The Host: A Novel | 
 enlarge | Author: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Category: Book
List Price: $25.99
Buy New: $13.50
You Save: $12.49 (48%)
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Rating:  380 reviews
Sales Rank: 25
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 624
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.9
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.5 x 2.1
ISBN: 0316068047
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780316068048
ASIN: 0316068047
Publication Date: May 6, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: ALL orders shipped with delivery confirmation!
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
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 375 more reviews...
 BEST EVER! July 4, 2008
Rebecca Eshelman
OMG you must read this book! it was the best ever. I love stephenie's book, but this was the best yet.
 Never got the book July 3, 2008
Lorena Torres (Plano, Texas USA)
0 out of 6 found this review helpful
I still don't have the book. I order it on May 31 it is now July 3 and NO BOOk!!:( I sent an email to the seller and no responce yet! Not proffesional at all.
 Great book July 3, 2008
Kristen Ring (GA)
I do agree that this book is a little slow to get into, but once it gets going I couldn't put it down. I would definitely recommend this to a friend and I would reread this in the future. Great character development throughout the book. This is a great book and shows that Meyer is not just a young adult writer, but a great adult writer as well. I can't wait to see what else she has for adult books.
 Good, but not great. July 3, 2008
B. H. Staite (Adelaide, SA, Australia)
Well...
It was a nice book, and a good read, but...
I was never really engaged in it - I mean, sure I wanted know what would happen in the end, but if someone had told me to put the book down before I read the last few pages - I would have kindly obliged.
It's nice to see Steph Meyer having a go at something other than twilight - but seriously, (and I thought this when reading the twilight series) it's a great idea - but nothing happened throughout it - there was no major twists and turns, no ups and downs that make the ending interesting - and seriously - the best endings are not always the happy ones - and this definitely applies to this story. Really - I absolutely love the twilight series because of its fantastic love story - but the best ending so far has been her first book Twilight - where the readers were left wanting more, yet even that was rather dull - to sum it up - guy and girl fall in love throughout the majority of the book (somewhat interestingly) then big event at the end when girl is almost killed, but things soon return to good old lovely dovely romance... The only thing this serious has going for it is the conflict between a vampire and a human when they fall in love, and the rest of the books just seem to follow on the story. For 'The Host' I thought it was a really good idea, just like the vampire/human idea is, but it took a while to get started, and by the time I'd reached the last couple of chapters, I realized it would never really take off. Although the ending does have a bit of a climax at the end (just like the twilight series) - it felt only like a single ripple in the sea on an incredibly calm day - barley noticeable, and certainly not a wave. And then everything went back to being lovely dovely and even better than before- sorry Steph, but that story ended for me long before I turned the last page.
So - yes I liked it, it was a great idea, and i was intrigued to know how things worked...
but i thought it was a bit bland and boring - a ripple of drama at the end of a book does not make a good book-
and seriously (as above)
'the best endings are not always the happy ones.'
Happy Reading.
The Host Delivers July 3, 2008
Tamela Mccann (Nashville, TN USA)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Stephenie Meyer's The Host is set in an alternative Earth, one in which parasitic aliens have invaded and taken over humans' bodies and minds. The aliens, known as souls, actually feel that their coming to Earth is a good thing for both themselves (because they cannot survive without a host body) and for Earth itself since the humans have so misused the planet and one another. As the book opens, we meet Wanderer, a soul who has already lived eight lifetimes on other planets and has begun her ninth life inside a young female human named Melanie. Wanderer expects things to go as they always have on other planets: she will take over the host body and the host itself will "fade" as she takes over. Unfortunately for Wanderer, Melanie refuses to leave and the two conflicting personalities must learn to coexist.
With over 600 pages, The Host could have been rambling, yet it has a story that kept me turning the pages (and even, I confess, peeking ahead to see how things would be going!). As Melanie and Wanderer come to a sort of truce, Melanie brings the alien to a secret hideaway of underground caves where a few rebellious humans have managed to escape the invasion and are making a life for themselves. To say that Wanderer is unwelcome is an understatement; yet the fact that she inhabits Melanie's body provides the link to Melanie's younger brother and her boyfriend, Jared. Wanderer, eventually renamed Wanda, starts to become an integral part of the community, and through her relationships, she begins to understand that her species should not have taken over Earth, whatever their gentle reasons. But how can Melanie and Wanda continue to live in one body, and what will happen once the Seeker who is desperately looking for her finds her? Will Wanda ever be accepted into the community fully, or will her history as a soul interfere forever?
I absolutely loved this book. I loved that Wanda the alien was so sympathetic, and I loved the humans' determination to avoid assimilation. The relationships are so intricate and real; I could feel the emotions both for and against accepting an alien into the small underground community. The characters are very realistically written; it would have been much too trite to have everyone either hate or love Wanda, and the amount of time it takes for her be "accepted" felt genuine. I was on the edge of my seat frequently as I awaited outcomes of dangerous missions, and I found myself near tears at losses, and yes, even acceptances. Ms. Meyer has created an entirely believable world peopled with flawed characters who found their way into my soul (pun intended). Highly recommended for action, emotional punch, and plain ole good storytelling.
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