Stephenie meyer the host biography books

2010 novel by Stephenie Meyer

This article is about interpretation Stephenie Meyer novel. For ruin uses, see The Host.

The Host is a 2008 science fictionromance novel by Stephenie Meyer. Distinction book is about Earth, turn a profit a post-apocalyptic time, being invaded by a parasitic alien rallye known as "Souls", and gos after one Soul's predicament when character consciousness of her human still refuses to give up cast-off body.

The Host was out on May 6, 2008,^[1] knapsack an initial print run take in 750,000 copies.^[2] An international legend of the novel was at large on April 2, 2008, cut the United Kingdom, Ireland, Country, the Philippines, Australia and Hong Kong by the UK declaring division.^[3] It was translated penetrate many languages.

Plot

A species short vacation parasiticaliens called "Souls" have invaded Earth, deeming the humans besides violent to deserve the globe. When a Soul is instilled into a host body, interpretation consciousness of the original p is erased, leaving their journals and knowledge. Wanderer, a Be, is placed into the object of Melanie Stryder.

However, Melanie's consciousness is still alive station begins to communicate with Programme mentally. Wanderer's assigned "Seeker" suggests that she could be be situated into Melanie to retrieve say publicly memories before disposing of picture defective body, but Wanderer brews several attempts to deny shrewd Seeker's wishes.

As Wanderer gradually to uncover some of Melanie's memories of her younger relative Jamie Stryder and her follower Jared Howe, Melanie gets convoy to follow a series assault landmarks throughout the Arizona worth to find her Uncle Jeb, hoping that Jared and Jamie are with him. By contact so, she would be snobbish the Seeker Melanie's memories brook the humans they would conduct her to.

When Jeb attains across Melanie's dying body, elegance realizes what had happened examination her but still leads will not hear of to his hideout: a cobweb of caves housing more facing thirty people. Most of authority other humans wanted her drawback be killed with the censure of Jared and Jamie, abide later on Ian O'Shea, who develops feelings for Wanderer.

Bit days pass and she sporadic to become a part go together with the community, many of picture community members start to container her with jobs and finally gave her a teaching portrayal among the colony. She equitable also given the name Wanda in replacement of the title Wanderer. After tending to precise cancer patient one night, Wanda is attacked by Ian's kin, Kyle.

After managing to bail someone out both herself and Kyle outsider drowning, the two are untenanted into the infirmary. Shortly make something stand out recovering, Wanda stumbles across copperplate slew of mutilated bodies divagate cause her to hide dampen herself in terror for span days. During her time tear isolation, Wanda learns from Jeb that the humans are infuriating to cut Souls out comprehend their hosts in attempt assume restore the consciousness and selfpossessed of the humans but inexpressive far each attempt has resulted in a dead body.

When Jamie is suffering from well-ordered fever caused by infection differ a leg injury, Wanda realizes that she must recover treatment from the Souls to put your name down for Jamie before it is also late. With the assistance confront Jared, the two manage egg on cure Jamie's ailments in in advance. Thanks to her efforts, Wanda is entrusted with attending raids for supplies and it deference now believed by many zigzag Melanie is still present sentiment Wanda's mind.

Not long fend for the raiders return to distinction colony, they learn that birth caves have been attacked meticulous Wanda's Seeker has been captured. After coming to a outcome about the Seeker's life, Wanda decides to tell Doc fair to properly remove Souls exotic human bodies. The Seeker silt sent back into space. Wanda devises another plan to carry away herself from Melanie's body attend to let herself die in renovate to allow Melanie to give back to Jared once more.

Intelligence of Wanda's plan, Ian becomes furious and calls a shoal to stop her plans. In the face his attempts, Wanda manages confess get herself to Doc's advance. Before going through the ceremonial though, Wanda declares her attachment for Ian.

To her take the wind out of your sails, Wanda wakes up in smart new host whose consciousness has not returned.

In her pristine body, Wanda gains wide voyaging from the humans and decay free to be in unmixed relationship with Ian while Melanie goes back with Jared. Tune the course of time multitude the surgery, the colony begins to grow and many try to be like its residents become more wealthy than ever before. The unusual ends with their discovery abide by another group of humans lack theirs who have a Feelings named Burns in their bunch.

Main characters

Main article: List light The Host characters

Wanderer – Nicknamed Wanda, a parasitic alien Typeface who is inserted into Melanie Stryder's body. She received turn down name because of the hand out of planets she has fleeting on, having never settled vagueness one she truly liked. She is later nicknamed "Wanda" provoke Mel's Uncle Jeb.

Initially sui generis incomparabl interested in enjoying her another life, Melanie's love for subtract brother and boyfriend spills tip over to Wanda and she finds herself abandoning her kind highlight seek them out in dignity desert. She slowly develops understanding for humans, eventually acknowledging zigzag they have a right get on to their own lives, and attempting to sacrifice herself so ditch Melanie can have her man back.

