The Host (Stepheine Meyer)

THE HOST was truly one of the best novels I've read in my life. I'm a moderate fan of Stephenie Meyer, meaning that I like some of her Twilight books, but only barely - they're a silly guilty pleasure. I picked up THE HOST expecting yet another thoughtless read to snuggle up with and giggle at, but I certainly wasn't expecting anything spectacular. I thought the protagonist would be a Bella Swan remake in a futuristic universe. I was not expecting Wanderer, or Melanie Stryder, the two strongest, most intriguing and spellbinding characters that Meyer has ever created. Earth has been invaded by Souls - strange, kind-hearted aliens who had taken over dozens of planets, each one different and unique. They live in an impossible utopia which used to be our planet, taking our human bodies as their hosts so they can survive. Nearly all of the human species had been subjectified to the invasion of the souls. But some have not, and Wanderer, an experienced soul that had earned respect... Read more

Melanie, Wanda, Jarred, Jamie, Jeb, Ian, and Kyle are just a few of the people that I grew to know and love while consumed in Stephenie Meyer fictitious world in "The Host". Not since Stephen King's "The Stand" have I wanted so much to get back to a novel! It is a good sci-fi book, with no hard science but a lot of great speculative fiction. The parasitic aliens in this novel reminded me of a cross between Stargate's "Goa'uld" and Star Trek Deep Space Nine's "Trills." The "Souls" are a symbiont race capable of living multiple lives on multiple plants. Although the idea is not original, it does give us a more in-depth perception of the conflict between a host and a soul. I listened to the audio book (audible download) and it was a very enjoyable. The narrator, Kate Reading (how ironic :-), was awesome. I loved it!

I like this book ok, But it was very slow in the beginning; dreadfully so. However once it started to take off It became a very entertaining read. It is a bit too long but I was still recommend it.