The Host (Reprint) (Paperback) by Stephenie Meyer

About the Book

Wanderer, the invading soul who occupies Melanie Stryder's body, gives insight to the alien domination of Earth in this gripping story of love and betrayal. No less than the fate of humanity is at stake in Stephenie Meyer's brilliant first novel for adults that's also suitable for teen readers.

Book Synopsis

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed.

Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves -- Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring what may be the first love triangle involving only two bodies, The Host is a riveting and unforgettable novel that will bring a vast new readership to one of the most compelling writers of our time.

Review Quotes

"The Host lives up to the hype, blending science fiction and romance in a way that has never worked so well."--Jane Jorgenson, Library Journal

"A brilliant and fascinating premise.... Its mix of adventure and new love on a new Earth is just right to get lost in this summer."--Sherri Hallgren, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"A fantastic, inventive, thoughtful, and powerful novel. The Host should come with a warning label: it will grab you and keep you reading well into the wee hours of night, and keep you thinking, deeply, hauntingly, well after the final word. Stephenie Meyer captures characters and handles story line like a master--a hybrid combination of Stephen King and Isaac Asimov."
--Ridley Pearson, -

"An epic story of love, family, and loyalty. . . . The Host is The X-Files meets Days of Our Lives."--Carol Memmott, USA Today

"Meyer has, like one of her vampires, turned into something rare and more than merely human: a literary phenomenon....The way she manages the reader's curiosity, maintaining tension and controlling the flow of information, is simply virtuosic....People do not want to just read Meyer's books; they want to climb inside them and live there."--Lev Grossman, Time

"Meyer is more interested in relationships than in flashy genre conventions. . . . Her affirmative life lesson is disarming."--Jeff Giles, Entertainment Weekly

"Stephenie Meyer is an amazing phenomenon--out of the brightness of her mind and spirit comes the illuminated darkness of her stories. For no matter how much pain her characters suffer, Meyer infuses the tales with light and hope."--Orson Scott Card, -

About The Author

Stephenie Meyer is the author of the The Chemist, the #1 bestselling Twilight Saga and The Host. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English literature, and she lives with her husband and three young sons in Arizona.