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The Host | 
 enlarge | Author: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Sphere
Category: Book
List Price: £14.99
Buy New: £6.49
You Save: £8.50 (57%)
New (13) Used (2) from £6.49
Avg. Customer Rating:  29 reviews
Sales Rank: 102
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 617
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
Dimensions (in): 8.7 x 5.6 x 2.1
ISBN: 1847441831
EAN: 9781847441836
ASIN: 1847441831
Publication Date: May 6, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: UK SELLER_IN STOCK_Immediate Dispatch _ Protective packing_ Tel 01908 584 386 Cover may vary
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| Customer Reviews: Read 24 more reviews...
 Original and Captivating January 2, 2009
I loved the Twilight series for Meyer's captivating writing, and though The Host is not quite as good in my opinion, it is still a very engrossing book.
Meyer strikes the right balance between the romance and other elements of the story, in particular the plot and the back-story of the "parasites".
A worthwhile read - and, although it is science-fiction, I don't think it crosses the line into the sci-fi-nerd catagory.
 Fun, but lacking in the execution January 2, 2009
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'm halfway through this novel, having raced through 300 pages since I started earlier today, and I can't decide whether I love it or hate it. It's like eating dodgy hotdogs at a fair, or going up to 95 on the dual carriageway: you know it's very wrong, but you just can't help yourself. Here is my internal dilemma, shown through the medium of a confusing list of ramblings.
1.The plot is really fun! Wanderer's tales of previous worlds are wonderfully imaginative, and there are several strategically placed mysteries to keep you turning the page.
2.The writing is atrocious! It reads like a first draft of a first novel written by a teenager who has never shown any interest in the literary form of the novel. It's clichéd and clunky and terribly naïve, and if it has been edited at all then I weep at the thought of the original version.
3.The characters are - fairly - believable, and sympathetic, and great, with the exception of the three leading dudes, who are ridiculously one-dimensional and rubbish. Why? Whyyyy?
4.It's probably about 400 pages too long. By the time I reached page 100, I felt that we were reaching the climax of a (terribly fun) story. I glanced at the remaining page count in bemusement. How can the author think of six times as much stuff to contribute, thought I. The answer is that she couldn't: the plot slows down even further, and if this had been edited by someone who knew what they were doing, the halfway point would have been at page 75. Still, there are terribly fascinating questions in need of an answer, and I don't quite detest the characters, so that's all good. Tomorrow I'll have reached the end and hopefully got this out of my system.
5.But I worry - and I think with good reason - that this is going to turn into a stomach-churning romance.
Yikes.
2/5 for the list above.
 Self insert, much? December 28, 2008
0 out of 6 found this review helpful
Say 'Melanie Stryder'.
Now say 'Stephanie Meyer'.
Keep repeating until you get it.
Please, Meyer, enough with your lame, self-inserts.
 Courtesy of Teens Read Too October 31, 2008
The book THE HOST is a lot like Stephenie Meyer's TWILIGHT saga in the fact that the whole point of the story is that love is the most important thing. What's different though is (obviously) the storyline. Yes, that is right - this story has nothing to do with vampires; instead, aliens have taken over our planet.
The time is somewhere in the future and our world is not as we know it. Instead of mass murders making headline news, there are articles on the best type of flowers to plant. The most disturbing article is that the bridge near Maple Avenue is due for a repainting. The world is full of peace and love. No one argues, no one fights, and there is not even a hint of violence in this bizarre world.
Obviously, these are not humans we are talking about.
The aliens that came to Earth would capture a human to use its body as a host. (Hence the title.) They stretch their tentacles around the nerves and "control panels" located in our heads; thus gaining complete control of the body. Unfortunately for the human, this process eliminates them. The aliens were able to gain control of almost every person this way. By continuing their host's former habits they were able to go virtually unnoticed. Luckily for humankind, there are always a few observant people that actually see things the way that they truly are
Our story is focused on Melanie and Wanda. Melanie is (or was) one of those few humans that was able to escape. Unfortunately, she was caught and because she might have information on other fugitives stuffed in her head, Wanda is put inside her. When a soul is put in a human, it has access to every memory their host might have had. Well, at least that is what is supposed to happen. Instead, Wanda reaches some "walls" within her mind. She later finds out that Melanie is still in there and kicking. She is even able to communicate with Wanda, using her (or their) thoughts.
This starts a whole new thread of events. The most important being Melanie convinces Wanda to go and look for Jared, her true love, and Jamie, her little brother. They are both labeled as "wild humans." After getting lost in the desert and nearly dying, Wanda is found by the humans and is taken to their hideout, a large cave, as a captive. She is surprised to see so many other humans still without a soul within them and even more surprised to see Jamie and Jared have made it here.
Unfortunately many, including Jared, hate Wanda for what she is and what her kind has done to their world.
At first I thought the story itself was rather lame. I mean aliens...? Come on, can't she do anything better than that? Not to mention it had an extremely slow beginning. Once they reached the caves, though, things really heated up and Ms. Myer's amazing writing skills started to really shine through. Personally, I think that if anybody else tried writing a book with this specific topic it would go down in flames, but Stephenie Meyer was able to finish it with grace and in a way that made me want her to write a sequel.
Reviewed by: Abby - The Class
Refreshing change for Meyer October 28, 2008
Was a bit nervous after being sych a huge fan of the twilight but thought i could see what else the author could come up with. interesting concept that took a while to get into and i loved how the book sucked you in so much you could tell every little emotion in each of the occupants of melanie's body. the middle dragged slightly as Wanderer didnt seem to be getting anywhere where she was but with persistaance i reached the end which i loved. all in all a great book though- definately a new experience!
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