| Author |
Topic:
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
|
Raven
Title:
SFF: Books and Comics Mangler
Registered:
Oct '98
|
Date Posted:
5/6 11:14am
Subject:
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
- Date Edited:
5/6 11:15am (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Raven
|
Picked this up today; for some reason I thought that it wasn't out until later on this summer.
I'm about 2/5 of the way through right now. So far, very good stuff, a definite improvement over her already excellent vampire books - definitely better than Twilight so far. For an alien headworm, Wanderer is really sympathetic. And the stories of the couples who've stayed together after having parasitic alien headworms implanted keep making me smile.
Also, major props to the cover designer. Very striking image. Really caught the eye, even before I realized that it was the new Meyer book.
-----signature-----
1. Seek enlightenment.
2. ???
3. Prophet.
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Raven
Title:
SFF: Books and Comics Mangler
Registered:
Oct '98
|
Date Posted:
5/6 4:33pm
Subject:
RE: The Host by Stephenie Meyer
|
Just finished. Wasn't bad. I'd give it a solid 8/10. I was somewhat disappointed with the last two chapters, even if they were fairly telegraphed.
What I don't like is that Wanderer no longer has Melanie in her head. And vice-versa, of course. The relationships between Melanie and Jared and between Wanderer and Ian were secondary in the book to the relationship between Wanderer and Melanie. Yes, having Melanie and Wanderer in separate bodies allows for a sort of happily ever after for both of them (like Twilight, the book stands well on its own). I think that it's probably more emotionally satisfying for the characters, such as they can be emotionally satisfied, but as a reader I prefer the two together.
My hope is that if there is a sequel – and I'm assuming that there will be – Wanderer's body will be badly hurt, and rather than have Wanderer die a final death with her host Melanie will offer to be the host again.
Does this count as wild shipper speculation? Probably.
-----signature-----
1. Seek enlightenment.
2. ???
3. Prophet.
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
NYCitygurl
Title: Railroad Baroness of SFFBC, C&G, and NSWFF
Registered:
Jul '02
|
Date Posted:
5/6 6:02pm
Subject:
RE: The Host by Stephenie Meyer
|
Don't know much about it (and I'm not going to highlight the spoilers  ). Is it a stand-alone or open to a sequel?
-----signature-----
"We Earth Men have a talent for ruining big, beautiful things." ~ Master of padawanlost, Ultima_1 and Jedimaster_JainaSolo 
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Raven
Title:
SFF: Books and Comics Mangler
Registered:
Oct '98
|
Date Posted:
5/6 6:24pm
Subject:
RE: The Host by Stephenie Meyer
|
Like Twilight, the book stands on its own fairly well while being open to a sequel.
Like Twilight, I have a feeling that the sequels won't match the original due to the change in circumstances over the course of the story.
-----signature-----
1. Seek enlightenment.
2. ???
3. Prophet.
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
KaraJadeKim
Registered:
Mar '08
|
Date Posted:
5/8 5:23pm
Subject:
RE: The Host by Stephenie Meyer
|
|
I am reading it right now i picked it up Tuesday its a fast mover i am on chapter7 its really good defitnly matches her vampire books and i think i heard on Borders.com i saw a interview with her and i think she is going to see how this performs before she does a sequel
-----signature-----
Njo Blackmoon Six Jacen Solo Fan Club: good, bad, and ugly http://boards.theforce.net/eu_community/b10194/4379448/p1 I am already dead Llumiya Well why not lay down and let us throw dirt over you Luke skywalker
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
NYCitygurl
Title: Railroad Baroness of SFFBC, C&G, and NSWFF
Registered:
Jul '02
|
Date Posted:
5/9 9:14am
Subject:
RE: The Host by Stephenie Meyer
|
|
So, the big question: I can get it 40% at Borders (the perks of having a rewards card ). Should I spend 60% of the cost on it or wait to get it from the library? (I liked Twilight enough to buy, didn't like its sequels.)
