THE HOST movie opens in theaters on March 29, 2013.
The Host - Trailer
Plot summary
In the future, Earth has been colonized by the "Souls," a parasitic alien race which inhabits human bodies, erasing the original occupants. Melanie Stryder is one of the last free humans alive. On a raid to find food, she meets Jared Howe, another human, and the two fall in love. Melanie is chased by a group of Souls, intent on capturing rogue humans. To avoid capture, she throws herself down an elevator shaft, nearly killing herself. A Soul named Wanderer is inserted into Melanie's body with the hopes of accessing her memories and finding the other humans in her group. Melanie remains partially conscious and bombards Wanderer with her memories of Jared and her brother Jamie. Wanderer begins to form an emotional connection to both and heads into the desert to find their hideout.Near death from dehydration, Wanderer is found by Melanie's uncle Jeb and taken to a series of desert caves that serve as a hideout for dozens of free humans. Her presence angers many of the residents, who view her as a parasite, but Jeb refuses to allow her to be killed. Eventually, after helping out and showing kindness, Wanderer begins to be accepted by the group, who call her Wanda. She must deal with her increasing attraction to Ian O'Shea, one of the residents, and Melanie's continued feelings for Jared. She becomes angry when she discovers that the humans are experimenting with ways to remove Souls from their human hosts, but that the procedure has so far proven fatal for both parties.
When Jamie becomes sick, Wanda uses her identity as a Soul to gain access to a hospital and procure the needed medicine, earning her more trust. However, Wanderer's old seeker tracks her to the caves and kills one of the inhabitants before being captured. Remorseful, Wanda reveals a method for safely extracting Souls from their host bodies, and the humans use it on several of their loved ones. Wanda asks to be removed from Melanie's body so that Melanie can live again, opting to die rather than possess another human. The process is a success; however, her friends go against her wishes and implant her in the body of a human girl whose mind had been left blank after a Soul was extracted. Melanie and Wanda begin romantic relationships with Jared and Ian respectively. At the end of the book, the group runs into another group of surviving humans, which includes another turned Soul.
Characters
Major characters
Wanderer "Wanda" – Wanderer is the main character, a parasitic alien "Soul" inserted into Melanie Stryder's body in the first scene. She received her name due to the number of planets she has lived on, having never settled on one she truly liked. She is later nicknamed "Wanda" by Mel's Uncle Jeb and her brother, Jamie. Initially only interested in enjoying her new life, Melanie's refusal to die off as expected forces her to make choices she otherwise would not have, and she slowly develops sympathy for the human characters, eventually acknowledging that they have a right to their own lives, and attempting to sacrifice herself so that Melanie can have her life back. She is uncomfortable with violence, and enjoys being a storyteller, a role she indicates having held in previous hosts. Her physical capabilities are determined by her host. She is oblivious to Ian's growing affection for her, and so is surprised when she overhears Ian O'shea and Jared Howe arguing about it just outside her door. Even though Wanda dearly loves Ian, she is limited because Melanie's body loves Jared. She hates upsetting people and so suffers endlessly trying to be as little of a burden as possible.Melanie "Mel" Stryder – Melanie is a 21 year old human (she was 17 when she met Jared) who was captured and infested with a Soul after years of evading the Seekers. Melanie survives Wanderer's implantation into her body, and resists the Soul's control as best she can. She likes the feeling of being physically strong and berates Wanderer for neglecting to keep her that way. She has a temper and may be considered volatile compared to docile Wanderer. Melanie is passionately in love with another human, Jared Howe, and shares a strong bond with her younger brother, Jamie. It is clear from their relationship and previous interactions that their years on the run made her extremely parental. Despite initial anger at Wanderer for stealing her life, they eventually become unwilling allies, and finally develop friendship and a bond that mirrors a sister's. Melanie, despite wanting her body back, sides with Ian when Wanda decides to give Melanie her body back by telling Doc how to take out a soul. Wanda did not intend to go on living after she was removed from her head, and wanted to be burried next to Walter and Wes. Melanie ensured Doc had not done that part of his promise, and eventually Melanie found a suitable body for Wanda.
