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Holly (2 Kids and Tired)'s Reviews > The Host
The Host (The Host, #1)
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It's no secret that I did not jump on the Twilight bandwagon. I put my name on the hold list at the library for The Host, however, because I wanted to see if Stephenie Meyer had improved in her storytelling. I'm happy to say, "Yes, she did. To a point."
I would like someone tell me what her fascination is with sappy, overly dramatic dialogue, 17-year old girls and over-protective older men who carry them while running? Because there are some definite similarities here.
I find it interesting that this novel is pegged for "adults" where the Twilight novels were pegged "young adult" as I don't see a great deal of difference, except for one main fact: Wanda and Melanie are likeable. Thank goodness. If one of them had shown up as whiny and annoying as Bella, I never would have finished the book. Well, I would have finished it, but only to say, "I told you so."
While I found a lot of similarity to the Twilight novels in her storytelling and in the details (over-protective older men, teenage girls, dramatic sappy dialogue, etc.) this was a much better story. Far more developed than I would have expected. It still takes her a long time to get to her main points, but I wasn't as bored with this one in the beginning as I was with Twilight.
I found the storyline fascinating: that aliens who invade other planets and take over the species, invade earth and take over the human bodies and then live as humans. Wanda is one of those aliens, a "soul" who takes over Melanie's body, only to find out that Melanie isn't quite ready to give it up. This is where Meyer's storytelling has improved. She crafted a story where the romance was secondary to the main plot, and I think that is why this book is so much better than her earlier attempts. She explores the idea of a person's soul or spirit and how an individual is defined as much by that spirit as by their physical body.
I thought her character development was well done. I liked these characters. I cared about them. I don't need to tell you that I never cared about Bella. I enjoyed the complexities that the storyline created. Wanda was affected by Melanie's memories and feelings and couldn't help but love the man Melanie loved. Then, when she found herself caring for a different man, the conflict is believable. The humans have a difficult time accepting Wanda, but when they do, she truly becomes one of them.
The novel ends neatly, with hope. Predictably there is room for a sequel, which I no doubt expect.
I'd actually re-read this book. I won't re-read the others.
I would like someone tell me what her fascination is with sappy, overly dramatic dialogue, 17-year old girls and over-protective older men who carry them while running? Because there are some definite similarities here.
I find it interesting that this novel is pegged for "adults" where the Twilight novels were pegged "young adult" as I don't see a great deal of difference, except for one main fact: Wanda and Melanie are likeable. Thank goodness. If one of them had shown up as whiny and annoying as Bella, I never would have finished the book. Well, I would have finished it, but only to say, "I told you so."
While I found a lot of similarity to the Twilight novels in her storytelling and in the details (over-protective older men, teenage girls, dramatic sappy dialogue, etc.) this was a much better story. Far more developed than I would have expected. It still takes her a long time to get to her main points, but I wasn't as bored with this one in the beginning as I was with Twilight.
I found the storyline fascinating: that aliens who invade other planets and take over the species, invade earth and take over the human bodies and then live as humans. Wanda is one of those aliens, a "soul" who takes over Melanie's body, only to find out that Melanie isn't quite ready to give it up. This is where Meyer's storytelling has improved. She crafted a story where the romance was secondary to the main plot, and I think that is why this book is so much better than her earlier attempts. She explores the idea of a person's soul or spirit and how an individual is defined as much by that spirit as by their physical body.
I thought her character development was well done. I liked these characters. I cared about them. I don't need to tell you that I never cared about Bella. I enjoyed the complexities that the storyline created. Wanda was affected by Melanie's memories and feelings and couldn't help but love the man Melanie loved. Then, when she found herself caring for a different man, the conflict is believable. The humans have a difficult time accepting Wanda, but when they do, she truly becomes one of them.
The novel ends neatly, with hope. Predictably there is room for a sequel, which I no doubt expect.
I'd actually re-read this book. I won't re-read the others.
