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A review by jadaleigh
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
5.0
“This place was truly the highest and the lowest of all worlds - the most beautiful senses, the most exquisite emotions... the most malevolent desires, the darkest deeds."
"There was no bond greater than one that required your life for another's."
This book lives rent-free in my heart.
Majority of my love for this book is from reading it several times as a pre-teen, but I was not expecting it to still hold up ten years later. I was SOBBING towards the end, knowing full well what was going to happen. Something about this book just does it for me. It is by no means fast-paced but I think the critique that 'absolutely nothing happens' loses sight of the fact that, despite the sci-fi setting, this is a character-driven book. You're essentially seeing the characters go from violent hatred and fear of each other to becoming family, and so most of the book is dedicated to those shifting dynamics. For me, this book earns its 600 pages, and I could read 600 more about these characters.
What I didn't love was Melanie and Jared's age-gap, even though I can acknowledge that Melanie has had to mature a lot faster than other people her age, with it being the end of the world and all. Ian's possessiveness was annoying at times. I also didn't love a huge decision Jared made for Wanderer at the end of the book, even though I understand what Meyer was trying to illustrate about their relationship. I just always want the best for her because she's just such an admirable and noble character.
I think this book is written five times better than Twilight, which even ten-year-old me thought was badly executed.
Now, if you really want a piece of media in which 'absolutely nothing happens' watch the movie lol. I still love the movie though because it's so un-cinematic to the point of being soothing.
"There was no bond greater than one that required your life for another's."
This book lives rent-free in my heart.
Majority of my love for this book is from reading it several times as a pre-teen, but I was not expecting it to still hold up ten years later. I was SOBBING towards the end, knowing full well what was going to happen. Something about this book just does it for me. It is by no means fast-paced but I think the critique that 'absolutely nothing happens' loses sight of the fact that, despite the sci-fi setting, this is a character-driven book. You're essentially seeing the characters go from violent hatred and fear of each other to becoming family, and so most of the book is dedicated to those shifting dynamics. For me, this book earns its 600 pages, and I could read 600 more about these characters.
What I didn't love was Melanie and Jared's age-gap, even though I can acknowledge that Melanie has had to mature a lot faster than other people her age, with it being the end of the world and all. Ian's possessiveness was annoying at times. I also didn't love a huge decision Jared made for Wanderer at the end of the book, even though I understand what Meyer was trying to illustrate about their relationship. I just always want the best for her because she's just such an admirable and noble character.
I think this book is written five times better than Twilight, which even ten-year-old me thought was badly executed.
Now, if you really want a piece of media in which 'absolutely nothing happens' watch the movie lol. I still love the movie though because it's so un-cinematic to the point of being soothing.