Book Review: The Host

By Sandy Amazeen May 18, 2008, 2:46 GMT

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 ...more

Humanity as we know it stands at the threshold, a parasitic alien species known as Souls have subjugated all but a few individuals as hosts. Once the Souls are inserted into the human body, they completely take over the mind, personality and essence of their host until there is nothing left of the original inhabitant. In all the worlds the Souls have traveled to, humans are the most combative, given to all forms of warfare thus providing the Souls with plenty of moral high ground for turning such a race into a peaceful people. In an effort to ferret out those few remaining “real” humans the Seekers insert a strong Soul known as the Wanderer into a young woman who attempted suicide rather then become a host. Melanie Stryder has much to live for and even the Wanderer won’t prove strong enough to keep her personality properly subdued. Almost against her better judgment, Wanderer finds herself drawn to the fond memories of a beautiful man and faces the protective instincts for a younger brother. One Seeker in particular wishes to use those annoying memories to track down the lingering pocket of human resistance yet in this, Wanderer and Melanie find common ground as they come to an understanding and begin withholding vital information. As this beautifully crafted story unfolds, Wanderer begins to appreciate Melanie and surprisingly, discover the depth of human emotions including love.

This is not an action packed, fast-paced read but rather a carefully constructed, smoothly told tale of two species coming to terms with each other, learning a great deal about themselves and others along the way. The strength and range of emotion brings the characters to life, especially the relationship between host and parasite while raising valid questions about what is best for a species, who gets to decide and what are the consequences. Meyer’s has not only created a fascinating future world but also come up with some unusual variations on the love triangle theme that will leave readers cheering. A stellar sci/fi tale that deserves more then one read to fully appreciate all its subtle nuances.