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Reading Progress
November 4, 2007
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Started Reading
May 16, 2008
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Holly (2 Kids and Tired)
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rated it 3 stars
May 17, 2008 08:27AM
It's funny. The Twilight books get me the same way. I get so frustrated at all these reviews that claim they're the best things ever written. They're not well written and there is no depth. I think that's what I hate the most. They are somewhat compelling and do suck you in. There is potential, but never any depth. I agree that the Host was much more enjoyable for that reason.
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I am next in line for "The Host" audio book at the library, so I guess I can't comment on it quite yet, but it looked like the kind of story that could hook me, but like you, I was praying the writing would be equal to the potential shown in the plot. Your thoughts on Twilight actually make it seem like you went into my brain and took the exact words out. When I first heard of the plot I was all set to love it, as a klutzy girl, woo girl klutz as a hero, so I THOUGHT I could relate to Bella, but if I am ever that whiny feel free to kick me. I have only read book one and two, I will someday read the new one, and the soon to be new one, out of guilt more than anything, I don't like to leave series unfinished. I just felt so strange when people were going on and on about it, and I have no strong feelings either way.
Glad to hear "The Host" will be a good way to spend my time. I plan to listen to it on road trips for interviews.
Thanks for your review. I feel very similarly about Twilight (though I have only read the first one; haven't given the others a chance. Maybe I should but I was just so bothered by the 1st one...). I will likely give The Host a try because it is for a book club for an organization I am president over. Otherwise, I don't know that I would read it since I was so bugged by Meyer's. I too liked some parts of it and was sucked in somewhat but overall am just way too bugged by so many women's fascination and enthrallment with the whole series that I think I just won't give it a real try anyways. :) I think Bella was whiny and really, I just kept thinking, what is wrong with this girl?!! She has real issues! (I'm a therapist, so I feel like I can even some that with some authority! :P ) Anyways, refreshing review. I love being reminded I'm not the only person in the world who isn't in love with whatever-his-name-is.
I just finished the Host and had the SAME thought as you... there was a point when they were carrying Wanda AGAIN and I wanted to scream! Does Stephanie Meyer have some sort of twisted desire to be carried wherever she goes? I did love the growth of the characters in this book.
I have to agree on most of the things that you have said, but I think Twilight was amazing. The Host was amazing as will but not like Twilight. I do agree that she was improved her writing skills, giving us more to think about them are they going to be together. The tension between Wanda and Mel is unlike any other. It makes the book so much better. The fact that Wanda is being forced to love the man that Mel. Loves makes more of a real thing than the fake. And Wanda falling in love with Ian is something that I never expected, witch is great. Unlike Twilight were Bella loved Edward- every one knows that, even if she said that she loved Jacob. The love she as for Edward trumps over every thing. With this she鈥檚 confused because she doesn鈥檛 know if Ian loves her or Mel. Is it Mel鈥檚 body that he loves of the soul in the body? I think that s what made the story better than what it should have.And yes, id Twilight wasn鈥檛 such a big seller this wouldn鈥檛
I don't really agree with what you said. Yes, Edward was the perfect guy, and everything about him was a perfect fantasy. And of course there aren't men as perfect as that out there. But with this kind of story, it's ok to get away and read about this kind of thing. Just as long you know that you aren't ever going to find a guy like Edward.
But yeah, I thought the Twilight series were amazing. I didn't think they were to sappy. A girl needs to get away somehow!!!!!
Um... well for one thing, the main character in this book is not 17. The main character of Melanie is 17 when she first meets Jared. This is only a tiny part of the back story. Throughout the main part of the story she is 22 years old. The other main character, the Alien, Wanderer/Wanda is hundreds if not thousands of years old.
I agree with the original posting which gives an accurate depiction of Meyer's obsession with overly-protective men and overly devoted women/female teenagers. Living right in the middle of Mormonland myself, my theory is that her Mormon upbringing has created this thought process which goes along with their belief that a man(or marriage to a properly ordained man) is a woman's only ticket to heaven and women should be devoted, thankful and submissive to them. It only makes sense that it would be a big part of her characters. Regardless, I was able to deal with that and I really liked "The Host."
