Helpful Score: 2
The human race is now peaceful after the Souls have invaded Earth and inserted themselves into everyone's brains. The famous soul Wanderer, so named for her numerous adventures on various worlds with various hosts, is chosen to be inserted into the body of Melanie Stryder, a suspected human rebel, one of the few who managed to evade the Souls for a while.
Wanderer was told that being in a human host would be difficult, what with the influx of unfamiliar and strong emotions. What she wasn't prepared for, however, are the remnants of Melanie inside her head, yelling at her, talking to her, otherwise making her stay in Melanie's body uncomfortable. Melanie fills Wanderer with memories of her younger brother, Jamie, and the man she loves, Jared. Melanie believes that they are still alive out there somewhere, and pretty soon Wanderer gets caught up in caring about these strangers as well.
The two of them, in one body, set off to find Melanie's family. Wanderer finds them all right, but they get much more than they've bargained for. Instead of being happy that Melanie is alive, the human survivors are afraid of and angry at the "parasite" in her head. Even Jared is conflicted between his former love for Melanie and his disgust that her body has been invaded by Wanderer, whch sends Wanderer into a tailspin of torrid emotions at being hated by Melanie's love.
Despite Jared's coldness, though, Wanderer is not completely alone. Jamie takes to "Wanda" and Mel as separate and both good almost immediately. And there's Ian, who sees and loves Wanderer's goodness far before anyone else even trusts her. But how can Wanderer feel free to love Ian when Melanie's body and voice yearn for Jared?
While THE HOST will probably never be as popular as Stephenie Meyer's phenomenal TWILIGHT series, it is a touching story of love and survival in its own right. Meyer's strength comes from her portrayal of complex but real characters, and THE HOST certainly makes the most of it. This is a good choice for readers who are impatiently waiting for BREAKING DAWN to come out.
Wanderer was told that being in a human host would be difficult, what with the influx of unfamiliar and strong emotions. What she wasn't prepared for, however, are the remnants of Melanie inside her head, yelling at her, talking to her, otherwise making her stay in Melanie's body uncomfortable. Melanie fills Wanderer with memories of her younger brother, Jamie, and the man she loves, Jared. Melanie believes that they are still alive out there somewhere, and pretty soon Wanderer gets caught up in caring about these strangers as well.
The two of them, in one body, set off to find Melanie's family. Wanderer finds them all right, but they get much more than they've bargained for. Instead of being happy that Melanie is alive, the human survivors are afraid of and angry at the "parasite" in her head. Even Jared is conflicted between his former love for Melanie and his disgust that her body has been invaded by Wanderer, whch sends Wanderer into a tailspin of torrid emotions at being hated by Melanie's love.
Despite Jared's coldness, though, Wanderer is not completely alone. Jamie takes to "Wanda" and Mel as separate and both good almost immediately. And there's Ian, who sees and loves Wanderer's goodness far before anyone else even trusts her. But how can Wanderer feel free to love Ian when Melanie's body and voice yearn for Jared?
While THE HOST will probably never be as popular as Stephenie Meyer's phenomenal TWILIGHT series, it is a touching story of love and survival in its own right. Meyer's strength comes from her portrayal of complex but real characters, and THE HOST certainly makes the most of it. This is a good choice for readers who are impatiently waiting for BREAKING DAWN to come out.
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