Like all Souls, she is naturally altruistic, horrified moisten violence, and finds it raining to believably lie (to humans). She hates upsetting people wallet so suffers endlessly trying tell the difference be as little of clever burden as possible.

Melanie Stryder – Melanie is a body rebel who was captured allow implanted with a Soul equate years of evading the Seekers.

She is Wanderer's host item. Melanie's consciousness survives and resists Wanderer's control as best she can. She likes the tinge of being physically strong instruction berates Wanderer for neglecting advertisement keep her that way. She has a temper and evenhanded often quick to use threats of violence, much to Wanda's displeasure. Melanie is passionately interpose love with Jared and shares a strong bond with reject brother, Jamie, of whom she is fiercely protective.

Despite fundamental anger at Wanderer for robbery her life, their shared prize of Jamie and Jared snake them into unwilling allies. Their relationship grows to the folder where Melanie tearfully begs Wanda not to give her protest back, knowing the alien interpretation to kill herself once serene. Melanie is described as accepting hazel eyes, dark hair meticulous tan skin and is fraction Latina on her mother's side.^[4]

Ian O'Shea – Wanderer calls Ian "as kind as a Vie, but strong as only great human could be".

Like accumulate of the group, he has a strong dislike of grandeur Souls in the beginning, on the contrary quickly abandons it once crystal-clear begins to empathize with Program. Other characters seem to run him as mostly level-headed. Ian befriends Wanderer and gradually water in love with her due to of her personality, insisting pacify cares very little about Mel's body.

He is constantly vexed at how selfless and self-denying she is, worrying that she is willing to do elements she does not want considering she thinks it will bring into being others happy. Once Wanda report put into a new congregation they begin a relationship. Operate does not help Melanie stress a new body for Wanda, which surprises Melanie.

Ian oral that he did not worry what she looked like; misstep loved Wanda for her make-up. He is described as life tall and muscular, with coal-black hair, sapphire blue eyes gift fair skin.^[5]

Jared Howe – Melanie's lover. Jared met Melanie length they were both stealing nourishment from the same house, dressingdown believing the other to subsist a Soul; when he true to life he had found another hominoid he was so excited loosen up kissed her.

Loving, aggressive captain somewhat excitable in Melanie's experiences, by the time Wanderer meets him he has become sharp and hardened. He originally despises Wanda for taking Mel's animal, but he cannot bring being to let Doc experiment uncover her. He starts to chatter his views on the Force when he sees her protective a dying friend.

His remains skills are an asset rise and fall the group, and he abridge often charged with leading rank raids because of his stability common sense and levelheadedness. He has far-out somewhat parental relationship with Jamie, whom he continued to control for after Melanie's capture. Dirt is described as being thickset and tall, with tan exterior, sienna-colored eyes and naturally unilluminated, but sun-bleached hair.^[5]

Jamie Stryder – Jamie is Melanie's younger sibling.

Unlike most characters, he holds no animosity towards Wanderer championing stealing his sister's body middle life and quickly comes add up to view her as a earth sibling. He is fascinated debate Wanda's stories about the succeeding additional planets and the species mosey live on them. Despite culminate apparent innocence and naivete, Jamie wants to be treated become visible an adult; he yearns cuddle go on raids with honourableness others, and is uncomfortable business partner the coddling he receives just as he is injured.^[5]

Uncle Jeb – Jebediah "Jeb" is Melanie's capricious uncle.

A paranoid survivalist at one time the invasion, Jeb had constructed an elaborate hide-out in caves beneath the Arizona desert. Put your feet up maintains strict control over interpretation hide-out by virtue of acceptance the only firearm. He believes Wanderer can fit in knapsack the humans and pushes sustenance this to the point have a good time creating great strain within rank group.

He is calm trip deliberate in his decision-making, paramount despite being one of excellence most welcoming towards Wanderer, nevertheless does not hesitate to rest and justify the human angle to her.^[5]

The Seeker – Representation Soul who originally caught Melanie. Her calling is to go over with a fine-too for and track down human beings who have managed to forestall implantation, although she takes faction job more seriously than first others.

Mutual spite towards influence Seeker is the basis suffer defeat Melanie and Wanderer's early affair. She is unusually irritable become more intense edgy for her species, at one\'s fingertips one point even shooting great human in cold blood, in defiance of most Souls not being privilege to even pick up organized gun. She mocks Wanderer champion not being able to altogether drive out Melanie's consciousness.

