Well I guess those tons of people that voted for The Host really wanted to read it. LOL.
Our die hard reviewers came through though, because of this we will not be having a Top Reviewer this go round...you guys rock though, and because of this I will be sending you BWB swag once it gets printed. T-Shirts and book marks! Yippee!
PJV's QUICKIE POV: This is a review rehash for the BWB. I was going to reread, and this is a book to reread, but I I've been a little ADD with my reading lately. Mostly because there is just too much going on I can't focus. Superbowl (still can't believe we won), Mardi Gras and the freezing temps have definitely screwed up my reading focus. So here is the rehash of The Host. I'm a Stephanie Meyer fan, I like Twilight, but I really liked this book. Don't judge Meyer by her YA foray...pick this book up and enjoy.
Review: When the Host was released the cover was intimidating. I knew Meyer was a good writer, but I wasn’t that impressed with her prose to think she could pull away from the vamps and venture into something as deep as what the summary of the book was touting. Meyer’s characters are what make her book, their emotional reactions and their unique perspectives of their environment. The vampire world she created, while having a few different takes on the usual fiction was nothing new. The world of The Host was out of the fantasy and deep into the sci-fi and it takes talent to paint the picture well. This explains why it took me picking the novel up 5 or 6 times, reading the jacket – then putting it back down, for me to actually buy the book. Then once I bought it, I let it sit on my coffee table for nearly a month. I was intimidated. I was intimidated by the concept – hated the Body Snatchers movie, and I was scared that it was going to really really bad and my respect for the author would go out the window.
But then I started reading. I couldn’t put the book down. The story is in regards to a human called Melanie Stryder. Melanie lives in a world that has been peacefully invaded by a parasitic alien race. Melanie is what the aliens call a “wild” human, and the last thing Melanie wanted was to become a new home for an alien parasite. To Melanie’s unfortunate, that is exactly what she becomes, following a very violent “death” that includes her falling/throwing herself down an elevator shaft.
Melanie’s body is repaired and the alien Wanderer is inserted into Melanie’s body. So begins the symbiotic relationship of Melanie and Wanderer. Most humans fade from existence when the aliens are inserted into their bodies, but Melanie, being strong willed and stubborn refuses to leave. She is violent, noxious and determined to not succumb to Wanderer. Wanderer herself is a strong creature, but she was inserted specifically in Melanie’s body because they think she will be able to infiltrate the human resistance. Melanie desperately wants to protect the other wild humans she left behind so she refuses to let go and give up her memories. Melanie’s love for her brother Jamie and a man named Jared are so strong that through dreams and shared memories, Wanderer finds herself yearning for the two humans. Wanderer is so taken aback by these strong emotions that she literally throws everything she has ever known away and sets off in a journey to find these humans and discover what love is really all about.
The first part of this book is a very drawn out inner dialog. Wanderer is confused by her feelings and even more thrown off by Melanie herself. She questions everything around her and even her sanity as she struggles with first trying to get rid of Melanie and then finally accepting that Melanie has become a part of her. The story is a multi-leveled love story, the first part is the friend/hate relationship that forms between the parasite and the human. Then as memories are shared, the brotherly love for Jamie and then the love affair with Jared.
When Melanie/Wanderer is finally reunited with Jared and Jamie, you don’t know if you should cheer or cry, the relationships are so complex. There is no definitive line of who is right and who is wrong. At first you are excited about the reunion but then as the humans reactions to Wanderer become hostile and scary you don’t know who to side with.
As the story emerged the complexity of the situation deepened, the true good of Wanderer becomes evident and reveals the true nature of what it really means to be “human”. New relationships form and Wanderer discovers who she is now that she is part Melanie and part “Wanda”. There has been some questioning on the relationship part of the story, most people think that it is hard to believe that a love relationship could form between a human and the alien, but really in life anything can happen. If people can fall in love over the internet, with a picture and pretty words, a human can most likely fall in love with a parasite dressed up in human’s skin. Wanderer is shown as a very gentle soul, and her eagerness to help the humans and become like them draws the others to her. Its actually very moving, showing that we can surpass our differences and learn to love people/things that we really thought we hated, if we just took the time to learn about them.
During this very long novel you are kept at the edge of your seat. There is always underlying tension, whether emotional or violent. I really began to care about what happened to both Melanie and Wanderer. Even the supporting characters became larger than life. The character interaction is well done. There are no explicit or implied sex scenes so this book is also safe for teens. There are a few moments of kissing and lustfulness, but nothing graphic or overdone. The ending was well done and I almost sighed in relief when I finished the last sentence. The epilogue also implied that there could be a sequel, or at least other novels set in the world, Meyer created.
