REVIEW: The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Genre: Fiction, Sci-Fi, Fantasy

Pub. Date: May 2008, Little, Brown & Company

Format: Hardcover, 624 pages
Source/FTC Disclosure: I purchased my copy of this book. I was in no way compensated for this review and my opinions are my own.

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.

MY THOUGHTS

At the risk of shocking and offending, but hopefully not disgusting, Twilight fans, I'm just going to go out on a limb now and admit that I liked this book better than Meyer's Twilight saga. Don't get me wrong, I loved the Twilight books, but The Host grabbed me and didn't let me go until the end. Well, it grabbed me after I got past the first chapter. And of course, I had to let it go sometimes, otherwise I would have gotten fired from my job, but you get my drift.

Yes, you read that right earlier, I initially stopped reading this book after the first chapter. Part of that was because I left the book at the office over the weekend right after I'd started it, but for some reason I just never got back to it. When I finally did, I was not disappointed. The interactions between all the characters in the story just felt so real, which I guess is part of why I prefer this book to the Twilight books. I honestly thought this was a great study of humanity, emotions, and human nature; simply, what it means to be a human. I thought that Meyer did a brilliant job with her characterization, as well. I felt like I knew every character personally and even visualize them. Meyer's writing is also beautiful, if a bit wordy, but I honestly didn't mind the hundreds of pages it took for me to read the inevitable conclusion.

OK, OK, so I saw the ending coming--at least in terms of what happens with Wanderer a.k.a. Wanda (yeah, the nickname was cheesy)--how could this book end in any other way than it did?! And I did appreciate the amount of detail Meyer included to wrap the story up. At first, I wasn't sure I actually liked how events were playing out (when that chapter started) and I was initially devastated to think that I was wrapped up in a book destined to disappoint me after I had come to love it so much. But Meyer came through and convinced me that her way was the right way.

 

Other reviews of The Host:

Shooting Stars Mag ~ Maw Books Blog ~ Graeme's Fantasy Book Review
Avid Book Reader ~ Deliciously Clean Reads ~ Fantasy Book Critic
Mis(h)takes ~ Teen Book Review ~ My Favorite Author
Reading, Writing and Ranting ~ Over My Head ~ Liv's Book Reviews
Dear Author ~ Fyrefly's Book Blog ~ J. Kaye's Book Blog
Ticket to Anywhere ~ The Fox Reads ~ Becky's Book Reviews
Reading Adventures ~ Ulat Buku in the City
A High And Hidden Place ~ Chick Loves Lit