| The Host: A Novel |  | Author: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Category: Book
List Price: $14.99
Buy New: $10.19
You Save: $4.80 (32%)
Rating:  623 reviews
Sales Rank: 126615
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 528
ISBN: 0316068055
EAN: 9780316068055
ASIN: 0316068055
Publication Date: February 1, 2009 (In 117 Days)
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Not yet published
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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 618 more reviews...
 One of the most original reads I've come across October 7, 2008
I bought this book after reading the first two books of Meyer's Twilight Series, and after reading on the author's site that The Host was "science fiction for those who don't like science fiction."It may well have been the best decision I made all summer.
To begin with, the premise of the novel is itself more original than Twilight and its sequels, or even much of what is on the shelves today. We've all seen movies and read stories about invasions, of extra-terrestrials and the like--they are always bad and always a threat to our way of life. But Meyer offers us the chance to see what such an event would be like from the perspective of the "invader," who might not be so bad after all.
The dual perspectives, emotions, and thoughts of both The Wanderer and her host, Melanie Stryder, present readers with a complex, but remarkably real conflict that focuses not on science fiction and fantasy, but rather on the existence of our souls, our consciences, and our humanity.
Survival is a major theme here, not only in terms of the physical body, but of our too-often taken-for-granted ways of life. Melanie and the Wanderer are thrust into a world which neither is accustomed too, and yet they must both learn to live, love, and exist together in order to make it through each day. The Host is also a story of acceptance and unconditional love, both of which must exist in order for humanity to go on.
I found I could not put this 600+ page novel down, not even for a second. The content does focus primarily on emotions and thoughts of the characters, but it is also interesting to see how Meyers chooses to juxtapose the bare-minumum world of her strong-willed survivors with the technologically-advanced world they managed to escape from.
I highly recommend The Host to everyone, as it is an interesting statment on the human condition, allowing us as readers to ponder "what would we do?" if we were in a similar situation. I laughed, I cried, I prayed for a 'happy' ending. Meyer has the wonderful ability of presenting the gray matter of an issue in what, at first glance, would seem to be solely black and white. Despite all of the characters' flaws--or maybe because of them--you hope for the best case scenarios for each of them.
I must say, this book is better than all of Meyer's other novels, put together. Five stars for this one, hands down.
I could not put it down! October 7, 2008
One of the few books I've read that I literally could not put it down. It starts off a bit hard to follow, but stick with it and you go on quite the journey. I would love there to be a part 2!
An imaginative and layered story October 7, 2008
In The Host, Stephenie Meyer has written an imaginative and layered story. On the surface, it's about aliens and the human struggle to survive against the odds, but it goes much deeper than that. This book had me thinking a lot about what makes us human, both the good and the bad, the destructive power of hate, and the power love has to change and heal. Even in terrible circumstances, we can choose our response. Do we give in to hate or choose love in spite of it? The characters drive the story, and Meyer has developed characters that I grew to care about deeply as they struggled with external circumstances and internal questions. What makes us who we are? What is humanity? Simply being human or is it more? What would we do for the ones we love?
A fun and engrossing read October 7, 2008
I love fantasy and science fiction, I don't like science fiction that has so many technical terms that you don't quite grasp half the novel... Stephenie Meyer creates an alternate world that is intriguing and complex, but doesn't require the reader to have various PhDs to fully appreciate what she's created. A real page turner, I couldn't put it down. It's cliche, but I laughed and cried and was very very sad when it was over. I am a Stephenie Meyer fan, and was a little worried that I wouldn't like this as much as I loved her Twilight series but was not disappointed at all, I loved this book!
Even better than the Twilight Saga October 6, 2008
I couldn't stop reading the Twilight Saga--read all 4 books in less than 3 weeks. I must say that The Host is better than the entire story arc of the Twilight Saga. I am looking forward to the sequels. I read on Stephenie's website that she already had 2 sequals in mind for The Host. Sadly, I will have to WAIT till she writes them!
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