Overall the book was well done, nothing profound, but very very entertaining. There were a few threads that weren’t followed through on, and some character reactions were very unbelievable. Wanderer was sometimes frustrating in her naïveté and how she was always trying to sacrifice herself. The Seeker – Wanderer’s antagonist was a little unbelievable also, I would think that her behavior would have been noticed in her position, but it did set in motion Wanderer’s escape into the human world. Nothing to turn me off from the novel though. Over all, cheers for Ms. Meyer and I hope this shows that she has a lot more in her to impart on this world, aside from those pesky and sexy vamps which we love her for.
Recommendations: SciFi fans would really enjoy. There is nothing overly adult about the novel, a little violence, a bit of passion (but nothing descriptive or blatant). Teens and adults will enjoy.
BWB rating 4/4
Have you read Twilight? How did The Host compare to Meyer's YA series?
Yes, I've read Twilight. I don't know if she would have written under a pen, that I would have recognized this as Meyer's writing. The only thing comparable was the self-sacrificing heroine. This was such a scifi novel...so very different from the Twiligh Series.
A lot of readers have expressed dislike for the immense amount of inner dialogue in The Host. Did you feel the novel lacked action?
I went int thinking that it would drive me crazy, but it seemed well done and I enjoyed it. The inner dialogue is very integral to the plot of the novel, I really don't think there would be any way else to have done it.
Do you feel the ending hinted at a sequel? If so, would you read The Host #2?
I did feel it hinted at a sequel, and yes I will probably read #2 if it comes out. SM has been quoted by MTV as saying that there would be two more books, "The Soul," and then "The Seeker." Yeah for original titles. *sarcasm font*
Title: The Host Author: Stephenie Meyer Page Count: 619 pages Publisher: Little, Brown Genre: Science Fiction Copy for review was borrowed from a friend
50 words or less: Somewhere out there is a parasitic race that wants to be surgically inserted into your body and take over, kicking you out in the process. For your own good.
Mother always said, never trust a book whose first chapter is titled "Insertion." I should have listened, because reading The Host, which is this month's adult title for Blog with Bite (and all you voters who picked it, I'm looking at you,) was a lot like getting a chopstick forcibly inserted into my left nostril.
It's sad to say, but this is my second Could Not Finish review. I didn't even come close to finishing this book, not by a long shot.
My issues with this book started pretty much from the first word on the first page. The premise of the book sounds pretty interesting, but is never really articulated in a way that doesn't make me want to brush my teeth. Apparently, a race of beings that have no bodies or minds (minds defined here as basically receptacles for thoughts, feelings and emotions) of their own and therefore have to take over the bodies of others, which they do with entire planets at a time. As you can imagine, this doesn't sit will with the people who are still using their minds and bodies, thank you very much, and not everyone is content to just sit back and let some alien-possessed whack job saw the top of their head off and shoot someone else into their head.
For another perspective, and admittedly this was the first thing that I thought of when I was made aware of the premise of this book, I refer you to MST3K (of course) and the introduction of, at 4:34 herein, the "zucchini throw pillows." This is what I imagine the takeover of Earth must have looked like, if Ms. Meyer's account is to be believed:
Yep, zucchini throw pillows taking over the mind, enslaving the body, and hoping to extend their self-perceived benevolent reach across the entire universe, one planet at a time. The Host is 600+ pages of this.
Apparently though, there are still a few humans running around on the planet without a cranial roommate, and they tend to get rowdy when they encountered the folks who are possessed, a fact which the occupying overlords find incredibly difficult to understand, which just made them look dim beyond belief. For intergalactic conquerors, these guys seem to not know anything at all. About anything. Ever.
The story centers around a Soul named Wanderer who's inserted into a human host named Melanie. Melanie was a human who was captured in the midst of a suicide attempt; she'd rather be dead than be a host. This stubborn tenacity carries over after Wanderer is inserted because Melanie, rather than just quietly pegging out and leaving Wanderer with the anatomical equivalent of a fully furnished apartment, sticks around and refuses to give up her mind or memories. This sounds dramatic but in reality had all the intensity of two hermit crabs fighting over the same shell. Yep, extreme crabby action.
So Melanie and Wanderer are basically roommates, sharing a mind and a body, and nobody is happy about this arrangement. You can tell, because there's a whole lot of nattering internal dialogue between the various factions where they snipe, snarl, and blather at each other until the reader is practically cross-eyed with boredom.
