…it’s a more interesting book than many others I’ve read, but interesting doesn’t mean it was as successful for me as it could have been. I had a review copy but I’m not sure I would have felt I’d gotten my money’s worth had I purchased it in hardcover.

Janine – Valid points. I am a big nerd so sometimes get caught up in interesting concepts and I got it from the library. I think my perspective would have been different if I’d pay hardcover prices for it.

Also, it was one of only 2 books I took on my July 4th vacation and ever since I was a child I always feel compelled to finish books (although JR Ward is making me break my rule – I’ve been reading the last one for over a month). I think if I’d had other options, I may not have made it past the slow beginning. I handle slow middles better (Life of Pi being my perfect example of why to finish all books you start)

Serena — Is there definitely going to be a sequel then? And do you know if it will follow Wanda or another character?

SonomaLass, I don’t dislike first person, when it’s well-executed, as it was here. It wasn’t the first person voice that was the issue for me, but rather the fact that there was only one POV for upwards of 600 pages. I think that a single POV might have gotten a little monotonous for me in third person just as it did in first.

Perhaps the only thing I disagreed with was it being marketed as Meyer’s first adult book. I always imagined the end of the world would involve more swearing and sex. So I think it definitely had a young adult feel.

I’m not saying that as a negative – other than the publisher marketing it as adult. I loved the story and would be happy to read more set in that universe.

And yes, a lot these themes are in the book, especially good vs. evil and what makes one human.

Jia — I had a few of those “Wait, that doesn’t make any sense!” moments too. Where I felt the worldbuilding was stronger was in giving the aliens an interesting past and in the names they used for the things they’d brought to earth. Those things didn’t come up until further into the book so I don’t know if you got that far. But yeah, there were definitley holes in the set up.

Of course, i also think the worldbuilding in her Twilight series leaves much to be desired, so take the above opinion as you will.

Joy — The book kept me up too, in the middle at least. But I had to take some point off for the ending and for how slowly the book got off the ground. And also for the believability issues I brought up in the review. I feel that this book had a lot of strengths but also a lot of weaknesses. I hemmed and hawed about the grade for a while because it’s a more interesting book than many others I’ve read, but interesting doesn’t mean it was as successful for me as it could have been. I had a review copy but I’m not sure I would have felt I’d gotten my money’s worth had I purchased it in hardcover.

rebyj – Interesting review — thanks for posting it. For me The Host became very readable after Wanda met with the humans, but the beginning was something of a slog.

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I agree there isn’t that much sexual tension but how much could there be with Melanie sharing Wanda’s body and objecting to Wanda using that body to touch a man? But yes, this was one of the things that made the book feel like a YA book.

I’m not sure what you mean by “somewhat weak males.” Do you mean that the main male characters seemed like weak people, or that they play a more minor role in the story than Wanda, or that the characterization itself could have been stronger where these characters are concerened?

I felt that most of the characters could have been given more depth than they were. I agree that they were vivid, though. The worldbuilding was strong in some ways but weaker in others. For example, I think that a species as evolved as the souls should have questioned their actions in taking over other species, and at least debated this issue, earlier in all the centuries they had lived.

I found it very readable. It’s a good premise, it really could be a fantastic series . Negatives are that it has no sexual tension/heat. Her young adult fan base could easily read this without their minister having a stroke. yeah I like me a good sex scene or two when I shell out almost 30 bux for a book lol.

I give it a B+ because it IS a very good read but it loses marks for me for being to squeaky clean and the somewhat weak males.

Without getting into spoilers it is a fantastic world building experience , very vivid characters, even the “host” and “parasite” are very well written in such a way that you do care about what happens to both of them thruout the book. Her heroes as I mentioned above are weaker but not to the point of being unimportant to the story line.

If she continues this storyline as a series I’d like to see the hero characters built up better and I’d like to see a more evenly described view of the other human hosts and I think the last chapters kind of set that up. Melanie cannot be the only human out of 23 billion to have been strong enough to survive and affect her alien parasite.