Dystopian with a Paranormal Twist: The Host, By Stephanie Meyer

The Host
Author: Stephanie Meyer
Published By: Little Brown and Co
Date Published:
Genre:  YA Paranormal
Pages: 656, Audio: 23hr, 5min
Recommended For: Teen 14+, YA
Review By:  K
Rating:  4
Borrowed Audiobook From Library


Summary:
Melanie Stryder was one of the last humans on Earth when the Souls took over, right up until she sacrificed herself to save those she loved. Unfortunately it didn't work, her body was taken and the Wanderer was inserted into her brain. Such a strong soul should be able to handle Mel's body, but soon the two become central in purpose- Find Jared and Jaime and protect them at all cost. Can Wanderer be trusted near everything that Mel has tried so hard to protect? Is it possible that she loves them just as much as Melanie does? She has to try...


K's Thoughts:
This book came highly recommended from several of my friends. So much so that it may have put a little bit of a damper on it for me (sorry ladies!). Don't get me wrong- I liked it, I just wasn't gushing over it. The Host is certainly intriguing and imaginative, its fresh and different, but its also slower then I expected. Some call it a thrilling read, but it lulled along for me- keeping me interested but not really WOWing me. You know what I mean? Maybe not...

The characters were diverse and well thought out. I loved Jeb's voice of reason, Wanderers multi galactic insight, and Jamie's unconditional love- I just expected more adventure and excitement! There was opportunity there, but the book was looooong and there weren't enough quick moments to break it up. On the good side though, there is enough content that can easily be hacked out to make this into a great movie.

Certainly a different book then the dystopians I'm used to and definitely worth reading. Kind of a negative look at humans, but not from the angle I expected. An interesting and entertaining perspective on life and humankind. If you are shying away from this one because of Twilight, I promise there are no vampires and the writing/editing has improved :).


Audiobook (by Hachette):
Like most Audiobooks I have listened to, it took me a while to get settled in on the readers voice. I felt like she was very Wanderer, but not much Mel. She has a very mellow tone to her voice and often times ramps up at the end of sentences, which just takes some getting used to.

Her main character voices were easily distinguishable which made it easier to follow what was going on. I would definitely recommend this version if you don't have the time to sit and read. Otherwise, I think I would have interpreted some of it a bit differently and may have enjoyed the book a bit better if I read it in my own head.


Parents/Content:
Language: None that really stuck out to me.
Adult Content: Some passionate kissing and tingly burning every time Jared and Mel touch. Alcohol consumption (mostly adults). Theft in order to survive. Humans pinned as violent creatures throughout, perhaps just because the story is told from the alien perspective.
Violence: Human/Alien experiments, cutting people open, surgical procedures, Fighting amongst each other and against the enemy. Guns and knives used on both sides.