The Host

Many times I’ve read science fiction novels about foreign creatures who have taken over a new planet, and that new planet typically tends to be Earth. However, I’ve never read a book quite like this one. My favorite character is Melanie Stryder, who to some may be the antagonist of The Host. In this novel, an alien species has over run Earth and inhabited the humans that live there. Melanie Stryder is a human who manages to be one of the last people taken over by the alien species.  Before Wanderer was placed inside of her body, Melanie was on the run from the aliens.

The reason why I appreciate Melanie’s placement in the novel is because she is probably the most relatable character. All of the other characters, besides the people that Melanie cares about, are aliens who have justified their actions by stating that human nature is horrible and they deserved to be taken over. This made me not like any of the aliens right from the beginning. The Host is in the perspective of Wanderer, one of those aliens. Although she is the protagonist, it is easier to side with Melanie on many situations. Her character portrays much of human nature, the good and the bad. She cares for other characters, such as her love interest Jared and her little brother Jaimie. She continues to fight for her life and for those she loves even after she is captured and her body is inhabited by Wanderer. I feel like that’s one of things that makes her most relatable. Regardless of the situation she’s in, she still continues to fight for her freedom and her life. (unlike what we’re seeing through Hamlet’s character development in his soliloquies, but that’s A WHOLE other story) She is a strong character who knows what she is wants and won’t stop until she gets it.

The most surprising thing about Melanie is that she’s not even a person in the novel; she is simply the remnants of what Melanie used to be. Melanie does not have a body to do her own bidding. Meaning, all the reader gets are Melanie’s thoughts, experiences, emotions, and interactions with Wanderer to develop her character. This makes Melanie very inticing to learn more about. In the beginning of the story, Melanie is basically an enemy to the narorrator, which makes her seem like the bad guy. But as her character progresses, the reader can see that Melanie’s intentions are basically good. The reader even gets to see Melanie and Wanderer become friends. To me, the two characters have an almost sisterly relationship. They fight a lot, they both want their own space, but when it comes down to it, it’s impossible for them to hate each other.

I’m not entirely sure if we are supposed to give a lot of spoilers to the novel, so I will refrain from ruining this book for anyone who wants to read it. But if you are interested in the science fiction genre and my character synopsis was somewhat interesting, you would probably enjoy this book.