Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.
As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.
Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human.
I literally JUST finished this book but I could not wait to review this simply because I have all the feels right now, I'm overwhelmed and... I'm going to try and keep spoilers out so here goes.
First of all, let me just admit that I was so incredibly close to tears during the final parts of this book. I think this is to do with the fact that I just got so into Melanie/Wanderer's character that I actually felt what she felt and my throat definitely closed up and tears were pooling. THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN! Genuinely, I've never ever ever ever been so into a book or it's characters that I felt the overwhelming urge to sob. Never has a book captured my emotions as well as The Host.
When I saw the author of this book also happened to be the author of the infamous Twilight saga, I was like, "just another predictable, tween story that I've read too many times before". Oh BOY was I wrong! And I am so freaking glad that I was forced to go to my aunts, enduring a boredom I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy. This was the only book she had lying around and that's what possessed me to pick it up.
From the first chapter, I was mesmerized. The book managed to enrapture me so entirely that I found it an actual struggle to put the thing down! Like it got to about 3:30am and I was still muttering "eh, one more chapter" whilst my poor, tired body was yelling at me to just put the bloody book down and sleep!
Melanie was a fleeting character, although the body was always hers, she only appeared through thought or outbursts or flashbacks. Stephenie Meyer had created both Melanie and especially Wanda to be so appealing and, not relatable, but you understood every feeling.
Also, can I just give a massive pat on the back to Stephenie for utterly outdoing herself! To create an entirely new species, and a new perspective of humans that showed us exactly how a non-human-parasite felt inside this alien body is just astonishing. How all the new feelings were so overwhelming, the intense impact that love, hate and conflict had on Wanderer. She created a world with so much depth that it felt real until I looked out my window to see I was still in boring reality. All existing questions were answered, she explained the soul's system, their nature, other planets (of which she also created perfectly), how they felt, how they behaved. JUST PERFECTION ENTIRELY. And the guys.........
Uh, Ian you perfect human you.
AND JARED FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING GOOD IN THE WORLD.
*******SPOILER********
This is the only spoiler I'll be giving but only because I needed to say this about Kyle.
Although every single human in this book reformed somehow, I think it was Kyle who progressed the most by the end chapter.
In the beginning, when Wanderer was being kept a prisoner, Kyle had every intention of killing her, whether he do it with his own hands (which he would have preferred, I'm sure) or at Jared's. Even after most of the humans had accepted Wanda into their home, Kyle was so against her being there. I mean, he even tried to go against Jeb's rule and kill Wanda which was unsuccessful.
As the book went on, he gradually just came to terms with her, accepting that she was going nowhere and was much a part of this family as he was. He moved on from calling Wanda an 'it' to calling Wanda a 'she', which was shown very subtly in transition.
Then, by the end of the book, he has his very own parasite! Since he couldn't get his Jodi back, he settled for the soul inside her body, Sunny. It was the most heart-warming union apart from Mel/Jared and Wanda/Ian because let's face it. The inevitable happened, everyone turned out happy and reunited and all is rainbows and unicorns AND I'M OK WITH THAT.
My review is over, if you read all that through then congratulations haha. It was more of a rant I think, but overall; No doubt one of the best books I have EVER EVER picked up and although I'm a little late on this bandwagon, I 1000000% recommend this book to anyone who has never read it.
I'm watching the movie tomorrow as it's late-ish here in the UK and I need sleep, so I shall watch it tomorrow now. I'm so incredibly worried because I know nothing can compare to the book! Also, add the bad reviews it's gotten and I'm anxious! I need to see it for myself though.
I'll definitely write a review for it tomorrow on my blog so follow me pretty please:)
I'm now going to curl up in fetal position and over-think everything I read in the past five-ish days and let the feels all sink in.
Goodnight all! Stay lovely, hit the books, they wont hit back;)
Xx
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