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The Host
by Stephenie Meyer

The Host Cover

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Stephenie Meyer's wildly popular Twilight Saga concludes with Breaking Dawn. Join us at Powell's City of Books to celebrate the release of this long-anticipated book! On Friday, August 1, we are thrilled to host Bella's Ball, a midnight release party for Breaking Dawn.

  • Enter our costume contest for the best dressed: Bella, Edward, vampire, werewolf, and Bella and Edward as bride and groom.
  • Play Twilight Trivia or dance to a trance/dance DJ.
  • Featuring: cupcakes from Cupcake Jones, doughnuts from Voodoo Doughnut, refreshments from World Cup Coffee and Tea.
  • Easier than the vampire's way, you can donate blood at a Red Cross Blood Mobile! (Blood Mobile on-site 3:30-6:30 p.m. Blood donors receive advance placement in line. Limited space available, to pre-register contact Mark at the American Red Cross: 503-528-5608)
  • Hold your squeals of joy, all of you in the Edward or Jacob camps. We'll see you there!

Powells.com 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

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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.

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 11 comments:
sirbooksalot, July 20, 2008 (view all comments by sirbooksalot)
We are obviously all Stephanie Meyer fans, although 'Twilight' is amazing, I cannot say the same for 'The Host'. This book does not grasp the reader like 'Twilight', which makes for a longer read. Characters not as lovable either. Okay book to read while we're waiting for 'Breaking Dawn' I guess.
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presley.2010, July 17, 2008 (view all comments by presley.2010)
This book is fantastic, top-of-the-line literature. I just finished reading it yesterday, and although it is a pretty thick book and I had been reading it non-stop since I started, the last page came all too quickly for me. I wanted the story of Wanderer, Melanie, and all the people they meet on their journey to continue. Yet, at the same time, the ending fits the rhythm the author sets and keeps in the book. The plot is engrossing and the unique characters will become, like Edward and Bella, forever close to the reader's heart. Keep rockin', Stephanie Meyers.
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halofriendly, July 16, 2008 (view all comments by halofriendly)
Absolutely my favorite book of the year. I've read the Twilight series and I like it, but this doesn't compare. The depth at which I cared for and empathized with the character, Wanderer, is credited to Meyer's attention to detail, emotion, and clarity of story. I could barely put the book down while reading it...I want to write so much, but I don't want to ruin it for anyone. Let's just say, the story went in places I wasn't expecting and the ending really threw me....I highly recommend this to everyone.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780316068048
Author:
Meyer, Stephenie
Publisher:
Little Brown and Company
Author:
Stephenie Meyer
Author:
Stephenie Meyer
Subject:
Spirit possession
Subject:
Science Fiction - General
Copyright:
Edition Number:
1st
Publication Date:
May 6, 2008
Binding:
Hardcover
Language:
English
Pages:
619
Dimensions:
9.48x6.26x1.83 in. 1.95 lbs.