THE HOST by Stephenie Meyer (Due out May 6th. Pre-order here.)Review by Emily, head mama of DCR and yes, lucky dog.
I never thought an author could make me cry over a dying alien...but that's Stephenie Meyer for you. I mean really, how many authors do you know who could capture the heart of the world through a vampire romance? Well, The Host's plot is every bit as cheesy-sounding. Yet, there I was, crying...enthralled...unable to put it down.
The Host started out a little rough for me. It is written from the perspective of a parasitic alien who has just entered into a human body. At first, I couldn't help but be a little turned off by the sci-fi aspect of the plot...but by about page 40, I was completely sucked in. Stephenie Meyer is talented at taking an out-there plot and making it ridiculously compelling and romantic.
As it says on the back of the book, this could very well be the first-ever love triangle that involves only two bodies.
Wanderer has lived on 9 different worlds and never found anything or anyone that would tie her down. She finds Earth to be the hardest, yet most intriguing, place she has ever lived. The hosts are so individualized. So emotional. They are strong. They fight. Wanderer feels weak because she can't completely get rid of her host body's original spirit...Melanie.
Wanderer remembers Melanie's memories, feels Melanie's emotions...and loves the man Melanie loves. But loving him means betraying her own species and way of life.
Many readers probably want to know if The Host is as good as Twilight. Well, probably not. Is it worth reading, though? Absolutely. It's full of adventure, mystery, romance, pain, family love, and turmoil.
A couple things I didn't love about The Host. First of all, I was disappointed with all the typos. Of course, it was an ARC, so hopefully they'll get most of those smoothed out before the release date.
Secondly, I'm not totally convinced that Wanderer ends up with the right guy. Of course, I'm not going to give anything away. Besides, The Host is reportedly the first in a trilogy, so anything could happen, right?
And, finally, be warned, Stephenie Meyer continues to use her smattering of "dang" words. Other than that, this book is a clean read.
On her website, Stephenie Meyer says this of The Host...."Despite its genre, The Host is a very human story. There aren't any gadgets, ray guns, time warps, black holes, spaceships (okay, there are a few spaceships mentioned), or any of the other sci-fi standards. It all takes place on the planet earth in the present day and is, at its core, a love story (I can't stay away from the romance, I'm a sap)."
I agree with this assessment, although I had my doubts at first. I mean, really, who would cry over an alien unless it was a pretty human story, right?
I am very much looking forward to reading this book!
ReplyDeleteI'm excited about this book! Though good grief, I'm so tired of Meyer's "dang" words. "Holy crow!" makes me sigh and shake my head every time.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow-- the plot sounds terrific, so I'm going to nab it ASAP when it comes out :)
I actually liked The Host a lot more than Twilight and the others in that series. Wanderer is a darkly funny character, and (as discussed here, among many other things) Bella isn't all that likeable; she doesn't stand up for herself at all, and her relationship with Edward isn't exactly healthy. Wanderer, on the other hand, tries to stick to her beliefs but at the same time is so naive.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious; where did you hear that it was the first in a trilogy? I don't see anything about it on Meyer's website.
Tap,
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I can't find anything very official that says the Host will be a trilogy. Wikipedia claims that Meyer said it is the first in a trilogy, as well as many blogs and websites, but it certainly could be a rumor.
It's great to hear that you liked The Host even better than the Twilight series. I agree that Wanderer is a stroner, more likeable character than Bella.
The reason I do not like The Host as much, is because I didn't feel the romance in it as much. Of course, not everyone is in it for the sappiness, so I'm so glad you weighed in.
Ugh. Make that stronger not stroner.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to start getting ARC of books like this. I'm jealous. I've already had this on hold at the library for 4-6 weeks and I'm number 200-something and it's not even released yet! I hope it can live up to the hype.
ReplyDeleteI'm not much for romance but I really liked the Twilight series and this one sounds just as good. It's funny, I didn't even notice the "dang" words. But I say dang myself. My kids make fun of me. I bet the next Meyer's book I read, I will notice all of them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review! I can't wait to read The Host. I love DCR, and get many-a-good idea for books here.
ReplyDeleteFinally got a copy of the Host. I liked it so much more than Twilight. Wanderer is someone to be admired and Bella just needs a good slap.
ReplyDeleteI liked this book a lot, maybe more than the Twilight books, though it's hard to say because I like them both in different ways. I liked Wanderer better than Bella, certainly, but THE HOST is a different kind of story. I think anyone who likes the way Meyer can tell stories will like both.
ReplyDeletei just finished reading The Host today. I did read slower at first, but then I picked up speed. Today I blew through 300 pages. The family dynammic is really interesting.
ReplyDeleteI disagree a bit. . . I do think that Melanie ends up with the right man.
And with the way Meyer ended the book, there's definitely going to be at least one more to follow. I don't know where she comes up with so much material!
Loved this book. It's so different from the Twilight series, but it was written by Stephenie so it's the same form of writting. Probably why I like it so much.
ReplyDeleteI just finished reading The Host yesterday, and it was honestly incredible! I really wasn't looking forward to it much, all give you that. But once I got started reading up to the 20th page I seriously couldn't and wouldn't put it down. Remind me never to dout Stephenie Meyer again. I really hope she makes a series (heard the second book is going to called "The Soul")-or it could be a rumor....
ReplyDeleteI loved The Host!
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