-----signature-----
"We Earth Men have a talent for ruining big, beautiful things." ~ Master of padawanlost, Ultima_1 and Jedimaster_JainaSolo
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Raven
Title:
SFF: Books and Comics Mangler
Registered:
Oct '98
|
Date Posted:
5/9 11:17am
Subject:
RE: The Host by Stephenie Meyer
|
NYCitygurl posted:
So, the big question: I can get it 40% at Borders (the perks of having a rewards card ). Should I spend 60% of the cost on it or wait to get it from the library? (I liked Twilight enough to buy, didn't like its sequels.)
It's better than Twilight. Much more assured, smoother writing. Better themes. More interesting premise, better heroine. I'd definitely suggest picking it up.
Something that I noticed when turning the book over in my head is that it's a retelling of the Gospels.
A person born under a different star than everyone else wanders into the desert and becomes enlightened. Ends up amongst a people that are being oppressed by an empire, who are trying to fight back. The person preaches peace, practices peace, and loves people despite all their flaws. They provide a bounty of food, they provide miracle healing, and they have love even for their enemies. In the end, they decide to make a sacrifice for the people, one that results in their death. And then, they come back from the dead. After a fashion, at least.
It's never in-your-face, but it's a presence throughout the story.
-----signature-----
1. Seek enlightenment.
2. ???
3. Prophet.
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
DarthIshtar
Title: Former CR
Star Wars Trivia Hostess
Registered:
Mar '01
|
Date Posted:
5/10 8:35pm
Subject:
RE: The Host by Stephenie Meyer
|
|
I am 400 pages into it, so haven't read the HTR parts, but I have cried three times so far. Once at Walter's funeral, once when Jamie mourned the loss of his whole family and during the 'vivisection' of the soul. I am reading this as quickly as I humanly can.
-----signature-----
"You are some self-important encyclopedia with too much time on his hands. I will see to it personally that you are used for spare parts every time my speeder needs an overhaul. You and that overpriced forklift out there." ~Dr. Bel Maden
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Raven
Title:
SFF: Books and Comics Mangler
Registered:
Oct '98
|
Date Posted:
5/11 7:36am
Subject:
RE: The Host by Stephenie Meyer
|
It usually takes a combination of music and prose together to get me sniffling. I don't sniffle to video. Sometimes to theatre. And the music I generally listen to is stuff like AC/DC, Motley Crue, Led Zeppelin, etc. I generally don't find I get sniffly while reading and listening to that sort of music. But towards the end of the Host, with iTunes set to play everything and little supervision from myself, I ended up in a place in iTunes I don't normally go.
Links to the tracks that came around near the end (the site likes to 404, so I hope that these work):
http://www.ocremix.org/remix/OCR01339/
http://www.ocremix.org/remix/OCR01451/
I sniffled. 
-----signature-----
1. Seek enlightenment.
2. ???
3. Prophet.
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Ekasra
Registered:
Oct '04
|
Date Posted:
5/15 7:32am
Subject:
RE: The Host by Stephenie Meyer
|
I was kind of skeptical if it would be better than Twilight, but it looks like I'm definately going to have to pick this one up. 
-----signature-----
Ekasra http://www.swendirect.com - Star Wars En Direct The voice of Star Wars fandom
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
NYCitygurl
Title: Railroad Baroness of SFFBC, C&G, and NSWFF
Registered:
Jul '02
|
Date Posted:
5/15 10:45am
Subject:
RE: The Host by Stephenie Meyer
|
|
Got in, only a couple pages in. I'm not as impressed as I was with the beginning of Twilight (and as much as I'm pretty sure that at the end I'll still like Twilight better, I'm trying to think positive thoughts - especially since it's a hardcover, which I didn't realize ).
