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The Host: A Novel | 
 enlarge | Author: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Category: Book
List Price: $25.99
Buy New: $8.50
You Save: $17.49 (67%)
New (79) Used (33) Collectible (8) from $8.50
Rating:  628 reviews
Sales Rank: 67
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 624
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.9
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 5.6 x 2.1
ISBN: 0316068047
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780316068048
ASIN: 0316068047
Publication Date: May 6, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW BOOK NEVER READ!!!!!!
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Amazon.com Review
Amazon Best of the Month, May 2008: Stephenie Meyer, creator of the phenomenal teen-vamp Twilight series, takes paranormal romance into alien territory in her first adult novel. Those wary of sci-fi or teen angst will be pleasantly surprised by this mature and imaginative thriller, propelled by equal parts action and emotion. A species of altruistic parasites has peacefully assumed control of the minds and bodies of most humans, but feisty Melanie Stryder won't surrender her mind to the alien soul called Wanderer. Overwhelmed by Melanie's memories of fellow resistor Jared, Wanderer yields to her body's longing and sets off into the desert to find him. Likely the first love triangle involving just two bodies, it's unabashedly romantic, and the characters (human and alien) genuinely endearing. Readers intrigued by this familiar-yet-alien world will gleefully note that the story's end leaves the door open for a sequel--or another series. --Mari Malcolm
Product Description
The author of the Twilight series of # 1 bestsellers delivers her brilliant first novel for adults: a gripping story of love and betrayal in a future with the fate of humanity at stake.
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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 45 more reviews...
 Exciting and Thought-Provoking Post-Invasion Story May 6, 2008
SciFiChick (Fishers, IN USA)
250 out of 275 found this review helpful
It's been years since parasitic aliens calling themselves "Souls" have invaded Earth and taken over. Once a "Soul" is placed in a human host, the alien takes over and suppresses the human's mind. But when Wanderer awakes in her new body, she finds that her human host isn't so easily overcome. Melanie, her younger brother, and the man that she loves have been in hiding; and she'll do anything to get back to them, even resist the alien parasite that has taken over her body.
The parasitic "Souls" are easy to dislike at first. But Meyer has given the alien race such a rich and colorful backstory that is truly fascinating. And Wanderer is a unique "Soul" who soon finds herself caring for the same people as her host, and finding herself torn between ties to her own people and the humans.
It's been a long time since I've read such a stirring, science fiction tale that has made me go through so many emotions. The Host is a deep and beautiful story, and very different from Meyer's popular, young adult series. This is a rare story that made me stop and think about the choices that are made and what I would do in their place. Intense, exciting, dramatic, and inspiring, I'd highly recommend this novel to any reader, not only science fiction fans.
A Fascinating Story! May 6, 2008
Jake Chism (Krum, TX USA)
129 out of 144 found this review helpful
In the future Earth has been taken over by a unique alien species. The infiltration was slow and undetected until it was too late. Now these aliens, known as Souls, live inside human bodies, which act as hosts for the invading parasites. Usually when a Soul is placed in a new host it is able to take full control of the body, pushing aside any remnant of the human consciousness that once lived inside.
After a Soul named Wanderer is inserted into her new host she soon realizes something isn't right. It seems the human who once inhabited this body refuses to give in and die. Melanie Stryder wants no part of Wanderer and is doing everything she can to fight back. Even though Wanderer controls the body, nothing she does is able to quench Melanie's spirit. She is always there, in her head, so to speak.
As time goes by Melanie's memories become Wanderer's and soon she finds herself longing for the people that meant so much to her host. Melanie left behind her brother and the man she loves, and now Wanderer has developed those same feelings. Soon Wanderer and Melanie begin working together to track down Melanie's loved ones, all the while being careful that they don't lead the other Souls to the humans who are in hiding. When they finally do find them, they must figure out a way to live peacefully with a group of humans who have grown to hate Souls. Emotions flare and relationships are tested in agonizing ways as two lives must share one body and as enemies must learn to co-exist and survive.
Stephenie Meyer has taken the publishing world by storm with her groundbreaking young adult Twilight series. The Host is her first stand alone adult novel and millions of readers are anxiously waiting to see how it stacks up. Having never read any of the Twilight books, I didn't know what to expect from a Stephenie Meyer novel. What I found was a fascinating story that is really unlike anything I have ever read.
While this story certainly has sci-fi elements, it is not what most would consider hard-core sci-fi. Meyer focuses more on the relationships of the characters and the intriguing dilemma of two lives sharing one body. Much of the book deals with Melanie and Wanda's complicated love triangle with Melanie's old flame and Wanda's new love interest. There is action and suspense laced throughout, and Wanda's relationship with the surviving humans is tension filled to the max. The novel's real strength lies in the character of Wanda as she is constantly pulled between her duty as a Soul and the compassion she develops from her connection with Melanie and the other humans. Indeed, Wanda is the most human character of them all.
