The Host: A Novel
by Stephenie Meyer
Paperback- $11.55

The phenomenal #1 bestseller is now a major motion picture: "Startling and addictive. . . . An epic story of love, family, and loyalty." -

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Member ratings

 
  "Outstanding!! Obsessed with it long after I finished it... hoping there will be a sequel!!" by sarcastic4 (see profile) 01/21/09

Aliens have taken over the planet... I know, I know... READ IT ANYWAY! It's fabulous!

 
  "drags on too much" by rosalia (see profile) 02/05/09

Sci-Fi reading for those who have no interest in it.

Drags on a bit too much in the end.

She could have made the book shorter.

 
  "Ok but not for group read" by katemurphy (see profile) 07/18/09

Maybe I'm not a fan of sci fi novels which is what I would qualify this as, but I had a very hard time reading this as did the rest of the group. I ended up finishing it on my own, and enjoyed the just of the book, I just wouldn't recommend it for a group read.

 
  "The Host by Stephenie Meyer" by propserina (see profile) 01/18/10

Initially, The Host doesn’t seem at all interesting to me; I believe a feeling of utter disappointment best described my feeling at the time. The main character, Wanderer, was dull and I was waiting for the voice in her head Melanie would take over, in hind sight I find this extremely hilarious. When Melanie leads Wanderer into the desert my interest begins to peak. I wanted to be lead to this promise of love (Jared) and strong family connection (Jamie).
This novel took a turn when I was lead into the underground caverns with a society of human survivors. I became bonded and protective of Wanderer and found the strong Melanie very bland. The relationship created with this “parasite” is surprising and endearing.
Although the author‘s story is slow coming it is not disappointing. It was actually very entertaining.

 
  "Tracy Strassburg" by tracystrassburg (see profile) 03/29/10

 
  "Good read" by CallieMN (see profile) 05/15/10

Sci-Fi, unlike my typical reading selection. I enjoy survival tales, and this was an interesting read. Starts slow, but give it a try.

 
  "Great!" by maclemme (see profile) 05/25/10

Really like this book, easy to read and hard to put down.

 
  "The Host" by MStanlis (see profile) 08/27/10

Loved the book! It was a real page turner for me. I couldn't put it down. It was very well written, maybe a tad slow for some in the beginning but well worth reading it till the end. The ending was left open ....maybe for another book? I hope so!!

 
  "The Host" by Neyly (see profile) 11/13/10

I wasn't sure I'd like the book, not being much of a science fiction fan. However, I found it hard to put down. My daughter read it at the same time and we argued over whose turn it was to have the book. Note that the book both in content and style is quite different than Meyer's Twilight series. Don't pick it up thinking you'll get more Edward, Bella, et al. For what it's worth, both my daughter and I liked it better than the Twilight books.

 
  "The Host" by Kandee (see profile) 01/03/11

I had much more fun with the Twilight books.

 
  "The Host" by Kelly321 (see profile) 12/30/11

There were a few surprising opinions/thoughts that came from the reading of this book. Since science fiction isn't everyone's favourite genre to read, some went into this book quite hesitantly. That being said, the book seemed to
really be about humanity and asked questions such as: What is it that makes us , us? Are we more physical beings, or spiritual, or emotional? When you fall in love with someone, who/what are you actually falling in love with? Can they be separated?

We discussed the under tones of accepting abuse and found them hard to understand, given that the readers are primarily young females and asked ourselves what kind of example this was setting? Stephenie Meyer once again used the "older" male for the female character to feel safe, and loved adding to the perceived power imbalance in the relationship(s).

Despite some of our reservations about The Host, we found the book to be more than just a "sci-fi" book based on our discussions and reactions to the content.

 
  "So Unique" by erinpatrice (see profile) 01/23/12

I adored this book. It was such a fun read. You fall in love with every character and get drawn into their world so quickly. The imagery is amazing and I just loved reading it!

 
  "The Host" by JennOBri (see profile) 03/18/13

This was a fun easy read....just plain fantasy, but well written

 
  "A Fun and Interesting Book on What It Truly Means to Be Human" by RockinRenee (see profile) 04/30/13

I agree with the other reviewer, who says this is a fast and fun read, but I disagree with the idea that it is nothing but pure fantasy. I think Meyer actually has something to say here (unlike in Twilight). The Host, despite all the romance and dramatic alien invasion, explores what being human truly means (beyond the mere physical facts of the species). Are we beasts with big brains (as the aliens seem to believe at first) or are we something higher than that? Is our nature cruelty or kindness? Which is stronger, our physical needs or our emotional needs? The most interesting thing about this book, in my opinion, is the fact that it is told from the alien's perspective. We get to see our species through the eyes of a stranger and invader. I highly recommend this to anyone, whether they are into literary books or just a fun read.

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