-----signature-----
"We Earth Men have a talent for ruining big, beautiful things." ~ Master of padawanlost, Ultima_1 and Jedimaster_JainaSolo
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
DarthIshtar
Title: Former CR
Star Wars Trivia Hostess
Registered:
Mar '01
|
Date Posted:
5/31 3:53am
Subject:
RE: The Host by Stephenie Meyer
|
I really hope that if there are subsequent books, we learn more about the actual process of Earth's occupation. Namely, how much resistance there was from governmental branches. What it's like in foreign countries. For example, with the souls in charge, is there any such thing as war in the Middle East? Do souls understand the concept of jihad? Presumably they don't yield to the urge to do things in the name of religious warfare, so how do they broker peace for nations that have resisted alliances for centuries?
I've passed this book around to my mom, my sister, my best friend... My mom currently has it because it was her birthday on Tuesday and I thought she'd enjoy having this in addition to her other gifts.
-----signature-----
"You are some self-important encyclopedia with too much time on his hands. I will see to it personally that you are used for spare parts every time my speeder needs an overhaul. You and that overpriced forklift out there." ~Dr. Bel Maden
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Raven
Title:
SFF: Books and Comics Mangler
Registered:
Oct '98
|
Date Posted:
5/31 5:15am
Subject:
RE: The Host by Stephenie Meyer
- Date Edited:
5/31 8:38am (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Raven
|
DarthIshtar posted:
I really hope that if there are subsequent books, we learn more about the actual process of Earth's occupation. Namely, how much resistance there was from governmental branches. What it's like in foreign countries. For example, with the souls in charge, is there any such thing as war in the Middle East? Do souls understand the concept of jihad? Presumably they don't yield to the urge to do things in the name of religious warfare, so how do they broker peace for nations that have resisted alliances for centuries?
One day, the leaders of the Middle East got together and announced peace. No more reprisals, no more terrorist attacks, no more spending in the military. At first, no one really believed that they meant it. But peace just happened.
However, I figure that Osama Bin Laden and co. are some of the few humans still free.
As the Souls don't believe in any kind of afterlife, most religious issues fall by the wayside. The moral parts of religion they mostly take for granted as part of their nature - except perhaps in how they apply to the right of people to not have an alien headworm.
-----signature-----
1. Seek enlightenment.
2. ???
3. Prophet.
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
jedi_of_ennth
Registered:
Mar '05
|
Date Posted:
6/4 1:24pm
Subject:
RE: The Host by Stephenie Meyer
|
I really enjoyed The Host. I couldn't put it down, even though I guessed a few of the major plot twists. The conflict between Melanie and Wanderer was written very well, and the relationships between the characters progressed steadily and realistically. There were a few times throughout the book when Meyer's tendency to overdose on melodrama asserted itself, but they weren't prominent enough to cause me to lose interest in the novel.
Meyer tends to put more emphasis on interpersonal relationships than on an overarching plot, which was one thing I disliked about Twilight (the "evil vampire" plot doesn't come into play until very late in the storyline and seems a bit forced even then), but that tight focus worked very well in The Host. I didn't get as emotionally attached to the characters in The Host as I did to the Twilight series stars, but on the whole, I think The Host is a step forward for Meyer as an author.
I don't know how I feel about the idea of sequels, though. To me, The Host works very well as a simple stand-alone.
-----signature-----
"I'm your friend. I love you."
-- Zekk to Jaina, LotF: Fury
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
JediPriestess
Registered:
Jul '04
|
Date Posted:
6/8 10:25am
Subject:
RE: The Host by Stephenie Meyer
|
Read this and really didnt like it all. 
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Raven
Title:
SFF: Books and Comics Mangler
Registered:
Oct '98
|
Date Posted:
6/8 10:34am
Subject:
RE: The Host by Stephenie Meyer
|
I'm curious, have you read her other books?
Also, if I may ask, what was it about the book you didn't like?
-----signature-----
1. Seek enlightenment.
2. ???
3. Prophet.
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
