The Host by Stephenie Meyer

When I heard that there was a new book by Stephenie Meyer coming this fall, my first thought was that FINALLY there will be a sequel to The Host. But sadly, that was not the case... But it made me think about The Host again and realize that I’ve never written a formal review of it. So, I therefore decided to reread it and I am so happy to say that it was still as amazing. I definitely think that this is Stephenie Meyer’s best book.

The Host is a romance-sci fi novel, with just the right balance of sci fi to not scare the romantics away, and not too much romance to bore the sci fi fans. Set in a post-apocalyptic Earth, humans have been invaded by aliens known as ‘Souls’, who take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. When Melanie, one of the few remaining wild humans is captured, she refuses to give up possession of her mind to the ‘Wanderer’. Instead, they have to share Melanie’s body as she slowly starts to push the Wanderer to save her love Jared and little brother Jamie.

Even though it might sound like it, this is not another Invasion of the Body Snatchers, it is so much more than that! It’s much more complex and focuses more on the relationships of the characters and the intriguing dilemma of two lives sharing one body. Not only is there the issue of Melanie loving Jared and the Wanderer loving Jared because of Melanie’s memories; we also have Ian, another member of the rebels, who starts to have feelings for the Wanderer for her beautiful soul. The story of Ian and Wanda is honestly one of the more beautiful things I've ever read because it was a totally emotional connection and not about the physical aspect at all.

All in all, I absolutely love this book and am so emotionally involved with the characters. It’s a very clever and addictive story that, even though it’s young adult, is definitely a recommended read for any age. It is an emotional ride from beginning to end and I really, really, hope that there will be a sequel after all soon. There is so much left to discover about this world and characters!

Find out more about the book and the author here: Stephenie Meyer