Diksia.com - If you are looking for a novel that combines science fiction, romance, and dystopia, you might want to check out The Host by Stephenie Meyer. The author of the bestselling Twilight series delivers a captivating story of love, survival, and identity in a post-apocalyptic world where humans are under threat by an alien invasion.
In this article, I will give you an overview of the novel, its plot, characters, themes, and writing style. I will also share some of the pros and cons of the book, as well as compare it to other works in the same genre. Finally, I will tell you where you can read the book online or buy a copy for yourself.
Introduction
The Host is a 2008 science fiction romance novel by Stephenie Meyer. The book is about Earth, in a post-apocalyptic time, being invaded by a parasitic alien race known as “Souls”, and follows one Soul’s predicament when the consciousness of her human host refuses to give up her body.
The novel explores the complex relationship between Wanderer, the Soul who inhabits the body of Melanie Stryder, and Melanie herself, who remains alive in Wanderer’s mind. As Wanderer starts to access Melanie’s memories and emotions, she develops feelings for Jared Howe, Melanie’s boyfriend, and Jamie Stryder, Melanie’s brother. Together, they embark on a journey to find other surviving humans and to discover their true selves.
The Host is Meyer’s first adult novel and her first work of science fiction. It was released on May 6, 2008, with an initial print run of 750,000 copies. It received mixed reviews from critics and readers, but it was a commercial success, selling over six million copies worldwide. It was also adapted into a film in 2013, directed by Andrew Niccol and starring Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, Jake Abel, and William Hurt.
Book Details
- Title: The Host
- Author: Stephenie Meyer
- Genres: Science fiction, Romance novel, Thriller, Dystopian
- Chapters: 61
- Language: English
- Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
- Publication date: May 6, 2008
- Rating: 4.2 out of 5 on Goodreads
- Awards: Nominated for the Locus Award for Best First Novel, SFX Award for Best Novel (2009), Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (2008)
Recommended Audience
The Host is suitable for readers who enjoy science fiction, romance, and dystopian novels. It is also recommended for fans of Meyer’s Twilight series, as it shares some of the themes and elements of her vampire saga. However, The Host is more mature and complex than Twilight, and it deals with issues such as identity, morality, loyalty, and free will.
The Host is classified as an adult novel, but it can also be read by young adults who are interested in the genre. The book contains some violence, sexual references, and mild language, but nothing too graphic or explicit. The book is also relatively long (over 600 pages), so it might not be suitable for readers who prefer shorter or faster-paced stories.
Overview
The Host is set in a near-future world where Earth has been invaded by an alien race called Souls. These beings take over the bodies and minds of humans while leaving their physical appearance intact. The Souls are peaceful and harmonious creatures who believe they are doing humanity a favor by eradicating their violence and selfishness.
However, not all humans are willing to surrender their bodies and souls to the invaders. Some of them resist the implantation process or manage to escape from the Soul facilities. They form hidden communities in remote places where they try to survive and fight back against the occupation.
The story follows Wanderer (or Wanda), a Soul who has lived on eight different planets before coming to Earth. She is assigned to the body of Melanie Stryder (or Mel), a young woman who was captured by the Seekers (the Souls’ agents) while trying to protect her brother Jamie and her boyfriend Jared from them.
Wanderer expects to erase Melanie’s consciousness and access her memories in order to locate other human rebels. However, Melanie proves to be stronger than most hosts and refuses to fade away. She starts to communicate with Wanderer in her mind, sharing her thoughts and feelings with her.
Wanderer soon finds herself conflicted between her loyalty to her own kind and her growing sympathy for Melanie and her loved ones. She decides to follow Melanie’s directions and search for Jared and Jamie in the Arizona desert, where they might have found refuge with Melanie’s uncle Jeb.
Along the way, Wanderer and Melanie encounter dangers and challenges, both from the Seekers who are hunting them down and from the humans who distrust and resent them. They also develop a complicated love triangle with Jared and Ian, another human who falls in love with Wanderer. They have to face questions of identity, morality, and belonging, as well as the possibility of coexistence between the two species.
Plot Summary
The novel begins with Wanderer waking up in Melanie’s body after being implanted by a Healer (the Souls’ doctors). She is greeted by a Seeker, who interrogates her about Melanie’s memories and whereabouts. Wanderer tries to cooperate, but she finds Melanie’s mind resisting her and blocking her access to some of her memories.
Wanderer is taken to a Soul facility, where she tries to adjust to her new life and body. She is assigned a Comforter (the Souls’ counselors) named Fords Deep Waters, who helps her cope with her difficulties. She also meets other Souls who have taken over human hosts, such as Curt (a Healer), Lacey (a former nun), and Wes (a former soldier).
Wanderer starts to experience Melanie’s emotions and memories, especially those involving Jared and Jamie. She feels drawn to them and curious about them, despite knowing that they are her enemies. She also feels guilty for taking over Melanie’s body and life, and she wonders if there is a way to restore her to her original state.
Meanwhile, the Seeker becomes obsessed with finding Melanie’s human companions and tries to pressure Wanderer into revealing more information. She even suggests that she could switch bodies with Wanderer and take over Melanie herself. Wanderer resists her attempts and decides to escape from the facility.
She steals a car and drives to the Arizona desert, following Melanie’s mental directions. She hopes to find Jared and Jamie and give them back Melanie’s body. However, she gets lost and runs out of water in the middle of nowhere. She collapses on the ground, expecting to die.
