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The Host (The Host, #1)

Stephenie Meyer

Start date: March 1, 2013

Finish date: March 31, 2013

Why we're reading this: It won the poll for the March random BOTM.
[close] It won the poll for the March random BOTM.

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What Members Thought

Jan 16, 2013 Ripley Patton rated it really liked it

The really weird thing is that it took me until almost the end of the book to realize I'd read it before. And I'm pretty sure I loved it the first time, so I'm not sure why I didn't remember.

Anyway, I liked this book much more than Meyer's "other series". It was so much for complex and with more interesting rounded characters.

I love Melanie, so strong and amazing. Wanderer is just this fantastic character who grows and changes convincingly throughout, and the "body snatcher" alien situation is j ...more

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Mar 15, 2009 Reno rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary-fiction

It took me about two weeks to read "The Host" by Stephanie Meyer. It took me quite a while to get through the first 100 pages. I just honestly didn't understand what was going on besides the fact a soul was now in a human body. What was a Seeker? Healer? Who cares! So I didn't open the book again until a week later, still stuck on page 84.

As I got more into it, I slowly realized the error of my ways. The first 100 pages were crucial in setting up the rest of the book. The dichotomy of Melanie a It took me about two weeks to read "The Host" by Stephanie Meyer. It took me quite a while to get through the first 100 pages. I just honestly didn't understand what was going on besides the fact a soul was now in a human body. What was a Seeker? Healer? Who cares! So I didn't open the book again until a week later, still stuck on page 84.

As I got more into it, I slowly realized the error of my ways. The first 100 pages were crucial in setting up the rest of the book. The dichotomy of Melanie and Wanda grew on me. How Meyer's set this book up made me, the reader, pull for Wanda to make it through, even if she is one of the Souls.

But that was the trick. Since I am a human reader, I brought my human bias into this book. I sided with the humans and I thought of the invaders just like the humans in the book did - the Souls were savages and Wanda was just an unusual exception.

In my opinion, the love story of Wanda and Ian trumps the love of Melanie and Jared. Ian looking past the physical mask and seeing Wanda for the caring and unselfish being that defined her personality gave me hope for mankind. Even Melanie says she wasn't as good a being as Wanda and I would have to agree. The discovery of The Seeker's unusual behavior gave me that "I should of known" slap on the forehead. Of course, I'm so human, I'm too limited to see beyond my human point of view right?

After finishing the book, I re-read the first 50 pages and it made a whole lot more sense to me. Yes! I'm not a complete idiot! I see the foresight in the author's writing.

And since I'm so human, I speculate a sequel. The ending just screamed sequel - but maybe that's just a side effect of my humanness? I wonder if one of the Souls would feel the same way?

If someone asked me if I liked the book, I would probably say yes. If they asked me if I enjoyed it, I know I would say yes. I just know it's probably not for everybody, but for this reader, it gave me goosebumps.

Stephanie Meyer, thanks for making me question my whole human perspective. 4 stars!
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Mar 03, 2009 Serah Luna rated it really liked it

finished reading The Host today in the wee hours of the morning. It was definitely not disappointing. I stand firm on my belief that even though Meyer’s writing is not the most advanced, her character and plot development is beyond unbelievable. I felt so attached to the characters at the end of the book, and felt like I knew each one personally. (It was the same way for me with The Twilight Saga.)

Still, even though I was resistant to finish the book, I felt that it ended well. Meyer really didn ...more

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Nov 03, 2010 Jessie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I was pleasantly surprised to learn this book is very unlike the other novels written by this same author. If I hadn't been told this was the same woman who had written Twilight, I would've honestly believed this was someone else entirely. The story is great, the writing is good, and I really enjoyed reading it. I hope she publishes more novels like this one. ...more

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Feb 17, 2009 Anne rated it liked it

Have you read invasion of the body snatchers? It has similarities. I couldn't put it down..but I rarely can put any book down once I start reading it. ...more

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