The Host: A Novel

As I had read Meyer's Twilight Saga, I wanted to read her first novel for adults to see how different it was to her other three novels. Also the plot of The Host seemed to be very exciting and unusual. To me, the novel, however, turned out to be very boring. When I read Twilight, I was truly fascinated by the story and the easy read, so that of course I also read New Moon and Eclipse. But already New Moon showed that Meyer was trying to change her writing style from a simple one to a more sophisticated language style, which unfortunately did not work out. I was also disappointed with the way in which she developed the exciting love between Edward and Bella. To me, it looked like that she could not come up with better ideas (other than werewolves and Bella being comforted by Jake) to develop her story further. The Host appears to fall into that category that she started approaching with New Moon and Eclipse: namely that she tried to use a more sophisticated language (without managing to do so) and to have a great story but no ideas of how to develop a gripping plot. I have to admit that I just read 60 pages. I gave the book one chance after another, but boredom stayed with me right from the beginning. Before giving it up completely, I looked through the book a bit more and took a look especially at the last couple of pages, but they seemed to be as boring as the ones I had read. Meyer uses a lot of direct speech, which I do not like as much anyway, and does not really spend time on descriptions. Basically, those 60 pages that I read, consisted of dialogs between the Wanderer (which is the alien soul) and Melanie (which is the human body) or the Wanderer and others of his kind. Although it is true that through the dialogs, the reader finds out about the figures' personalities and about Melanie's brother and a guy she fell in love with, everything happens very slowly, so that I got the feeling that Meyer just wanted to fill her pages. I have given up on the book and I begin to think that especially Twilight was such a great book because of that fascinating plot and the excitement such an unusual and dangerous love causes. But I fear that The Host is the complete opposite and neither fascinating nor exciting.

I eally enjoyed this book! It was well written, easy to picture, but not overly wordy, and packed with literary goodies! I just wish it would have ended with a little more punch! I really love Stephenie Meyer! but she seems to work it to where every one wins! I wish she would have let us think that someone had died and brought her back in the NEXT book! I am also secretly hoping there really will be a next book :)
Thanks for a great read!

No vampires appear in Meyer's latest novel, instead an alien species invades our planet and eventually the bodies of the human population. In the end most of these host lose their personality but not all. Such is the case of the young human female Melanie. She fights to keep her own identity in spite of Wanderer the strong willed soul who now inhabits Mel's body.

Melanie's thoughts first come to Wanderer in dreams. These turn into a reality Wanderer can't ignore. Eventually the people Melanie love become Wanderer's loves as well. These two share one body as they seek a group of human resisters, those not infected with a host, where younger brother Jamie, and the handsome Jared are waiting. The characters are captivating and the story riveting. At 600+ pages that, for me, is saying a lot.

In desperate need of a good editor, "The Host" tells the classic body snatcher story from the view of the parasites. While the premise was interesting, nothing about the actual story is that engrossing. Apparently we are such emotional beings that our emotions cause parasites and humans alike to act irrationally at every turn. The characters are at best stereotypes. We have Jeb, the crazy yet kindly old man. The brothers, one who is kind and gentle and the other is hot-headed and mean. The women who are distrustful of the parasite because well, they should be! No one else seems too bothered by the fact that a loved one walked in all infected. She just becomes "one of the gang". The 90210 comment in the title isn't just idle banter. Seriously, all these people just needed to get a room and work it out. The audiobook's narration does absolutely nothing to help the book's cause as the narrator found it necessary to over-emote as well.

Although I've never written a review on ANYTHING before, I thought this novel deserved an honorable mention from yours truly!

Ms Meyers was able to put me right into the story and hold me there. I could almost feel Wanderer's thoughts from the alien perspective and sympathize with this parasitic species. You could understand that to Wanderer, it wasn't a war but a way of life. I could sympathize with everyone and their point of view... even Kyle.

I highly recommend 'The Host' but suggest you start on a Friday night... you won't want to put it down!