The Host

Reader reviewed by An_d

What would happen in a post-apocalyptic world that aliens have invaded homes, cities and most importantly, bodies?  What is the one thing that would give you hope and strength to go on?  LOVE.   This is a beautifully crafted story about one body with two voices.  One is a host body that is struggling to regain control of her own body and another is an alien being that has been injected into the host body.  I know, you're probably thinking that this sounds really weird and a little far fetched.  It is surprising an extremely tender and beautifully spoken story about keeping the ones you love safe and keeping your individuality while all things in your world seem hopeless.  

Reader reviewed by Insert Book Title

This book was AMAZING! Just like I thought. Kudos to you, Stephenie Meyer for writing such an amazing love story. This book is like nothing I have ever read. Wanderer is a parasite, latching herself on to her host. But she never had a host like Melanie. Mel refuses to fade, and through her Wanderer begins to love Jared (Melanie's love) and Jamie (Melanie's brother). Desperate to find them, Melanie and Wanderer set out on a journey that would change the way they look at each other and the way other's see the 'souls'. I was captured from start to finish.

Reader reviewed by Teanna

I love this book but not the part where jarrod thinks he can just go around slaping her that part was sad but jarrod is in love with melanie and wanda is in love with Lan but then the sadest part was where wanda wanted to give melanie her life back and lan was very upset he didnt want to give her up but i loved the ending where shes in another girls body and lans soo happy after that!!!

Reader reviewed by Lauren

From the author of Twilight, The Host is a science-fiction novel of an invasion of an alien species called souls. These souls can enter the body and completely take over their hosts, causing the host to just dissappear. And now, they have jouneyed to Earth.

Wanderer is a soul who has been to the majority of the planets avaliable to souls. When she is placed into a human body, a young woman named Mel, she thinks it will just be like any other host she's entered. However, Mel is strong and she will not fade away easily.

Wanderer soon succumbs to Mel's memories of Jared, her boyfriend. Being in such an emotional being, Wanderer falls in love with Jared as well, and instead of fighting back, she and Mel work together in the same body to find a hidden civilization of surviving humans. Wanderer and Mel make it to this secret haven, and instant confusion sprouts.

No one believes that Mel exists, but still, Wanderer is given a chance. When Jared returns, even more drama brews. Jaimy, Mel's little brother, instantly befriends Wanderer, believing that his sister is still there, while Jared hates her. Kyle and Ian, two other survivors, feel very differently about Wanderer. Things change when Jaimy gets an infected cut, Jared and Wanderer are forced to work together to get help.

What will happen to Mel and Wanderer, two beings in one body? Mel's body isn't big enough for both of them and in the end, one will have to leave. Which one? Read and find out. I reccomend The Host to any Twilight fans, and basically anyone else. It's probably best for teens and older as it is an adult novel.

Reader reviewed by Izabella

In The host, the world has been taken over and humans become hosts for the invading "souls". The human's minds are taken over and there are very few "wild" humans left. When Melanie Stryder a "wild" human is captured, she is forced to share her body with Wanderer, the "soul" who has been given Melanie's body. But Melanie refuses to give up and fade away. Wanderer is supposed to probe Melanie's memories and find out where the remaining humans are hiding, but Melanie doesn't quit fighting to protect the rest of the humans. She has Wanderer thinking about Jared. Jared is the guy Melanie loves and Wanderer feels all of Melanie's emotions so she is suddenly wanting to protect him from the other "souls" and find him. Melanie and Wanderer learn how to work together to search for Jared. This book kept me interested from cover to cover, and I never wanted it to end. I would highly reccomend this book to any fan of Stephenie Meyer.

Reader reviewed by Max

The earth has been invaded, people's bodies being taken over by creatures which call themselves Souls. They believe in peace, sharing, and an orderly life. One Soul, Wanderer, takes the body of someone called Melanie, who refuses to hand over control of the body, because she needs to make sure her love, Jared, is still okay. Wanderer and Melanie form an alliance, and they go out to find a group of rogue humans hiding in the desert. Wanderer starts to fall in love with Jared, which obviously creates problems, and she tries to gain the trust of the humans living there.

The Host is a book about humanity. Through the lifestyle of the Souls, we can see what's lost from humans, and how traits like passion and love make people who they are. It's an easy read, but it's enjoyable and it makes you think about what it means to be human. Strangely, it's easy to relate to Wanderer, and every character feels unique and dynamic. The Host was an amazing book that I would definitely recommend.

Reader reviewed by Kate

Stephenie Meyer first caught everyone's attention with the colossal Twilight series and later released The Host which is radically different to Twilight although it does share some slight similarities: forbidden love.
Yet again, the female protagonist is torn between two loves in her sheltered cave life.
But that's all I can criticise.

Without giving away what happens in the end, here is what I love about the book:
The setting is quite imaginative, as are the additional species to Earth. The history of the "Souls" is very interesting to read and is also very creative.
What I really loved though, was the flashbacks and the very visual language. It truly did provide an image of both characters and the places the story took place in. Throughout The Host, Meyer writes so that you feel as though you're really there. You experience the thrills, the heartaches and the sadness that Wanda feels. Several times I came close to tears and at one stage I did start crying.

The Host is, in my opinion, her best book. I recommend it to everyone over the age of thirteen. It really is worth reading!
:)

Reader reviewed by Catlinn

Okay not what I expected form Stephinie but love th e book.
The whole aliens taking over the earth was hard to get into at first but as i read more it drew me in. I love the fact that she discribed so many worlds in the book and then the whole human host rsisting and the alien letting go was a trip. the best part was when the decided to find a new body for the alien and imn the end it was obvious she was not the only to"Go Native" as the book said .Love to read more of her work

Reader reviewed by Brittany Gore

even the end of humanity... Even after Melanie has lost control of her body, she isn't going to give up against Wanderer, the alien who has made Melanie's body her "host." The journey that Wanda goes on to find Melanie's love, Wanda's love, Jared, is fraught with peril, death, and hope. I love the ending of this book. It's perfect. No one wants to see Melanie gone forever, never to have Jared in her life again, but no one wants to see Wanda gone, who has fallen in love mentally with Ian and physically with Jared. It's perfect. I recommend this to anyone who wants to see how good the human race is and how much love can go through and still survive. The first chapter is confusing, I admit, and hard to get through, but don't give up on it. I gave my book to 4 of my friends so far, and all of them have loved it.

Reader reviewed by Alexah

This book is amazing! In some ways it is better than Twilight, which is not very common. I love how the author of this book is very creative and she always puts the best ending possible. This book was impossible to put down, and if you loved the Twilight Saga, then you will love this. I wish there was a sequel to see what else happens, to the rest of humanity. I recommend this book to everyone!