Jared Howe – Melanie's lover. Jared is 26 years old when he and Melanie first meet (in most of the story, he is 29). Loving, aggressive, and somewhat excitable in Melanie's memories, by the time Wanderer meets him he has become quite bitter. He bears a grudge against Wanderer, and is unable to empathize with her for most of the book. He starts to change his views on the Soul, however, when he sees her comforting a dying friend. He is somewhat of a rival to Ian O'Shea, who sees him as competition for Wanderer's affections. He also has a parental relationship with Jamie, whom he continued to care for after Melanie's capture. He is described as being muscular and tall, with tan skin, sienna-colored eyes and naturally dark, but sun-bleached hair. His survival skills are an asset to the group, and he is considered responsible and capable by most other characters, but his rational thinking sometimes becomes a bother to the more sentimental humans.
Ian O'Shea – Wanderer calls Ian "as kind as a Soul, but strong as only a human could be." He has a strong dislike of the Souls in the beginning, but quickly abandons it once he begins to empathize with Wanderer. Other characters seem to view him as mostly level-headed. However he does have a temper; he shows violent and aggressive reactions when Wanderer is at risk, particularly when it is his brother attacking her. Ian befriends Wanderer and gradually falls in love with her, telling her that "[she] is beautiful", not just the body she wears. At the end of the book, he is in a relationship with Wanderer, who has been put into a new host body. He is described as being tall and muscular, with black hair, sapphire blue eyes, and fair skin. He doesn't help find Melanie find a new body for Wanda, which surprises Melanie. Ian said he didn't care what she looked like; he loved Wanda for her personality.
Jamie Stryder – Jamie is Melanie's younger brother and is 14 years old when he first meets Wanderer. His behavior and emotions are generally childish, representing an idealized innocence; unlike most characters, he holds no animosity towards Wanderer for stealing his sister's body or life. He quickly comes to view Wanderer as a substitute sibling, and draws her into the group with his interest in her stories and opinions. Despite his apparent innocence and naivete, Jamie wants to be treated like an adult; he yearns to go on raids with the others, and is uncomfortable with the coddling he receives when he is injured. He describes the medicine Wanda brings to save him as 'magic' and gets to choose Wanda's body in the end.
Uncle Jeb – Jebediah "Jeb" is Melanie's eccentric uncle. He was one of the first humans to suspect an alien invasion, and thus constructed an elaborate hide-out in caves beneath the Arizona desert. He maintains strict control over the hideout by virtue of having the only firearm. He believes Wanderer can fit in with the humans, and pushes for this to the point of creating great strain within the group. He is calm and deliberate in his decision-making, and despite being one of the most welcoming towards Wanderer, nonetheless does not hesitate to explain and justify the humans' perspective to her. He is witty, curious, and loves a good laugh. He loves out-there, Sci-fi stuff and is particuarly interested in Wanda's stories. He always get's his way in the caves, using cunning and deception... and a rifle.
The Seeker – The Soul responsible for finding Melanie's family. Mutual spite towards the Seeker is the basis of Melanie and Wanderer's early relationship. She is described as unusually irritable and edgy for her species. She mocks Wanda for not being able to completely drive out Melanie's spirit. This is later revealed to be due to her insecurity at having failed to subdue her own host, who remembers her name and recovers most of her personality when the Seeker is finally removed. Both the Seeker and the host are extremely unlikeable.
Kyle O'Shea – Kyle, Ian's brother, is a fiery character with a strong dislike of Souls. This is implied to spring from the loss of his girlfriend, Jodi, who was caught and implanted early in the war. He is impulsive, and tends to take precipitous action without considering the group's opinion, which can lead to danger for himself. Due to this quality, he is not trusted to lead raiding missions. His hatred for Souls disappears when he realizes that his girlfriend cannot be saved, and he begins a relationship with Sunny, the Soul inside Jodi. Before finding Jodi's body, Kyle despised Wanda and caused a cave-in in the bathroom trying to kill her.