She is found by Jeb, Melanie’s uncle, who recognizes her as his niece. He takes her to his hideout, a network of caves where he lives with a group of human survivors. He introduces her to the others, who are shocked and angry to see a Soul among them. They want to kill her or use her as bait for the Seekers, but Jeb convinces them to spare her for now.
Wanderer is locked up in a small room, where she is visited by Jared and Jamie. Jared is furious and heartbroken to see his girlfriend possessed by a Soul, while Jamie is hopeful and happy to see his sister alive. They both try to communicate with Melanie through Wanderer, but they get mixed results.
Wanderer gradually earns the trust of some of the humans, such as Ian (who falls in love with her), Doc (the group’s medic), Trudy (Jeb’s wife), Lily (a former teacher), Wes (a former soldier), Walter (an old man dying of cancer), and Sunny (a young girl). They start to treat her as one of them and give her a new name: Wanda.
However, not everyone is willing to accept Wanda as a friend. Some of the humans, such as Kyle (Ian’s brother), Brandt (Wes’ brother), Aaron (a former cop), Sharon (Melanie’s aunt), Maggie (Melanie’s aunt), and Lacey (a Soul who joined the humans after being rejected by her host) still hate and fear her. They try to harm or kill her several times, but they are stopped by Jeb or Ian.
Wanda also faces challenges from within herself. She struggles with her feelings for Ian and Jared, knowing that they both love different parts of her. She also feels conflicted between her loyalty to her own kind and her sympathy for the humans. She wonders if there is a way for both species to coexist peacefully on Earth.
She decides to help the humans by sharing some of the Souls’ secrets with them. She tells them how to identify Souls by their silver eyes, how to avoid detection by their sensors, how to remove Souls from their hosts without killing them, and how to find other human settlements around the world. She also helps them heal their wounds, grow their crops, teach their children, and entertain themselves.
She also learns more about the humans’ history and culture from their stories, books, music, movies, games, and jokes. She starts to appreciate their diversity, creativity, and resilience, as well as their flaws, mistakes, and regrets.
She realizes that she has become more human than Soul, and that she loves both Ian and Jared, as well as Jamie, Jeb, and the others. She also discovers that Melanie is still alive in her mind, and that they have formed a bond of friendship and respect. They agree to share their body and their feelings for the sake of their loved ones.
However, their happiness is threatened by the arrival of the Seeker, who has tracked them down to the caves. She has also switched bodies with another human host, Lacey, and has brought reinforcements with her. She demands that Wanda surrender herself and reveal the location of the other humans. She also threatens to kill everyone in the caves if Wanda does not comply.
Wanda refuses to betray the humans and decides to sacrifice herself to save them. She tells Doc to cut her out of Melanie’s body and give it back to her. She also asks him to keep her Soul alive and take it to another planet where it can live peacefully. She says goodbye to Melanie, Ian, Jared, Jamie, and the others, and prepares to die.
However, Doc has a different plan. He has secretly been experimenting with removing Souls from their hosts and reviving the original humans. He has succeeded with some of them, such as Wes, Lily, Trudy, and Sunny, but he has also failed with many others, resulting in mutilated corpses. He tells Wanda that he can save both her and Melanie, but he needs her consent.
Wanda agrees to Doc’s plan and lets him cut her out of Melanie’s body. She is placed in a tank filled with water and nutrients, where she can survive until Doc finds a suitable host for her. She is also given a sedative to ease her pain and calm her mind.
Meanwhile, Melanie wakes up in her own body and reunites with Jared and Jamie. She is overjoyed to see them again, but she also misses Wanda and worries about her fate. She tells Jared and Jamie that Wanda was her friend and that she saved their lives. She also tells them that Wanda loved Ian and that they should respect her choice.
The humans manage to fight off the Seekers and escape from the caves. They take Wanda’s tank with them and drive to another location where they can hide. They also rescue some of the other Souls who were implanted in humans and bring them along.
Doc finds a new host for Wanda: a young woman named Petals Open to the Moon, who was dying of a gunshot wound inflicted by Kyle. He transfers Wanda’s Soul into Petals’ body and revives her. He also restores Petals’ memories and personality, hoping that she will be happy with Wanda.
Wanda wakes up in Petals’ body and is greeted by Ian, who kisses her passionately. She is happy to see him again, but she is also confused by her new appearance and identity. She wonders if Ian loves her for who she is or for who she was. She also wonders if she can adapt to Petals’ life and memories.
She is welcomed by the other humans, who have learned to accept her as one of them. They also introduce her to the other Souls who have joined their group, such as:
- Burns Living Flowers (Wes’ host),
- Sunny (Kyle’s girlfriend),
- Jodi (Kyle’s sister),
- Nate (Brandt’s host),
- Freedom (Aaron’s host),
- Raul (Sharon’s husband),
- Violetta (Maggie’s daughter),
- No Pain (Walter’s host),
- Glory Beautifully Bright (Trudy’s host),
- Rain Song (Lily’s host),
- Star Gazer (Jeb’s host),
- Lacey (the Seeker’s former host).
Wanda realizes that she has found a new family and a new home among the humans and the Souls. She also realizes that she still loves Ian and that he loves her back. She decides to embrace her new life and identity as Wanda/Petals, hoping that she can make a difference in the world. She also hopes that one day, she will be able to meet Melanie again and thank her for everything she has done for her.
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.
