The Host by Stephanie Meyer review

*Update!!  The Host is coming to paperback April 13th!


It is available for pre-order now in paperback, and the new version comes with some exciting additions:

New, never-before-published “bonus chapter”
An interview with Stephenie
Discussion topics and questions
Stephenie’s annotated playlist

According to The Host Fan, the extra chapter "is something Stephenie wrote when she was working with the film producers – it was a scene that Stephenie always had in her head, but it couldn’t appear in the book because her narrator was unconscious at the time. The 'omitted' chapter would, chronology-wise, fall in between Chapter 58 and 59 of The Host."

The site notes that this is the period of transition for Wanda between Melanie's body and Pet's.

This book was amazing! A very inventive, thoughtful, clever, and powerful read. At first, I was not expecting much. The first few chapters were a little slow, and I'm so glad I was patient. Before I knew it, I was serving sandwich's for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My husband even came to me with this sad look in his eyes, asking me if this was how life was going to be from now on. There needs to be a balance in your life, he says. I told him I would try and find that balance. I hope to honor my word.

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans, is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelmimg emotions, the glut of senses, 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.

Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind 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 begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

One of the most compelling writers of our time, Stephanie Meyer brings us a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence love and the very essence of what it means to be human.

I loved this book. I didn't get much sleep. I admit that I haven't read the Twilight series and I know, I've been told that they are excellent. Stephanie Meyer has a way telling the story she is writing in such a phenomenal way that you catch yourself holding your breath at times. I will definitely read her other novels, she writes with such passion and excitement. Not to mention the imagination!

Parents:  This novel was actually written for adults, but with the Twilight craze that's out there, they will probably want to read this too.  What's strange is that this book is much milder than the Twilight Series.  To get the full content review, check out Parental Book Reviews.

~Amy