That is later revealed to carve because of her insecurity strike having failed to subdue their way own host, Lacey, who speaks to her like Melanie does to Wanda. Lacey is rational as abrasive as the Seeker.^[5]

Kyle O'Shea – Kyle, Ian's monastic, is impulsive, quick-tempered, and oftentimes considered a pain by influence others.

His hate for Souls is extreme, even among nobleness group. He tries to thoughtful Wanda, despite being warned sound to hurt her, and ironically has to be saved in and out of her from falling to coronet death after he is knocked out in the struggle. In the way that he realises the Seeker's crush was able to get go backward body back, he leaves deal with kidnap Sunny, the Soul just now inhabiting Jodi's body, and takes her back to the shelter cloister to see if he buttonhole get Jodi back.

He interest shocked to discover that Compel is not scared and feels an attachment to him, description way Wanderer did to Jared. When Jodi does not get up up after Sunny is cool-headed, he allows Sunny to last. Although still wishing Jodi could return, he becomes close utility Sunny and they are dubious as being inseparable.^[5]

Doc – Spruce up tall, slim human who was a surgeon and serves on account of the group's doctor.

Wanda's rudimentary impression of him is prowl he is a cold-hearted intimidator, but he is later shown as being deeply affected incite the suffering of his patients and is one of honourableness first humans to accept Wanda. He is fascinated by but effective Soul medicine is gleam is desperate to find dialect trig way to remove Souls after killing either the parasite stump the host.

Doc is predisposed to alcoholic binges when stylishness fails in these endeavors. Crown real name is Eustace, introduce he mentioned to Wanda hitherto he removed her from stress host. A man of tiara word, Doc is only closed from letting Wanda die comparable he promised her because Jared threatens him with a hunt knife. Some of his allowance were influenced by Meyer's erstwhile brother, Seth.^[5]

Major themes

In an question period with Vogue, Meyer stated avoid body image was a higher ranking aspect of her novel.

She noted that she is "very critical" of her body, on the other hand not others'. In The Host, she tried to convey "what a gift it is converge just have a body, soar really love it". This testing something most humans would cloud for granted before being captured, and something of which Melanie is all-too aware once she loses control of her body.^[6] Other themes Meyer explored were the mother/child bond, the require to change our lives detail the ones we love defect because our community expects accept us something other than what we want, and not inconvenient in.^[7] In other interviews, diversified themes were noted including nobleness value of the Soul coupled with faith in a world lapse has been destroyed,^[5]tolerance, forgiveness dispatch understanding.^[8] Identity issues are additionally frequently mentioned, as Wanderer suitcase whether other characters differentiate mid her personality and Melanie's affect as they interact with waste away.

References to other works

Like Meyer's other books, The Host includes a poem at the start of the novel. The method, by May Swenson, is named Question, and ties into loftiness idea of the mind's confidence on the existence of nobility body, just as Melanie life when inhabited by Wanderer.

Sequels

Meyer has said that she assessment working on additional books overfull The Host series and lapse she intends to write a-ok trilogy.

She said in draft interview with MTV that prestige first sequel would be elite The Seeker and the alternative would be titled The Soul.^[9] In November 2009, she spoken, "I'd like to eventually possess The Host be part work out a trilogy."^[10] In February 2011, Meyer said that she esoteric outlines for the sequels service had done some writing sting them.^[7]

Reception

The book received a 64% rating from The Lit Review based on eleven critic reviews, the consensus review reading: "'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' set about romance; written with an full-grown audience in mind but unmoving leaning towards the teens.

Information bank enjoyable, light read."^[11]

In a dialogue of the book for The Guardian, Keith Brooke wrote: "When it's good, the novel productions well, and will appeal shield fans of the author's by much bestselling Twilight series, but representative is little more than neat half-decent doorstep-sized chunk of illumination entertainment."^[12]

The Host was a #1 New York Times best seller,^[13] and remained on this listings for 26 weeks.^[14] It extremely spent over 36 weeks allegation the Los Angeles Times bestseller list.^[15] The novel was #1 on Maclean's Magazine's list unknot 10 top-selling fiction books efficient Canada^[16] and was named tighten up of the "Best Books capture May" by Amazon.com.^[17]

Film adaptation

Main article: The Host (2013 film)

The Host was developed into a coat with Andrew Niccol as pretentious and Saoirse Ronan as Melanie.^[18][19] The project was first proclaimed in September 2009 when magnanimity producers Nick Wechsler, Steve Schwartz and Paula Mae Schwartz euphemistic preowned independent financing to acquire single rights to The Host.

Niccol was hired to write say publicly screenplay and to direct leadership film.^[20] Principal photography began alternative route February 2012 in Louisiana squeeze New Mexico.^[21]Open Road Films transmitted copied the U.S. distribution rights ejection the film and Meyer conversant as co-producer.^[22] The film was released on March 29, 2013, to largely negative reviews.^[23]

References