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| The Entertainment Review |
| By: Stephanie Meyer Publisher: Little, Brown and Company |
Author Stephenie Meyer takes a bold leap away from her mega-successful “Twilight” saga with “The Host”. Meyer
attempts to attract an older audience with her latest novel although, her writing remains somewhat unsophisticated.
Meyer keeps her feet planted firmly in the familiar realm of science fiction and in “The Host” she explores the world of
extra terrestrial beings invading the Earth.
The novel begins in a laboratory and alien scientists are attempting to insert a soul into the body of a human female.
The souls are a parasitic alien race that once implanted takes over the host body and replaces the human mind with
their own. The Earth is almost entirely dominated by human bodies controlled by the souls.
Earth has become a place of tranquility except for a few humans that are in hiding, left to scavenge for food and
basic life comforts. The souls don’t believe in violence and all souls do their part to maintain a utopian society.
Everything is free and souls only take what they need and never take to excess. All of the souls go to their jobs
without complaint and are happy just to be productive member of society.
The book begins slowly and the reader may begin to wonder if anything will ever happen on the perfectly tranquil
Earth. Finally, Meyer introduces some conflict.
Wanderer, an experienced soul whose inhabited creatures on nine planets (a record for her kind), is chosen to be
implanted into the body of Melanie, a human that has managed to hide from the invaders for quite some time.
Wanderer believes her latest mission will be an easy one and she looks forward to living a life on Earth.
There’s only one problem, Melanie refuses to give up her mind. In all of her experience on several different planets,
she has never known a host that has refused to relinquish control. Meyer effectively constructs an internal struggle
between the minds of Wanderer and Melanie. The two battle it out throughout the novel and eventually, they are
able to sympathize with each other’s situations.
Meyer engages the reader with both minds and the reader can have a hard time deciding which mind to side with.
The battle for Melanie’s body and the battle for control of the Earth becomes intense and survival for either is never
guaranteed.
The intensity of the survival instinct is shown from the perspective of both the host and the parasite. Wanderer and
Melanie are forced to rely on one another to survive and boundaries are crossed. Wanderer begins to sympathize
with the humans and struggles with intense emotional feelings she doesn’t understand.
The book isn’t without some romance although it isn’t dripping with love and lust like the books of Meyer’s “Twilight”
saga. Wanderer experiences all of Melanie’s emotions and attachments as if they were her own. She is compelled
to find Jared, Melanie’s lover and risks everything her kind has worked for in her pursuit.
Meyer is indeed successful in her attempt to separate herself from the “Twilight” series. “The Host” captures the
reader and leaves them wanting more.
attempts to attract an older audience with her latest novel although, her writing remains somewhat unsophisticated.
Meyer keeps her feet planted firmly in the familiar realm of science fiction and in “The Host” she explores the world of
extra terrestrial beings invading the Earth.
The novel begins in a laboratory and alien scientists are attempting to insert a soul into the body of a human female.
The souls are a parasitic alien race that once implanted takes over the host body and replaces the human mind with
their own. The Earth is almost entirely dominated by human bodies controlled by the souls.
Earth has become a place of tranquility except for a few humans that are in hiding, left to scavenge for food and
basic life comforts. The souls don’t believe in violence and all souls do their part to maintain a utopian society.
Everything is free and souls only take what they need and never take to excess. All of the souls go to their jobs
without complaint and are happy just to be productive member of society.
The book begins slowly and the reader may begin to wonder if anything will ever happen on the perfectly tranquil
Earth. Finally, Meyer introduces some conflict.
Wanderer, an experienced soul whose inhabited creatures on nine planets (a record for her kind), is chosen to be
implanted into the body of Melanie, a human that has managed to hide from the invaders for quite some time.
Wanderer believes her latest mission will be an easy one and she looks forward to living a life on Earth.
There’s only one problem, Melanie refuses to give up her mind. In all of her experience on several different planets,
she has never known a host that has refused to relinquish control. Meyer effectively constructs an internal struggle
between the minds of Wanderer and Melanie. The two battle it out throughout the novel and eventually, they are
able to sympathize with each other’s situations.
Meyer engages the reader with both minds and the reader can have a hard time deciding which mind to side with.
The battle for Melanie’s body and the battle for control of the Earth becomes intense and survival for either is never
guaranteed.
The intensity of the survival instinct is shown from the perspective of both the host and the parasite. Wanderer and
Melanie are forced to rely on one another to survive and boundaries are crossed. Wanderer begins to sympathize
with the humans and struggles with intense emotional feelings she doesn’t understand.
The book isn’t without some romance although it isn’t dripping with love and lust like the books of Meyer’s “Twilight”
saga. Wanderer experiences all of Melanie’s emotions and attachments as if they were her own. She is compelled
to find Jared, Melanie’s lover and risks everything her kind has worked for in her pursuit.
Meyer is indeed successful in her attempt to separate herself from the “Twilight” series. “The Host” captures the
reader and leaves them wanting more.