Then there's the whole Jared thing. I heard lots of remarks about how romantic this book was supposed to be, and how the tension between the characters (Melanie, her still-intact human boyfriend Jared, and Wanderer) was really riveting and unique, and my response to it was completely, unreservedly, and unequivocally BLECH. What is the deal with the old guy and the (almost) criminally younger woman? Why must this element be included in anything the author writes? It wasn't attractive or interesting in the Twilight series and it isn't attractive or interesting here. All it did was provide a stupid explanation for the lack of reproduction going on among the still-intact human rebels. Gross? Yes.
At this point, I had to stop reading. Life is too short to read bad books, and while I had low expectations of this book at the onset, I tried to go into the reading of it with an open mind and with the hope that I would be pleasantly surprised. I wasn't. I can't recommend this book to anyone, not even the most diehard of Twilight fans. The friend I borrowed the book from actually loaned it to me to see if I would like it better than she did, and I can now tell her with absolute certainty that if she ever needs a good doorstop, she's all set.
Overall Grade: Could Not Finish Blog with Bite Review: 0 out of 4 stars *****
Discussion Questions 1. Have you read Twilight? How did The Host compare to Meyer's YA series? I have indeed read the entire Twilight series, and while I will be honest and say that they are not my favorite books in the entire world, they were my official introduction to the world of paranormal romance, which has become pretty much my favorite genre. I have Twilight to thank for a lot of good reading, while I have The Host to thank for a splitting headache and a sour taste in my mouth. Enough said. 2. A lot of readers have expressed dislike for the immense amount of inner dialogue in The Host. Did you feel the novel lacked action? Short answer? Yes. Long answer? YESSSSSSSSSSS. I found the pacing of this novel to be plodding and incredibly boring. I wasn't interested in what happened to any of these characters or in how any of the questions of the plot got resolved. I would, however, not stop at expressing my dislike for the immense amount of inner dialogue. I would include ALL the dialogue in the entire book in my negative assessment. I try not to do things by halves. 3. Do you feel the ending hinted at a sequel? If so, would you read The Host #2? I didn't get to the end of the book because my brain couldn't take the strain so frankly I have no idea what the ending hints or doesn't hint at. I would not, however, read The Host #2, not even if hordes of weasels were hanging from my flesh and could only be pacified by a dramatic reading from the text. Not. Even. Then.
HBIC Seeker Review- The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Posted by Tina at Tinasbookreviews
Meyer’s takes paranormal romance into alien territory and for all of you who hate sci-fi will be pleasantly surprised by this mature and thought provoking thriller. Silvery wiggly parasites have invaded planet earth; in their quest for world domination they insert themselves into human brains thus making the human brain completely dormant while they remain a host for the “soul”. The positives: the alien species have cured cancer, diseases, wars, and have made planet earth a peaceful place to be. The negatives: they have taken over a human’s ability for free will and self-thinking.
Human’s fight back- by running, fighting and hiding. The remaining earthlings (the ones who haven’t been caught yet) do not want to be infected, especially Melanie Stryder who cares for her little brother Jamie and meets Jared (her future man) within the first few chapters. Is it me or does Ms. Meyers have a thing for the older man? She’s brave and has a kick-butt exterior, and she refuses to surrender, even after she is captured and becomes a host for Wanderer. Once Wanderer is inserted into Melanie she knows something isn’t right, the human feelings and essence is so strong that as time goes by Melanie's memories become Wanderer's and soon she becomes overwhelmed with longing for the people she loves. Melanie, who left behind Jamie and Jared, misses them terribly and soon Wanderer and Melanie begin working together to track down Melanie's loved ones, but when they find them, Wanderer is not accepted. She’s beaten, even punched in the face by Jared….(GASP) and thrown in a cave. The hidden remnant of humans hate Wanderer and don’t trust her, what they don’t realize- Melanie is alive and well hidden inside the depths of Wanda’s soul, where Wanda is the visitor in Melanie’s body.
Romantic, tender and non-stop alien action!! Actually there is no alien action; this is not your usual hard-core Sci-fi. The story is told through Wanderers perspective with Melanie battling it out inside her mind. It also centers more on relationships and the lengths we will go to save another. Much of the book deals with Melanie and Wanda's complicated love triangle with Melanie's Jared and Wanda's new love interest Ian. Meyer’s writing was beautiful; I was surprised at such a mature and more seasoned flare to her storytelling. Meyer’s strength is of course her characters and Wanda is the strength of The Host. She is constantly pulled between her duty as a Soul and the compassion she develops for Melanie and the other humans.
