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jimlynchIf Carl Hiaasen set one of his novels on a residential stretch of boundary line between British Columbia and Washington, or if Richard Russo's characters had relatives in the Pacific Northwest, the result might be something like Jim Lynch's Border Songs. Continue »
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The Host

by Stephenie Meyer

The Host Cover

ISBN13: 9780316068048
ISBN10: 0316068047
Condition: Standard
All Product Details

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Staff Pick

You may know Stephenie Meyer's name due to her wildly successful young adult vampire series, The Twilight Saga. She takes a break from that with her latest, The Host; touted as her first book for "adults," it's a fun science fiction novel, with just a bit of romance peppered in to keep things interesting. The title refers to alien parasites who invade earth and take over the minds of their human hosts. Meyer should win many new fans with this effort, as well as thrill her current ones.
Recommended by Danielle, Powells.com

The Host, Stephenie Meyer's first book for an adult audience, is a fascinating story of love and betrayal set against the backdrop of an alien invasion. In this thought-provoking and captivating novel, in which alien parasites take over human bodies, the reader is privy to the thoughts and emotions of one alien soul, Wanderer, and her human host, Melanie, who fights for control of their shared mind. Though Meyer borrows somewhat from other science fiction works, she creates a unique and believable world and explores the nature of love and the human spirit, all while delivering a darn good yarn.
Recommended by Lynn, Powells.com

You may know Stephenie Meyer's name due to her wildly successful young adult vampire series, The Twilight Saga. She takes a break from that with her latest, The Host; touted as her first book for "adults," it's a fun science fiction novel, with just a bit of romance peppered in to keep things interesting. The title refers to alien parasites who invade earth and take over the minds of their human hosts. Meyer should win many new fans with this effort, as well as thrill her current ones.
Recommended by Lynn, Powells.com

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

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.

Review:

"In this tantalizing SF thriller, planet-hopping parasites are inserting their silvery centipede selves into human brains, curing cancer, eliminating war and turning Earth into paradise. But some people want Earth back, warts and all, especially Melanie Stryder, who refuses to surrender, even after being captured in Chicago and becoming a host for a 'soul' called Wanderer. Melanie uses her surviving brain cells to persuade Wanderer to help search for her loved ones in the Arizona desert. When the pair find Melanie's brother and her boyfriend in a hidden rebel cell led by her uncle, Wanderer is at first hated. Once the rebels accept Wanderer, whom they dub Wanda, Wanda's whole perspective on humanity changes. While the straightforward narrative is short on detail about the invasion and its stunning aftermath, it shines with romantic intrigue, especially when a love triangle (or quadrangle?!) develops for Wanda/Melanie. 10-city author tour. (May) Editors blend speculative fiction with other genres to create anthologies with broad appeal." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"[The Host] lives up to the hype, blending science fiction and romance in a way that has never worked so well....[A] page-turner....As with her vampire novels, Meyer will make new fans of readers 'who don't read books with aliens.' Highly recommended." Library Journal (Starred Review)

Review:

"Meyer's ingenious adult-market debut....[P]ropulsive reading, laden with unforgettable, unsettling scenes....[T]his entertaining, somewhat soft-focus sf saga will only serve to broaden the penumbra of Meyer's fame." Booklist

Review:

"A clever premise and competent writing keep this from turning into a pastiche, though after a couple of hundred pages, readers may wish that just one artery would get punctured." Kirkus Reviews

Review:

"The Host is The X-Files meets Days of Our Lives. Despite some sticky-sweet dialogue, Meyer's story and characters will stoke fans of both sci fi and romance." USA Today

Review:

"As in her Twilight series, Meyer is more interested in relationships than in flashy genre conventions....The Host starts rolling again in its last hundred pages and Meyer's affirmative life lesson is disarming. If only the rest of the book had as much soul. (Grade: B)" Entertainment Weekly

Review:

"As a work of science fiction, The Host is a disappointment....This science fiction survivalist romance novel may not be rich enough to satisfy hardcore readers of any of these genres, but its mix of adventure and new love on a new Earth is just right to get lost in this summer." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Review:

"Host has a few good ideas to play with, but Meyer never gives much weight to the horror of the invasion or the philosophical problems of Wanderer's situation....Host is finally undone by its author's inability to write a single believable human character. (Grade: C)" The Onion A.V. Club

Review:

"[A] smooth, highly readable piece of pop-fiction storytelling....[L]arge numbers of grown-ups may well join in with their teenage daughters in becoming immersed in this intelligent summertime page-turner." The Portland Oregonian

Synopsis:

The author of the #1 bestselling Twilight series delivers her brilliant first novel for adults: a gripping story of love and betrayal in a future with the fate of humanity at stake. This may be the first love triangle involving only two bodies.

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About the Author

Stephenie Meyer graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English literature. After the publication of her debut novel Twilight, booksellers chose her as one of the "most promising new authors of 2005" (Publishers Weekly). She lives with her husband and three young sons in Arizona.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 18 comments:
C Horne, April 17, 2009 (view all comments by C Horne)
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.
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(2 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
fantasy_mj, February 28, 2009 (view all comments by fantasy_mj)
As a SciFi/Fantasy/Romance reader for 30+ years (but who's counting???) I looked forward to this book, especially after reading the Twilight series books a good many times (now a died in the wool 'Twilight Aunt' really). Ms. Meyers character of Wanderer pulls you in and the in-depth story of her relationships make you feel like you're right there. Definitely light on the SciFi part, other than we know Wanderer's people are alien invaders, so don't be scared if you're not a big alien fan. They are pretty much portrayed as humans. The men of the triangle remind me of the Edward/Jacob story - both men are wonderful characters in their own way, and you do love them both. I found many parallels with Twilight, and in fact occassionally wondered if I had accidentally changed books and was reading from Bella's story. Since it seemed Wanderer has the same self-sacrificing, non-violent, self-effacing, and ultimately brave and loving characterization as Bella (even a bit of the sometimes clumsy non-athleticism).
The only thing negative thing I would say is that I skimmed through the narrative quite a bit bacause of the VERY detailed descriptions of what Wanderer was seeing. (For example, I think two pages on the sound of Uncle Jeb's footsteps in the cave, the smell of the food, the movement as Jeb placed the food in 'the hole' ...went on ad nauseum. Just eat breakfast already!) The unending descriptions of the environment and Wanderer's physical observations got tiresome for me. (how many times do we need the names listed each time she entered a room and the entire crowd was named) But you can skim those parts and go on with the good stuff that's all there.
Overall, I liked the book, and I enjoyed the read. It's not likely that it's one I would read over again like I have the Twilight series.
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(3 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)
smithjes, February 23, 2009 (view all comments by smithjes)
I don't know why this novel has been labeled as "adult," its tamer than Twilight in terms of sexual tension. There are some bigger vocabulary words, but you can always look those up. I found the first act dull, but the second act fantastic; and an interesting study of the effect on morality in times of desperation. The ending is so-so, I would have liked it better without the last two chapters. There are some plot points which feel unnecessary, but you find that in the Twilight series as well. If you like Stephenie Meyer, you'll enjoy this book.
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(2 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780316068048
Author:
Meyer, Stephenie
Publisher:
Little Brown and Company
Author:
Stephenie Meyer
Subject:
Spirit possession
Subject:
Science Fiction - General
Subject:
Biological invasions
Subject:
Science fiction
Subject:
Love stories
Copyright:
Edition Number:
1st
Publication Date:
May 6, 2008
Binding:
Hardcover
Language:
English
Pages:
619
Dimensions:
9.52x6.34x1.92 in. 1.91 lbs.

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