Doc – A tall, slim human rebel who was a surgeon and serves as the rebels' doctor. He is shown as deeply affected by his patient's suffering, which in combination with the conditions, places him under great strain; this drives him to alcoholism, such as they can afford. He is very interested in finding out how the Souls invaded, and their surgical practices, attempting to rescue the victims of the invasion. His real name is Eustace. He is a man of his word, and is only stopped from killing Wanda like she wanted by Jared's hunting knife at his neck. Some of his characteristics were influenced by Meyer's younger brother, Seth.[5]
Minor characters
Magnolia "Maggie" – Jeb's sister, Sharon's mother, and Melanie and Jamie's Aunt. She shows extreme dislike towards Wanderer and never accepts her, though her attitude softens when Wanderer is moved into Pet's body. She is extremely tough and stubborn.Sharon - Maggie's daughter, Jeb's niece, and Melanie and Jamie's cousin. Melanie is captured on a trip to Chicago to find Sharon. Melanie remembers Sharon as fun and vibrant girl in their childhood but the years have been hard on her and she is now cold and bitter. Like her mother, Sharon hates Wanderer and obsesses about the threat she poses, sometimes to the point of risking other priorities. Her dislike weakens when Wanderer is placed in Pet's body because Pet is impossible to hate. She is in a relationship with Doc. However, the relationship is strained due to Doc's acceptance of Wanderer and Sharon's own prejudice. She eventually reconciles with him at the end of the book.
Pet (Petals Open to the Moon) – Pet is the former host body of a Soul named Petals Open to the Moon, from which her name is derived. After Petals Open to the Moon is removed and placed in cryogenic storage to be shipped to another planet, it is found that Pet's mind either did not have a chance to develop, or did not survive implantation - she is essentially a blank slate. As a result it is decided that they will use her as a host for Wanderer after she is removed from Melanie. She is 17 years old, small and weak, with pale skin, gray eyes, and wavy blonde hair.
Candy – Candy is the human who held the Soul of a Healer — that is, until Doc removed the Soul and placed it in a cryotank. At first, she shows signs of memory loss, but she eventually manages to recall her name and memories of healing that she shares with Doc.
Walter –One of the older humans in the cave, he is slowly dying of cancer. He is very fond of Wanderer and defends her. When he nears his last leg, he grows disoriented and believes that Wanderer is his beloved wife Gladys. Wanderer stays at his bedside until it is time for him to die. Doc euthanizes him and the group holds a funeral for him. It is then that Wanderer fully accepts that the souls coming to Earth was wrong. Wanderer's caring attitude with Walter helps endear to the other humans, especially Jared.
Wes –A young human in the caves, he is around 19-years-old. He has a crush on Lily despite her being older than him. Lily is initially oblivious of his feelings but eventually enters a relationship with him. When the Seeker attacks the caves, she shoots Wes and kills him. Lily is devastated and his death is the catalyst for Wanderer to reveal her secret of getting a soul out of a body and leave Melanie's body. When asking Wanda questions in her 'informal class', he is more interested in the way the Souls run the Earth than the Planets Wanda has been to.
Lacey –The Seeker's host. Lacey is an obnoxious whiner who drove the Seeker nuts inside her head. Wanderer removes the Seeker and Lacey is fully restored. Lacey annoys almost everyone but is immediately accepted, which slightly upsets the still sometimes shunned Wanderer.
Sunny (Sunlight Passing Through the Ice) –The soul who inhabits Kyle's girlfriend Jodi's body. Sunny used to be a bear before coming to Earth. She was put in Jodi's body six years previous and began dreaming about Kyle. Upon learning that Wanderer could remove souls, Kyle recklessly raced out to find her and brought her back to the caves. Kyle grows fond of her and when Jodi is not revived, he reinserts Sunny and begins a relationship with her. Sunny is looking for Jodi inside her head at the end of the book, when Jodi fails to reappear.
