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crystalstarrlight's review against another edition
Wanderer, an alien "soul", takes over Melanie's body - but unlike most other possessed bodies, Melanie doesn't disappear. Wanderer learns about Melanie's life - and other stuff happens.
What that stuff is, I won't know because I'm tired of falling asleep every time I put this audiobook on.
DNF at 28%.
The worst thing I think a book can be is boring. We all want a fun, exciting, gripping book - that is the reader's ambrosia. But even a truly awful, terrible, waste of paper book can be fun in its own way. Hell, people gather around the TV for bad movie night, what's so wrong about "Bad Book Week"? But a boring book - a boring book sits on the nightstand night after night, staring at you, telling you that you should read it but giving you NO REASON WHATSOEVER to pick it up.
This is a boring book.
It's a shame to say that after Twilight, because in many ways, I do think it is a stronger book than Twilight. I feel the writing is better, the characters are better, the STORY is better. And yet, I don't think Meyers has learned enough, has pushed her craft far enough to leap from "one hit wonder" to an author a person returns to again and again. She can't seem to figure out a pace that keeps the story moving forward while also building a world around her.
Twilight was pretty awful, but at least it was memorable. "Host" is that book you read and two days later, you will wonder what was going on. I mean, I've been listening to this on audiobook for two weeks, listened to about 28% and still can't really tell you anything substantial that has happened. I used every excuse to get out of listening to this and I had to force myself to listen to it on audiobook every time.
The characters couldn't draw me in. The worldbuilding couldn't draw me in. The story didn't draw me in. The pace sure as hell didn't draw me in - the pace is slower than a snail, crawling, wriggling, inching along so slow that molasses pours faster than the pace in this book.
And the romance! GOOD GAWD, the romance! Because goddess forbid we have a novel without one! And goddess forbid we have a romance that isn't the same old Girl wants sex, Boy tries to preserve Girl's "purity". What happened to two adults having a conversation about sex that doesn't involve 1) hinting that sex is paying the guy back for something or 2) excuses for not having sex including someone not being old enough (why did Melanie have to be 17 and Jared much older than that? Does the 1 year age REALLY matter in a post-apocalyptic world?)? (Though I will shout out that Meyers did address birth control. And while Jared does tackle Melanie when she tried to evade him, I never saw any creepy Edward-stalker behavior in Jared)
And still I kick myself! Because this is truly an intriguing idea - what happens when the alien takes over a person's mind? That's the other side of the "Body Invasion" equation and this could be absolutely enthralling! And yet, Meyers couldn't make it interesting in the slightest.
Also, before I forget: Kudos to Meyers for setting this in the Arizona desert, her homeland. I think that was a good call, because I could actually FEEL the desert surroundings.
So, I throw in the towel at 28%. I know, I made it throw the awful "Breaking Dawn" but couldn't manage this. But again: Rule of Boring. This certainly isn't the worst Meyers has ever done, but neither is it anything that makes me think she's an author I need to follow and read everything she's done.
"Twilight" started an era of my love for Young Adult Urban Fantasy; "Host" marks the bookend of that era.
What that stuff is, I won't know because I'm tired of falling asleep every time I put this audiobook on.
DNF at 28%.
The worst thing I think a book can be is boring. We all want a fun, exciting, gripping book - that is the reader's ambrosia. But even a truly awful, terrible, waste of paper book can be fun in its own way. Hell, people gather around the TV for bad movie night, what's so wrong about "Bad Book Week"? But a boring book - a boring book sits on the nightstand night after night, staring at you, telling you that you should read it but giving you NO REASON WHATSOEVER to pick it up.
This is a boring book.
It's a shame to say that after Twilight, because in many ways, I do think it is a stronger book than Twilight. I feel the writing is better, the characters are better, the STORY is better. And yet, I don't think Meyers has learned enough, has pushed her craft far enough to leap from "one hit wonder" to an author a person returns to again and again. She can't seem to figure out a pace that keeps the story moving forward while also building a world around her.