Ok. It is just a book. And just because she is Mormon doesn't mean anything.
Ady,An author's upbringing and way of living their life always has something to do with how and what they write. It affects what they think about, how they view the world, how they view relationships, etc. etc.
I know. The way you look at the world is affected my your religion i am sure. But that does not mean that us Mormons are obsessed with overly protective men, and we don't believe that a man (or marriage to a properly ordained man) is our only ticket to heaven. It does affect something though.
I was extremely reluctant to get on the twilight wagon. But as I purchase all ya & children's materials for my library, and finding I was replacing the series cos they were getting so worn out AND the reserves on each book were mounting, I thought I should read them and see what all the hoopla was about... So, I thoroughly enjoyed them. Got totally sucked into the plot and was so thankful I could read all 4 one after the other without having to wait too long for each one. Yes some of the plotline was inane, yes Bella could be whiny, yes yes yes to all the negatives. BUT they are turning so many non-reading teenage girls (including my 20 yr old daughter) onto reading it is not funny. I have a real thing about adults reading and analysing ya fiction - we are thinking with adult heads. When I was 17 I was reading every J. T. Edson and Louis L'Amour book I could get my hands on... I didn't pick the stories to bits about what was good or what wasn't. I just loved them...and I think this is true to a lot of teen readers. Most of the kids who I have talked to about it DO NOT relate to Bella, but they love the whole escape from realism about the books.
These books are what they are without all the hoopla OR all the over-analysis of them. The host is a step up for Meyer and I hope we see more of this author.
(Just my 2cents worth)
The Host's plot bothered me because the aliens seemed like a grown up version of the villains in the Animorph series I read when I was younger. The Yeerks and Meyer's souls seemed too similar to me, so I didn't find it to be much more original.
Just because things are similar, it doesn't mean that the first one is necessarily better or make the second one worse. I've never read animorphs in my life, and I personally doubt that Meyer has either. Take retellings of fairy tales, for example. It's a good idea - you just expand and build upon it.
But, some of Stephenie Meyer's quirks and cliches do bother me. I'm not saying that she is a goddess of teenage romance, but she's not in the crap pile either. It seems to me that she is trying to hone in on her talent. And all she can so far think of to keep the story going must be romance. Or maybe she just likes romance and wishes her own had been more like it. YOU NEVER KNOW, is what I am trying to say.
Ach, one more thing -- YES I agree that she has gone way overboard with the unhealthy relationships. Realistically, if a guy tells you that he is dangerous then you STAY AWAY!!!
Great review and what you said about Twilight made me think you'd appreciate this story:My 10 year old daughter was reading TWILIGHT and I asked her what she thought.
"It's pretty good, but Bella's kind of pathetic. She spends too much time thinking about Edward. She needs to get a life."
And I didn't even coach her!
Yet, she read all the books, as much as she didn't like Bella.
Margaret, I love it! That's a smart girl you have there!
yeah the relationship thing is a bit freaky. I almost wonder if it has something to do with stephanie's religion (mormon), I know alot of mormon girls who endend up with older men. I lived in "Mormon land" too for a while and it is the romance, love at first site, get married quick, its ordained that you will be with this man even though you don't know him. One girl I knew married a guy 6 years older than her in 2 months. Plus I am sorry when your mad..you don't say "oh heck" seriously.
??? Mormons are just like regular people, in the sense that they marry for love and in their own age range, and because they are best friends. They believe that they will be together forever, and so they marry for love. Some of the sweetest couples I know are Mormon.My Mormon friends think its gross to marry much older or much younger than you, and I think that too. And several of the girls are pretty much Twilight-is-hilarious-in-a-bad-way girls. Heck, we watched New Moon just for kicks and giggles, to boo at Edward (in a mostly empty theater...we aren't that inconsiderate XD).
It's the idea that there is someone who is there who can protect you and will protect you at all costs that gets to most girls, I think. Especially those who have had rocky relationships in the past.
