Watertown Middle School Reading Club

Note from Mrs. M.:
I am a huge fan of the Twilight saga, so I was very excited to read The Host. I will warn you Twilight fanatics–The Host is nothing like the saga! But do not let that discourage you from reading this wonderful novel. I found the writing to be very engaging, and I had a hard time putting it down! Although the book is categorized as an adult novel, I think it is very accessible for young adults.

From Teen Reads
The Earth, in the not-too-distant future, has been taken over by alien “souls,” parasitic worm-like beings that wish to experience life as humans. Some years after the occupation, only a few scattered human resistors remain. A young human survivor, Melanie Stryder, is captured during an unsuccessful attempt to rescue a family member. Her last-ditch attempt to kill herself rather than be taken fails, and the souls heal her battered body through their advanced healing techniques. Wanderer, an ancient soul and intrepid explorer of galaxies, is then transplanted into Melanie’s body.

Wanderer expects to experience the lingering traces of Melanie’s memories and emotions after the transfer but is taken aback to find Melanie’s mind still active and fighting for control over the now-shared body. As Wanderer probes Melanie’s unwilling mind to learn the whereabouts of other humans, she comes to know of the existence of Jared, the man Melanie desperately loves, and her young brother Jamie, who are still in hiding. Under the influence of Melanie’s love for Jared, Wanderer finds herself irresistibly drawn to seek him out. The two women thus set off on a journey across the desert that puts them in deadly peril from humans and aliens alike.

The events that unfold when the Wanderer/Stryder pair meets a band of human resistors and is taken to their underground hideout form the crux of this story. The humans initially are repulsed by the presence of an alien amongst them. Will Wanderer and Melanie be able to convince them that Melanie still lives? Can the humans find a way to destroy Wanderer without losing Melanie as well?