The Host

Stephenie Meyer is underrated. This gripping book is about an invasion by alien parasites who insert themselves in people’s brains and take over their lives.

The premise sounds pulpy, but it quickly becomes the most fascinating exploration of whether our identities reside in our minds or our bodies and of the heart in conflict with itself.

Meyer’s ability to keep flipping the plot and wringing further emotional complications out of the premise is astounding. 

I love The Host because it has two female heroes, but one is a parasite inside the other. When a parasitic alien race, the Souls, invades earth, Wanderer is placed in the body of Melanie Stryder. When implanted, Souls are supposed to completely subsume the host, but Melanie Stryder won’t give up her mind or her body that easily. Melanie is a hero because of her strength and willingness to sacrifice anything to maintain her autonomy. Wanderer is a hero because of her empathy and willingness to defy the construct of her society and forge a new path. The book… show more.

I really enjoyed this book because it was a great example of how a Utopia can't exist if people are forced into living it. The aliens that have infected the world have a blissful society, but only achieved it at the expense of another race, and while they see nothing wrong with what they are doing, there are others of their kind who, coming to know human beings, begin to recognize that they aren't as benevolent as they originally believed. It was interesting to see and experience the growing understanding through the eyes of the conqueror. It reminded me that… show more.

Stephenie Meyer may get some flack for Twilight, but this book in her arsenal is a true gem. Set in a future world where aliens have arrived on Earth and essentially body-snatch out brains (they’re tiny lil organisms that hop inside our heads), one alien called Wanderer finds out that the girl whose body she chose to inhabit—Melanie—isn’t going down without a fight. Clocking in at 624 pages, this book will last you a while and is full of moral dilemmas and tough decisions. Especially when Wanderer meets a human guy who tries to kill… show more.

No matter your personal opinion on Meyer’s most well-known series, I highly recommend all sci-fi romance lovers set aside their undoubtedly strong feelings for Twilight (whatever they may be) and pick up one of her “lesser-known” novels—as if a book made into a major motion picture can be “lesser-known.” This Invasion of the Body Snatchers-eques four-way romance (that’s right, a love square, not triangle!) is unique in that the first-person heroine is an alien: a tiny worm-like creature nicknamed “Wanda” inhabiting a human woman. Aliens have body-snatched everyone on Earth, but the human our heroine has snatched, Melanie, doesn’t… show more.

Hands down, The Host is one of my favorite books. The main character, Wanderer, is the bad guy: an enemy of the human race, part of a species of aliens who took over the globe and forced humanity underground. However, as we learn more about her through her tumultuous relationship with her “host” body, a human girl whose brutal fighting spirit clashes with Wanderer’s gentle nature, this alien protagonist turns out to be the most selfless and truly heroic character of the whole book. I won’t spoil the ending, but if you’re interested in emotionally deep, complex tales of overcoming… show more.

This story got my ticker thumping in all the right ways. It had the perfect mix for me: darkness, but with a faint spark of hope. Our human protagonist, Melanie, is "infected" early in the story, yet the alien who is using her as a host is unable to completely overcome her strong personality. I found myself sympathizing with both the alien, Wanda (who, interestingly became the protagonist), and with the host, Melanie. Being of two minds, Wanda seeks refuge with a hidden group of human survivors, endangering them all. My heart raced as I wondered what would become of… show more.

Although The Host doesn’t quite fit in the classics list, it touches a place in my heart: it’s the novel that inspired me to write. I loved the depth of the characters and the intense emotions that the book brought out in me. Not only did The Host lead me to explore my own writing, but the plot drew me along so much that I read the book several times for the pure enjoyment of it.