Meyer's writing is top-notch throughout and never lags despite the massive page count. Readers who expect a fast paced storyline wrapped up in a mere 100,000 words may be disappointed. However, those who enjoy a steady paced tale that slowly builds into a powerful and emotional ending will love The Host. In the end we are left with just the right amount of closure, but also with a little taste of what is to come. I can only hope Stephenie Meyer will continue this incredible saga she has begun.
Hooked! July 31, 2008
Pamela Patterson (Plano, Texas USA)
8 out of 10 found this review helpful
One hundred pages into this book I was hooked! Totally! I don't usually read Sci-Fi books so I resisted this read for awhile. However, I'm a HUGE fan of Stephenie Meyer and her Twilight Series (awaiting my Sat. arrival of Breaking Dawn!), so I gave it a try.
Other reviewers have outlined the story. I will say that, once again, Meyer has drawn such amazing characters that the reader cares about them, human or non-human. She's a wonderful storyteller with an amazing character development ability.
Heavy reading? No. However, if you enjoy good story telling and believable characters (yes, aliens, vampires and werewolves are believable in Meyer's hands) then you will enjoy The Host.
The best novel I have read in years! May 28, 2008
Brandon Witt--redbirdboy (Denver, Co United States)
16 out of 21 found this review helpful
I started reading The Host with excited trepidation. I love Meyer's Twilight series. I never seem to get enough vampires and werewolves, from books and movies. I have read her series, thus far, multiple times. I was thrilled to find out Meyers was writing another novel in addition to continuing her Twilight series. However, when I saw that it was about aliens, I was worried. I typically find alien fiction boring and repetitive. So, I was prepared to be disappointed with The Host. I was especially nervous after reading a few reviews that talked about the beginning and other sections being slow and losing their interest. I am not sure what book they were reading. The Host sucked me in from the first page and never slowed down. Literally. As I haven't read much alien fiction maybe that is why some of the ideas in The Host caught me as so original and fascinating. The Host quickly became one of my favorite, most enjoyable books I have ever read. Even more than the Twilight series. The areas that I find lacking in that series are strengths in The Host. While I love the story lines and details in Meyer's first books, I often find some of the characters weak or one dimensional (Bella and Edward, namely--even though I still love them). All the characters in The Host are phenomenal, constantly changing, struggling, real. Even the ones you hate, you can understand and sympathize with. Often when I am reading a novel, I have a few possible endings or conclusions that float through my head. Most of the time, one of those are the ending that actually occurs. With The Host, it wasn't until the last fifty or so pages that I was able to form any type of conclusion that made sense, I had no idea how it could possibly end up, until the story actually started to wind down. It made the reading process so much more enjoyable to me. Truly the mark of excellent writing and story telling. While Meyers could definitely write a sequel, I hope that she doesn't. This is one of the few stories that I really find to be nearly perfect in the state it is in. This will be a novel that I read again and again. I can not wait to see what else Meyers brings us. Her talent is growing and solidifying with every undertaking.
The Host Delivers July 3, 2008
Tamela Mccann (Nashville, TN USA)
14 out of 16 found this review helpful
Stephenie Meyer's The Host is set in an alternative Earth, one in which parasitic aliens have invaded and taken over humans' bodies and minds. The aliens, known as souls, actually feel that their coming to Earth is a good thing for both themselves (because they cannot survive without a host body) and for Earth itself since the humans have so misused the planet and one another. As the book opens, we meet Wanderer, a soul who has already lived eight lifetimes on other planets and has begun her ninth life inside a young female human named Melanie. Wanderer expects things to go as they always have on other planets: she will take over the host body and the host itself will "fade" as she takes over. Unfortunately for Wanderer, Melanie refuses to leave and the two conflicting personalities must learn to coexist.
With over 600 pages, The Host could have been rambling, yet it has a story that kept me turning the pages (and even, I confess, peeking ahead to see how things would be going!). As Melanie and Wanderer come to a sort of truce, Melanie brings the alien to a secret hideaway of underground caves where a few rebellious humans have managed to escape the invasion and are making a life for themselves. To say that Wanderer is unwelcome is an understatement; yet the fact that she inhabits Melanie's body provides the link to Melanie's younger brother and her boyfriend, Jared. Wanderer, eventually renamed Wanda, starts to become an integral part of the community, and through her relationships, she begins to understand that her species should not have taken over Earth, whatever their gentle reasons. But how can Melanie and Wanda continue to live in one body, and what will happen once the Seeker who is desperately looking for her finds her? Will Wanda ever be accepted into the community fully, or will her history as a soul interfere forever?
I absolutely loved this book. I loved that Wanda the alien was so sympathetic, and I loved the humans' determination to avoid assimilation. The relationships are so intricate and real; I could feel the emotions both for and against accepting an alien into the small underground community. The characters are very realistically written; it would have been much too trite to have everyone either hate or love Wanda, and the amount of time it takes for her be "accepted" felt genuine. I was on the edge of my seat frequently as I awaited outcomes of dangerous missions, and I found myself near tears at losses, and yes, even acceptances. Ms. Meyer has created an entirely believable world peopled with flawed characters who found their way into my soul (pun intended). Highly recommended for action, emotional punch, and plain ole good storytelling.
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