Characters and Character Development
- Wanderer/Wanda/Petals: The main protagonist of the novel. She is a Soul who has lived on eight different planets before coming to Earth. She is curious, compassionate, intelligent, brave, loyal, and selfless. She struggles with her identity and morality as she inhabits Melanie’s body and falls in love with Ian.
- Melanie Stryder/Mel: The deuteragonist of the novel. She is a human who resists Wanderer’s invasion of her body and mind. She is strong-willed, stubborn, fierce, protective, loving, sarcastic, and witty. She shares a bond with Wanderer as they search for Jared and Jamie.
- Jared Howe: The tritagonist of the novel. He is Melanie’s boyfriend and Jamie’s surrogate father. He is a human rebel who fights against the Souls. He is handsome, courageous, determined, loyal, passionate, jealous, angry, and conflicted. He loves Melanie but hates Wanderer.
- Ian O’Shea: The tetartagonist of the novel. He is Kyle’s brother and one of Jeb’s followers. He is a human survivor who falls in love with Wanderer. He is kind, gentle, caring, understanding, supportive, protective, and devoted. He loves Wanderer for who she is and not for who she was.
- Jamie Stryder: Melanie’s younger brother and Jared’s surrogate son. He is a human survivor who loves both Melanie and Wanderer. He is sweet, innocent, curious, optimistic, brave, and loyal. He acts as a bridge between the humans and the Souls.
- Jeb Stryder: Melanie and Jamie’s uncle and the leader of the human group. He is a human survivor who welcomes Wanderer into his community. He is wise, eccentric, humorous, adventurous, generous, and fair. He believes that there is good in everyone and that peace is possible.
- The Seeker/Lacey: The main antagonist of the novel. She is a Soul who hunts down human rebels. She is obsessed with finding Wanderer and Melanie’s companions. She is ruthless, cunning, persistent, arrogant, and cruel. She switches bodies with Lacey, a former nun, and joins the humans after being rejected by her host.
Theme and Message
The main theme of the novel is identity. The novel explores how one’s identity is shaped by one’s body, mind, memories, emotions, relationships, culture, and choices. It also examines how one’s identity can change over time and in different circumstances. The novel also deals with other themes such as love, loyalty, morality, survival, coexistence, diversity, and humanity.
The main message of the novel is that everyone deserves respect, compassion, and freedom, regardless of their species, appearance, or background. The novel also suggests that everyone has the potential to grow, learn, and change, and that everyone can make a difference in the world.
Writing Style
The novel is written in the first-person point of view of Wanderer/Wanda/Petals. The narration alternates between her thoughts and feelings and Melanie’s voice in her mind. The novel uses a descriptive, emotional, and conversational tone of voice and writing style.
The novel also uses various literary devices such as flashbacks, dialogue, imagery, metaphors, symbols, and foreshadowing. The novel has a slow-paced, character-driven, and plot-driven structure. It has a linear, chronological, and episodic plot.
Pros and Cons
Some of the pros of the novel are:
- It has an original, creative, and intriguing premise
- It has a diverse, complex,and relatable cast of characters
- It has a captivating, emotional, and suspenseful story
- It has a rich, detailed, and immersive world-building
- It has a meaningful, thought-provoking, and inspiring theme and message
Some of the cons of the novel are:
- It has some clichés, stereotypes, and tropes
- It has some inconsistencies, contradictions, and plot holes
- It has some unrealistic, unconvincing, and convenient events
- It has some repetitive, boring, and dragging scenes
- It has some cheesy, sappy, and melodramatic moments
Comparison to Other Works
The Host can be compared to other works in the same genre such as:
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney: A classic science fiction novel about an alien invasion that replaces humans with identical duplicates.
- The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey: A young adult science fiction novel about an alien invasion that wipes out most of humanity in five waves of attacks.
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: A young adult dystopian novel about a post-apocalyptic world where teenagers are forced to fight to the death in an annual televised event.
- Divergent by Veronica Roth: A young adult dystopian novel about a post-apocalyptic world where people are divided into five factions based on their personality traits.
- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer: A young adult paranormal romance novel about a human girl who falls in love with a vampire boy.
Where To Read Book
If you are interested in reading The Host by Stephenie Meyer, you can find it online or buy a copy for yourself.
You can read it online for free on various websites such as:
- Readanybook: https://www.readanybook.com/ebook/the-host-16931
- Novel12: https://novel12.com/241047/the-host.htm
You can also buy it online or in physical stores such as:
- Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Host-Novel-Stephenie-Meyer/dp/0316068047
- Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Host-Paperback-9780316068055/10155171?from=/search
- Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-host-with-bonus-chapter-stephenie-meyer/1106917775?ean=9780316068055
Conclusion
The Host by Stephenie Meyer is a science fiction romance novel that tells the story of a Soul who inhabits the body of a human and falls in love with two men. It is a novel that explores the themes of identity, love, morality, survival, coexistence, diversity, and humanity. It is a novel that has its pros and cons, but it is also a novel that has a lot of fans and followers. It is a novel that might appeal to you if you enjoy science fiction, romance, and dystopia.