Twilight was pretty awful, but at least it was memorable. "Host" is that book you read and two days later, you will wonder what was going on. I mean, I've been listening to this on audiobook for two weeks, listened to about 28% and still can't really tell you anything substantial that has happened. I used every excuse to get out of listening to this and I had to force myself to listen to it on audiobook every time.
The characters couldn't draw me in. The worldbuilding couldn't draw me in. The story didn't draw me in. The pace sure as hell didn't draw me in - the pace is slower than a snail, crawling, wriggling, inching along so slow that molasses pours faster than the pace in this book.
And the romance! GOOD GAWD, the romance! Because goddess forbid we have a novel without one! And goddess forbid we have a romance that isn't the same old Girl wants sex, Boy tries to preserve Girl's "purity". What happened to two adults having a conversation about sex that doesn't involve 1) hinting that sex is paying the guy back for something or 2) excuses for not having sex including someone not being old enough (why did Melanie have to be 17 and Jared much older than that? Does the 1 year age REALLY matter in a post-apocalyptic world?)? (Though I will shout out that Meyers did address birth control. And while Jared does tackle Melanie when she tried to evade him, I never saw any creepy Edward-stalker behavior in Jared)
And still I kick myself! Because this is truly an intriguing idea - what happens when the alien takes over a person's mind? That's the other side of the "Body Invasion" equation and this could be absolutely enthralling! And yet, Meyers couldn't make it interesting in the slightest.
Also, before I forget: Kudos to Meyers for setting this in the Arizona desert, her homeland. I think that was a good call, because I could actually FEEL the desert surroundings.
So, I throw in the towel at 28%. I know, I made it throw the awful "Breaking Dawn" but couldn't manage this. But again: Rule of Boring. This certainly isn't the worst Meyers has ever done, but neither is it anything that makes me think she's an author I need to follow and read everything she's done.
"Twilight" started an era of my love for Young Adult Urban Fantasy; "Host" marks the bookend of that era.
sunnysettoon's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
yaakovakiva's review
4.0
This was much better than the Twilight series. Clearly written for adults, whereas the Twilight series reads as adolescenet fan fiction. I really liked this book. :)
joyreadsinnc's review
2.0
I know I am probably going to get a lot of criticism for saying this, but I really did not think this book was that great. The concept for the book is very intriguing and interesting, but the way that Stephenie Meyer wrote the characters and the story was not that exciting or intriguing for me.
I felt as though a lot more could have been done with the concept of the book and that the ending was very predictable.
I understand that this a young adult book, but I have read many other young adult books that kept me interested and was written a lot better.
I felt as though a lot more could have been done with the concept of the book and that the ending was very predictable.
I understand that this a young adult book, but I have read many other young adult books that kept me interested and was written a lot better.
madisonwray's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.25
I wished for more nuance at the beginning with the set up of the humans vs aliens / good vs evil; but I actually think we got it as characters developed more. Still didn’t really get the groveling I needed lol. Good, nostalgic, thoughtful read
Was the pacing weird?? Why was this 600 pages long?? Long stretches of nothing sandwiching few pages of fast paced action. Idk
I think there were moments of shining and thoughtful insight, but it just took so long to get there.
Was the pacing weird?? Why was this 600 pages long?? Long stretches of nothing sandwiching few pages of fast paced action. Idk
I think there were moments of shining and thoughtful insight, but it just took so long to get there.
kiana2173's review
5.0
This book was a great take on aliens. What’s not to love on aliens? I think the author did an excellent job balancing two strong characters and not making the book confusing at all. I think it was well written and I love #IanandWanda
Repost of review from Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C2p6bRBNjcE/?img_index=1
Repost of review from Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C2p6bRBNjcE/?img_index=1
karleyyyjean's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mbpartlow's review
3.0
Intriguing plot, but not my cup of tea. Too "oh, gosh, I'm really a good person" for me.
jadajing's review
4.0
I waited to hear some positive reviews before giving this book a try. Though I felt that there were pacing problems and that it needed to be tightened up (where was her editor?) I actually liked it more than her previous three books. What a relief to have a more sympathetic main character (no whining!).