Wanderer is a "soul": a parasitic alien who can only survive inside a host body. But she has never really felt like she belongs in her souls' worlds, though she's visited many planets (hence the name).
When she is inserted into a rebel human body, one of the last survivors of the aliens' takeover, she never could expect this--Melanie, the host, has survived and remains in tact along with Wanderer's soul.
Melanie isn't willing to give up on surviving: she torments Wanderer with dreams and memories of another surviving human: a young man. Jared.
Wanderer soon recognizes her own feelings for this man she has never met--and leaves the ever-serene (ever-boring) world of the souls for a much more turbulent one: a camp of non-inserted humans living in the desert. Melanie's world. The Host arrives in May 2008, published by Little, Brown.
At the beginning I had such mixed feelings about the book (having read Stephenie Meyer's other series, The Twilight Series). But after a couple of pages or so--I was transfixed. An alien who falls in love with the same man as her host loves? It was fascinating--along with the fantastical descriptions of the host bodies of other planets (dragons, flowers, singing bats...it's all there, I tell you). For some reason, even though there are aliens and a few mentions of spaceships, I would classify this book more as Fantasy. But genres aside--I think I love this book EVEN MORE than the Twilight series (heresy! I know!). Once again Stephenie Meyer has dazzled us with a deeply psychological struggle. It is, without a doubt, a character story. If you're for a more plot-driven story, you might like this book too. There are more outside forces at work--and quite a few action scenes.
I think you can already tell, but, I just have to say: I love this book and was pleased once again by my favorite author. Kudos!
32 comments:
That sounds really intriguing :D I must get my hands on it...somehow, some way!!
I really want to read this. I'm not a fan of science fiction, but the premise is intriguing and it'll be cool to see Stephenie Meyer write about something other than vampies. :D
That *does* sound very interesting. So cool that you got an ARC. :)
I'd die for a ARC copy.
And, as much as I'm dying to read this...
OMG HERESEY! -points a finger- YOU MAY NOT LOVE ANYTHING MORE THAN THE TWILIGHT SERIES! xD Jk... (sorta. <.<)
This sounds actually good. I burned out on Twilight, but maybe I'll give it a try. If my library ever gets a copy.
(Lucky you and your ARC.)
Bohae: I'd send you mine, but my friend already stole it and claimed it to be hers :-( sorry.
Anidori: you must! you must!
Erin: Yes, I was very, very fortunate :-)
Nicole B: haha, I know. But The Host is very different from Twilight. Different story, different audience. I ADORE the Twilight series, but I believe the Host was more my personal style (even though I'm usually not a big fan of sci-fi).
Hwalk: please do. I recommend it!
Great, now I have ANOTHER book on my list.
:)
Thanks for the thumbs-up ... I'm not a sci-fi fan, and would have passed it over (despite the author, amazingly enough).
That book does look good ^_^ I'll have to check it out when its here.
I'm really excited for this book. That's so cool that you got an ARC. :)
After reading your review, I want to read it more.
And I see you also live in Texas, sweetness! :D
I'm so glad you liked it, Sookie! It was pretty interesting but I knew I couldn't do the review justice. :)
Really? More than Twilight?
I am definitely going to have to read when it comes out.
Thanks for the review. I read about it on Stephenie Meyer's website and wasn't sure if it sounded like something I would enjoy.
Woot! Nice review ;)
more than twilight?
GAH
I've been looking foward to this book for ages =p
lucky you and your ARC
an ARC!! lucky you!!!!
wow, you've got me extra excited for this book (almost as excited as I am for the fourth Twilight book...cuz nothings topping that one right now)
Oh! I can't wait to read it! *jumps up and down*
Yay!!! How can anything be better than Twilight?! Geeze can anything BE more amazing? Wooh! I can't wait till Tuesday!!! I have to read this!!! I dont care if its a school night!!!
The Host has been on our bookshelves for about a week now. What I shock I got when I saw 2 copies in our local bookstore. I don't know whether it was only America that had an actual release date or whether New Zealand missed the memo but nevertheless, I'm going to go buy it today!!!
i dont think it will be that good.. i'm possitive it will be a total fiasco ..i feel bad for stephenie..she should stick only with vampires.. the host will be very very bad big timee!!
nooott: I don't think it's really fair to say that an author should stick to one genre. I think Stephenie Meyer has plenty of talent, and I think she can master any genre of her choosing. The Host was a much more complicated read, but that didn't make it bad. But hey, that's just my opinion.
Hiya! I'm a former English teacher and currently writing for the Philosophy and Ethics course here in Australia - my review is posted here:
www.podblack.wordpress.com
Hope it's of interest to others who are wondering about using Meyer's work in a classroom setting!
K.S.
yes.. ive read the book already XD
i like Ian better than Jared XD
Stephenie Meyer is beyond good.
i cant wait for Breaking Dawn:)
I bought the Host, I don't know why but it seems to have come out early in Oz :S :D
The first couple of chapter are good...and then it sort of abrubtly goes a bit average, but then it starts getting better and better.
It's a really well written book, i really enjoyed it.
Can't wait for Breaking Dawn!!
UGH!!!I CANT WAIT ANY LONGER!!!!! I've been dying to read it ever since I heard it was coming out even tho I'm not a sci-fi kinda girl!!!!XD
The only bad thing is that I have 2 other books I have to read before I get it *mummurs*stupid mom wont let me get a book when i have 2 others no matter how bad I want it*end of me mummuring!*Anyways, thanks for the great review!!Now I must read like the dickens to get done with my other 2 books!!!(which are akso very good btw)
AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait until htis comes out!!
Lauren: My mom won't let me get the book either. At least not until school's out.
I don't care if I'm not into that kind of genre. Stephenie Meyer is the best author of all times.
Everybody keeps saying that THE HOST is way better that the TWILIGHT SERIES, so maybe if I read THE HOST first, it'll mess up the way I feel about the TWILIGHT SERIES and I won't enjoy BREAKIGN DAWN as much as I wanted to.
BTW< what's an ARC??
I read about this on Stephenie Meyer's website, and in the UK it has already been released. I bought it yesterday and just finished it; you're right, it really is fabulous. And I loved the descriptions of the other host worlds too - I think the See Weeds are my favourite!
I just finished reading the book and its AWESOME! I don't even know how to explain it.. I would definitely recommend this book to those who love romance mixed with sci-fi... :D
I'm so excited to read the book! she's coming to a bookstore near where i live...
i loved the twilight books so much-i'm curious to see how this book will be.
I'm about a little over a hundred and fifty words into it, and so far it's pretty amazing.
Lucky people with their ARCs :)
Stephanie Meyer is an amazing writer!!! I have yet 2 read the Host, but i have read the Twilight series and it was phenominal,so The Host is probably also very interesting (it sounds like it from ur reveiw). so yeah just wanted to say that. bye-yuh!
Hehe,
The Host Is Already Really Good, I Got It Like A Day Ago And I Am Already Sucked In :) Yeah Like Many Of The Ppl Commenting, Im Not A Sci-Fi Person Either, But Stephenie Meyer Wrote It So It Had To Be Good :P
I bought the host a day ago, and finished in straight few hours. It's so fantastic, so descriptive, and I even cried in some parts. Ah, the magic of stephenie's writing .
I bought the book about a week ago, and I'm now reading it for a 3rd time. I'm not usually the sort to reread things, so that's really saying something. I wasn't even able to reread the Twilight series, despite how awesome it was.
But The Host has completely beaten the Twilight sries, in my opinion. There are some girls in my school who refuse to read it because it's not the Twilight series.
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