Swearing is minimal and the most graphic scene is a steamy kiss. Recommended for teens and adults alike.
4/4 Sci-fi, Romance
BWB Discussion Questions
1. Have you read Twilight? How did The Host compare to Meyer's YA series? I loved the Twilight series, and just like with The Host, Meyers' characters are what I became attached to. I thought The Host was much better written than Twilight due to- I felt Meyers found her style and the writing seemed more mature and much more seasoned. I still think Edward is my favorite Meyer character.
2. A lot of readers have expressed dislike for the immense amount of inner dialogue in The Host. Did you feel the novel lacked action? No way- I thought the inside dialog was very intense, I have no idea how they are going to pull this off as a movie but thats the one aspect I loved about The Host was all the inner-struggling.
3. Do you feel the ending hinted at a sequel? If so, would you read The Host #2? Yeah I think a sequel is on the horizon, I think the book would have been more dramatic had Wanda died.....but......Ms. Meyers' loves happy and I like happy too so for sure I would read it...and anything else Stephenie writes!!
Monica because of her great review is also the winner of a signed copy of Darklight, provided by Lesley Livingston herself. Great job Monica, and send me your address so I can forward it over.
parajunkee at gmail dot com
Stay tuned, this probably will not be a one time thing (award for Top Reviewer) so start getting ready for our The Host reviews! I don't think we will be getting anything from Mrs. Meyer, but word on the street says we have some cool Blog with Bite swag hot off the press.
Summary: Kelley Winslow is living her dream. Seventeen years old, she has moved to New York City and started work with a theatre company. Sure, she's an understudy for the Avalon Players, a third-tier repertory company so far off-Broadway it might as well be in Hoboken, but things are looking up—the lead has broken her ankle and Kelley's about to step into the role of Titania the Fairy Queen in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Faeries are far more real than Kelley thinks, though, and a chance encounter in Central Park with a handsome young man will plunge her into an adventure she could never have imagined. For Sonny Flannery, one of the Janus Guards charged by Auberon, the King of Winter, with watching over the gate into the lands of Faerie that lies within Central Park, the pretty young actress presents an enigma. Strong and willful, she sparks against his senses like a firecracker and he can't get her out of his mind. As Hallowe'en approaches and the Samhain Gate opens, Sonny and Kelley find themselves drawn to each other—and into a terrible plot that could spell disaster for both New York and Faerie alike.
Lesley Livingston certainly knows how to weave an awesome faerie tale.Ms. Livingston uses a lot of classic faerie elements as well as a TON and a half of classic Shakespeare....some of it being the same thing. These are both very good things. Shakespeare in itself is hard for a young reader to understand and feel. I think in this book Ms. Livingston gives Shakespeare a platform for young readers to understand and comprehend. When your favorite character is standing, acting out a Shakespeare scene, and the author is describing the emotions, the other characters, it clicks in the head and all of a sudden you have a teen who has had their possibly first dose of Shakespeare at his greatest, instead of it being crammed down the throat in high school English.
The characters are strong and willful but I don't think the author gave the reader enough time to truly get to know some of them. I liked Sonny, but by the time the story ended, I didn't know much about him and I wasn't head over heels in love with him, which is something I quite like in my male protagonists.
The plot is quick paced, but I think the the author could have done so much more with it, this book could have been huge; at the same time, if the author made it even larger it might be more difficult for young minds to wrap around. There were also a couple points in the plot that were a bit predictable...the whole deal that Sonny makes, totally saw that coming from a mile away. Faeries are tricky like that.
Overall this book is pretty good, I am really excited to read the next book in this series, Darklight.
Discussion Questions:
- Faeries seem to be very big in YA lit lately, how does Wondrous Strange compare to others in its genre such as Lament, Wicked Lovely, etc.?
I think Wondrous Strange was set strongly on Shakespearean Fae as opposed to Lament which was set strongly on Celtic Fae. Technically Fae is Fae but the source of the folklore differs.
- How did you view the relationship with Kelley and Sonny, was it a believable romance?
I think we didn't get enough time to get to know Sonny and I don't think Kelley did either, so it can use some work.
- Wondrous Strange was written in the typical fashion of paranormal literature, with the protagonist unaware of her supernatural abilities, meets boy who introduces her to the world... do you find these plot lines tiresome in their likeness, or do you believe there are always similarities within fiction and it is all about the deeper story?
It depends on my mood to be honest, sometimes I get bored with it, but its usually the mystery I get bored with. All the shadows and guessing games. I can continue reading plot lines like this...as long as they don't have so much clouding it interrupts the storyline.
