy to hate? You bet! Such won't always be the case though as you read through the book through the Soul's perspective; everything's told in the first person making the reader more attached (pardon the pun) to the Soul.
This isn't the story about an ordinary soul. It's about a soul who's host won't go quietly into the night so the end result is Invasion of the Body Snatchers with multiple personality disorder! I know that seems to make light of what really is a serious book (and it does look a little silly now that I read it back ) but it's quite accurate. The Host (melanie) will not 'die' as is the case generally when a soul takes over the host organism.
Melanie's will and persona are so strong inside her hijacked body that the soul finds herself doing things that she would never have dreamed of in all of her long life's travels. There comes a point where the line between hating the souls and sympathizing with them, or at least Wanderer (the main character's given Soul name) becomes VERY blurred. Not only does the reader feel this way but so do Melanie and Wanderer in regards to each other's species over the course of the book.
The end result is a captivating story written by a wildly talented and imaginative author. This proves that there's more to Meyer than just werewolves and vampires and angst ridden teenagers caught in the middle. Not that those are BAD things. As I said, the Twilight series is fantastic. But the fact that she can go from writing that saga to something so completely different and still do it well makes me look forward to anything else she puts out in the future.
GREAT read. While it may lean towards science fiction, in essence the Host is about the human condition and is just a great tale about life and being human. I can't recommend this one highly enough!
Book Review: Liked it okay but...
Summary: 3 Stars
Okay...so first off, just to give you a little insight into my perspective, I just want to say I'm 29, a housewife with no kids, and don't work, so I have alot of free time on my hands to read.
I am absolutely in love with the Twilight Series and have probably read them at least 5 times in the last month, I have specific passages I go back to and reread when the mood strikes me, and if I can't sleep I will even go as far as to turn on an audiobook and listen to it while I sleep.
That being said, I found 'The Host' interesting, but not engaging. While I definately enjoyed the book, especially some of the characters, I just didn't find it interesting enough to buy the second in the series if Mrs. Meyers ever creates a sequel.
Something I did find interesting at the begining though, was the similarity between the Jacob Black character and the Jarod character. Their "voices" to me seemed almost completely identical in this novel, which is too its credit since Jacob had always been such a solid, easy to love character.
What kinda rubbed me the wrong way though is as the story progresses further the exact same patterns seemed to jump off the pages at me.
-The self sacrificing heroine who can never do anything just for herself.
-The angry lover (Jacob Black type character)who is always a little more reckless then he should be, and all though he wants the heroine, turns out wanting her for reasons that are wrong.
-The overly insightful, over protective character(Edward type) who loves the heroine for who she truly is and not what she merely appears to be.
-The shot gun toting father figure who always seems a little too wise and reasonable.
-The unbelievably frustrating way the heroine always keeps the most important secrets to herself because there's no WAY the people around her could feel the same way/understand her way of thinking.
There's a few other similarities I could go into but I don't want to make it appear as though these things detracted from the book at all. I think Stephanie Meyers has amazing talent.
I gave the book 3 out of 5 stars because while I enjoyed reading it...I felt like I could have just as easily read Twilight over again and enjoyed it just as much.
I'm a little shocked Mrs. Meyers was worried people would be turned off because there was no Edward in this book. I identified Ian as Edward almost immediately....something about the cut of the nose and his devotion to his embarassing family members.
The book lost two stars for me because I didn't enjoy the whole, brain slug element to it..so that may just be me. I've always prefered darker subtext to overly elaborate sci-fi.
One thing that REALLY made me smile after reading this book is the thought of poor Jacob Black/ Jarrod. Gosh darn him for always falling for the wrong woman. Poor shmuck :P