Well, every author has their cliches. Maybe Stephenie's older men, carrying the girls, is something she wants, maybe it's something she values because she has. I don't know. But I think we'll see this pattern again in another book of hers. It's normal.It's like Nora Roberts. I read more than 10 books of hers, and she always writes about handsome men, perfect love, men that out of the blue transform in princes and want to marry the girls. They always have perfect sex. And she always writes about girls who have been abused in some point of their lives. THIS I think it was a personal experience and she deals with it writing.
Both of them, Stephenie and Nora Roberts, are married. Maybe the younger girls are a personal experience to Stephenie, maybe it's an issue for her and she writes it because it's her way to deal with it... Don't know, just a guess.
That's smart. I also think that that is probably one of her idyllic things - a strong, smart, perfect guy who takes care of a helpless, well-meaning girly. Some people have things that just get them hyped up, and in stories that's just probably what Stephenie likes.
Rhiana wrote: "Um... well for one thing, the main character in this book is not 17. The main character of Melanie is 17 when she first meets Jared. This is only a tiny part of the back story. Throughout the main ..."I was going to say the exact same thing.
In twilight Edward is 17 and Bella is 17 Edward will be 17 forever cause he's a vampire but when they get married Bella is 18 and Edward still 17 and I have not read twilight but I put it on hold in the library but I have seen all the movies and I think Bella is actually pretty likeable and Edward does not carry Bella around Jacob carried her a couple times in eclipse but whatever
Completely agree. Twilight was so much worse, and I was very hesitant to read this one, but I was relieved to find that The Host was much better. Better story, less annoying characters, better pretty much everything. Like you said, it was still the sappy sort of dialogue Ms. Meyer enjoys, but overall, I just liked this story so much better! I tried reading Twilight, only because some peers recommended it to me, and I hated it. The writing style was horrific, the characters were incredibly unlikeable, and the story and concept fell flat. Overall, it was just distasteful and poorly done. I still can't understand why there was such a big fuss over it. This one, though, I get. I jumped on the bandwagon, and am glad I did. The writing still leaves room for improvement, but at least Stephenie Meyer was able to craft likeable characters and a story where classic figures such as vampires and werewolves are not so skewed, they're hardly recognizable. And, wouldn't you know it, things actually happen in this book. Shocker! A dramatic change since twilight. Plus, the love interests are much more appealing. Everyone's ship is satisfied. And, I love your comment about the depth of the stories. This one actually has some depth and action, as opposed to Twilight, which could potentially have been deeper and better if someone else had taken the story and totally revamped it. The Host was pretty deep! Looking forward to the sequel(s)! (:
I just want to point out that she wrote host before she wrote twilight.
No, Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse were all published before The Host.
Thank you for actually making a decent, coherent review other than "UUURRRGH STEPHENIE MEYER HATE HATE HATE" or "OMG STEPHENIE MEYER LOVE LOVE LOVE". I have just watched the movie and actually liked it, so I was searching for a book review that actually mentioned, dry and direct, why I should or should not read the book, what to expect, stuff like that. Your review was genuinely helpful and I might actually give this book a chance, if not for the poor writing style and sappiness, at least for the storyline and to see how the character development occurred, considering that Twilight was pretty weak in these aspects!
Arya wrote: "Thank you for actually making a decent, coherent review other than "UUURRRGH STEPHENIE MEYER HATE HATE HATE" or "OMG STEPHENIE MEYER LOVE LOVE LOVE". I have just watched the movie and actually like..."Arya,thank you. I appreciate your comment. I haven't seen the film and I will probably wait for Redbox. The Host makes up for a lot of Twilight's weakness, which really, was in every possible aspect of the book. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the depth here. I was.
I'll admit to some eye rolling when the guys kept carrying her EVERYWHERE. I could see the plain coordination. I thought this girl was supposed to love walking and running?
Your completely right about the male charakters - but this is a problem of almost all YA-books: That boys are fu**in' shy or they just think they have to protect 'their' girl from everything. Couldn't there be just a normal guy in a book?