Received from: Purchased from Books-A-Million
For more information or for purchasing visit Lesley Livingston's webpage.
I give this book 4/5 stars. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Original Sin by Allison Brennan.........Thoughts from Tina
When I started this nail biting horror ride, I wasn’t prepared for it to scare the pants off me!!!! Due to the subject matter and content I had a difficult time reading through half of the book, the writing is intense and flows at a very fast pace after about 20 pages in. Needless to say I decided to stop reading Original Sin, so I cannot give this a full review- but can tell all you who love the thrill of terror to dive into this one....for those of you who are wimps like me- proceed with caution.
PJV's Quickie POV: An action packed thriller, filled with demons and evil witches that will have your spine shivering. The novel digs in after a few chapters and doesn't let go, sending you on an adventure that is reminiscent of the final throws of Sunnydale (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). My knuckles were white throughout most of this novel as the protagonist battled demon after demon, fighting for her life and the future of mankind. With each page more and more was revealed as layer upon layer of religious background, forensics, demonology, showed of the immense amounts of research the author must have put in to pen this series.
Review: Moira is a witch. A witch descended from a long line of magic and evil. Her mother conceived her for the soul purpose of sacrificing her to Hell to be used as a conduit between the worlds. A goddess her mother had said, one that walks both worlds, yet none. Moira knew the truth though, she wouldn't be a goddess, she would be a slave. She escaped and found solace with her mother's enemy, the priests of the order of St. Michael's. She learned to battle the forces of evil, she learned faith and she also learned to love.
Her mother would not stop until she was either found, or destroyed. And all it took was one error on Moira's part, and everything she had came crashing down upon her and she barely escaped with her life. Her life, faith and reputation in tatters, Moira sets off to do the one thing she was destined to do, find and kill her mother. Her mother Fiona has other plans though...
Original Sin surprised me. Within the first two chapters I was actually getting to the point where I thought I might have to put it aside. It was moving slowly, well written but nothing was sucking me in. Boy was I surprised as I got deeper in the book and couldn't put the thing down! Action sequence after action sequence, Original Sin, definitely wasn't boring anymore. I'm very glad I didn't give in and push it to the side. Original Sin has it all, great characters, fast moving plot, detailed background, excellent tone and chills and thrills to make you want to run to the nearest church and say a few Hail Marys.
PJ Fact #42, raised Catholic, very Catholic (didn't go to a day of public school) and the Catholic religion is a big focus of this novel, and it was done well. Nothing like reading about warrior priests to bring back childhood memories. Some of those Jesuits looked like they've taken down a demon or two. Beside bringing out repressed Catholic memories the book did more than just entertain. Well worth the money, and from what I could tell, very easy to find, since I saw rows and rows of the book at every store I went to this weekend, from Rite Aid to Sam's.
Recommendations: Adult book for adult readers, there is violence, sex and a smidge of cursing. This is not what I would call a Paranormal Romance, there are a lot of "I Love Yous" from various characters, but the romance is not the main focus, it is the battle between good an evil. A nice introductory PNR if you are a fan of thrillers. Fans of horror, authors like Koontz and King should take a look.
This week Blog with Bite is featuring Orginal Sin by Allison Brennan. Along with HBIC reviews and author features, we are also hosting a giveaway! Tricia Carr of Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc. has kindly offered Blog with Bite 1 copy of Original Sin by Allison Brennan for giveaway. Details are posted at the end of this post.
Quotes from bloggers you know:
"...I did not want to put this book down." - FictionVixen "...terrific mixture of suspense, mystery and a lot of action with a hint of romance..." Fantasy Dreamer's Ramblings
Book Description (goodreads.com)
Haunted by chilling memories of demonic possession and murder, Moira O’Donnell has spent seven years hunting down her mother, Fiona, whose command of black magic has granted her unprecedented control of the underworld. Now Moira’s global search has led her to a small California town that’s about to become hell on earth.
Tormented by his own terrifying past and driven by powers he can’t explain, ex-seminarian Rafe Cooper joins Moira’s dangerous quest. But Fiona is one devilish step ahead. Hungry for greater power, eternal youth, and stunning beauty, the sorceress is unleashing upon the mortal world the living incarnations of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Together with a demonologist, a tough female sheriff, and a pair of star-crossed teenagers, Moira and Rafe are humanity’s last chance to snatch salvation from the howling jaws of damnation.
Win 1 Copy of Original Sin by Filling Out the Form Below!
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