Major themes
In an interview with Vogue Magazine, Meyer stated that body image was a major aspect of her novel. She noted that she is "very critical" of her body, but not others'. In The Host, she tried to convey "what a gift it is to just have a body, and really love it." This is something most humans would take for granted before being captured, and something that Melanie is all-too aware of once she loses control of her body.[6] Other themes Meyer explored were the mother/child bond, the need to change our lives for the ones we love or because our community expects something different of us than what we want, and not fitting in.[7] In other interviews, various themes were noted including the value of the Soul and faith in a world that has been destroyed,[5] tolerance, forgiveness, and understanding.[8] Identity issues are also frequently mentioned, as Wanderer notes whether other characters differentiate between her personality and Melanie's identity as they interact with her.Background
The idea for The Host originated on a trip from Phoenix to Salt Lake City. Bored, Meyer made up stories to entertain herself, and was halfway through outlining the story of The Host in her head before realizing what she had created. She notes that the story grabbed her attention, and that she "could tell there was something compelling in the idea of such a complicated triangle." As soon as she got to her computer, she typed the outline that she had written in her notebook. Originally meant to be a side project, The Host eventually became a priority, as she favored it above the ideas of other stories she had saved on her computer.[9]It took Meyer a year to write The Host as she was still editing Eclipse and, as Meyer considers herself a storyteller, she needed something to remind her that she was still a writer, not just an editor.[7] Therefore, after editing Eclipse, she took two days to read through 'what she had already written for The Host to get back into what she calls The Host mode.[5] The character of Ian was originally meant to play a small role' Meyer had no plans for a romance between Ian and Wanderer until Jared "got on [her] last nerve", and Ian "refused to be ignored", and as a result, the ending was changed to allow for Ian.[10]
The title "The Host" comes from the perspective of the main character, Wanderer, because her "host" Melanie forever changes the way she sees the world.[10]
References to other works
True to Meyer's other books, The Host includes a poem at the beginning of the novel. The poem is titled Question, by May Swenson, and ties into the idea of the mind's reliance on the existence of the body, just as Melanie experiences when inhabited by Wanderer.Potential sequels
Meyer has said that she is working on additional books in The Host series and that she intends to write a trilogy. She said in an interview that, if published, the first sequel would be entitled The Soul and the second The Seeker.[11] In November 2009, she said, "I'd like to eventually have The Host be part of a trilogy."[12] In a Q&A session in Kansas City, Meyer stated that she has outlines for the sequels and has done some writing on them, but she has some qualms since The Host universe is a "dangerous place" where characters might die, and she is not sure if she wants to kill them off.[7]Reception
The Host was named one of the "Best Books of May" by Amazon.com, and also received praise about its ending saying, "Readers... will gleefully note that the story's end leaves the door open for a sequel—or another series."[13] In a review of the book for The Guardian, Keith Brooke stated, "When it's good, the novel works well, and will appeal to fans of the author's hugely bestselling Twilight series, but it is little more than a half-decent doorstep-sized chunk of light entertainment."[14]The Host was also a #1 New York Times Best Seller,[15] and remained on this list for 26 weeks,[16] and also spent over 36 weeks on the Los Angeles Times bestseller list.[17] The novel was named #1 on Maclean's Magazine's list of 10 top-selling fiction books in Canada.[18]
Film adaptation
Main article: The Host (2013 film)
The Host is being developed into a film with Andrew Niccol attached to direct and Saoirse Ronan to star as Melanie.[19][20] The project was first announced in September 2009 when producers Nick Wechsler, Steve Schwartz, and Paula Mae Schwartz used independent financing to acquire film rights to The Host. Niccol was hired to write the screenplay and to direct the film.[21]In early 2011, before the start of filming, Susanna White had replaced Niccol as the director,[22] but Niccol resumed his role of director in May 2011.[19] In the same month, Ronan was cast to play Melanie in the adaptation.[20] On June 27, it was announced that the film is set for release on March 29, 2013 with principal photography to start in February 2012 in Louisiana and New Mexico.[23] Open Road Films acquired the U.S. distribution rights for the film and Meyer will serve as producer along Wechsler, Schwartz and Mae Schwartz.[24]
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