Review: The Host by Stephanie Meyer

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. Earth has been invaded by a species that takes over the minds of 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.




Title: The Host 
Series: The Host #1
Published: May 6th 2008 by Little Brown and Company
ISBN: 0316068047 (ISBN13: 9780316068048)
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I'm beginning to regret not reading this book when I had the chance years ago. When I had first heard the plot of the story, I didn't expect it to be good. I mean seriously, aliens? Since the movie is coming out, I decided to read the book before everybody spoiled everything. Now, I am so happy that I did decide to read it! Stephanie Meyer has definitely done better in this book compared to the Twilight series (Not that I don't like those books too).

Might just be me, but that trailer gets me really excited for the movie. Seems like it's going to be good!

The story starts off with a girl in the hospital, waking up from her insertion from her newest host. She takes on the name Wanderer because she has never really had a home. While the average soul only lives in two or three worlds before deciding where they wanted to live, Wanderer has been to nine, and is currently at a new planet: Earth. Normally, changing hosts has never been a problem for her, but everything changes when this human host, Melanie, decides to stay around and put up a fight.

Wanderer wasn't your usual heroine who is strong and will to fight anything to gets in her way. No, she was self-sacrificing and refused to lift a finger even when others tried to harm her. It was admirable really, that after someone tries to kill her, she decides to save his life, and then when others ask what had happened, she lies and says she fell. She refused to let any human die, despite the fact there were many humans there who wanted her dead.

My favorite aspect of this book wasn't the romance, but the love that grew between Wanderer and Melanie, even though they got under each other's skin...literally. Eventually, the two girls learn to help each other after being thrust into a world with what was left of the human race, hiding from the aliens, and the fondness Wanderer begins to feel for Earth.

“After all the planets and all the hosts you've left behind, you've finally found the place and the body you'd die for. I think you've found your home, Wanderer.” 

I've only read one other alien series before this, so this book was definitely an original concept for me. It was interesting, it made me cry, sometimes I wish I could strangle people in the book, and it made me laugh. The story was well worth my time, and whenever the rest of the series comes out, I will be sure to read it!

"A room without books is like a body without a soul." -Marcus Tullius Cicero
Book Nerd and Proud,
C.J.