This is a summary based on my understanding of the novel. Please also note that this summary contains spoilers. You may want to read the entire book first before proceeding - click this link to purchase via amazon.
The Host by Stephanie Meyer – Novel Summary
Earth was took over by aliens – the souls. The main character is Melanie Stryder. Mel strived hard to survive for the sake of his brother, Jamie. On her journey, she met Jared. And on that moment, as they hid from the souls, they assumed that they are the only humans left. It would be better if they stick together but Jared has to look for food or else they would starve, and Mel has to find her cousin, Sharon, because she might still be human, and they could find a better place to hide.
Mel was abducted while looking for Sharon and a soul was inserted inside her, her name is Wanderer. That’s how the aliens took over – they insert souls in the human body, they replace it and continue living in the society filled with their kind. The human body becomes a host for the alien soul. Any human caught would be abducted.
Unlike any other hosts, Mel was different, she was so strong she fought back (or tried to fight) Wanda from completely taking over – and she succeeded – Mel convinced Wanda to go to the dessert. They already have conversations which is very unusual because the host should not be able to resist the soul’s residency. Still, Wanda traveled to the dessert and nearly died there. Both Mel and Wanda thought it was their end because they travelled so far to find Jamie and Jared just to get stuck in the middle of the dessert. However, Jeb – Mel’s uncle, found them and brought them back to the cave. The cave turned out to be no better than the dessert because it was filled with humans (yes, there are surprisingly 35 human beings left) – and they treated Wanda like a parasite. They thought Wanda came to capture them, they couldn’t accept the possibility that Mel could still be alive. She remained a threat. Jared also lives in the cave – and he hates her.
She was accepted by the humans in the cave when:
- She got close to Jamie and Jeb.
- She started telling stories (or teaching, because her calling was to be a teacher since she has already been to 9 planets.)
- Ian fell inlove with her.
- They realized that Wanda doesn’t know how to lie.
- When Walter was dying, she stayed by his side.
- When Kyle tried to kill her, she ended up saving his life.
- When Jamie was dying, she went on a raid to get meds (that was also a proof of her loyalty)
- She started going on raids to shop or to have better raids.
When they found The Seeker and the humans decided to kill it, Wanda decided to sacrifice herself. She gave up her knowledge about how to extract the soul from the body safely. She taught them that process because her plan is to return the body to Melanie, and she’d give herself up to be the mother of other cells through self destruction. She thought she has successfully got rid of herself, but then she woke up in the body of ‘Planets Open‘, someone Mel, Jamie and Jared kidnapped because they think it suits her. They were all happy on that cave.
On their latest raid, they were stunned to see people waiting for them. They thought they were Seekers and they have prepared to have suicide – but then it turns out that they were humans too. They have a cave of their own and they also have someone like Wanda, his name is Burns. They got acquainted and that’s when they realized that there could still be more human beings on earth.
The End of The Host by Stephanie Meyer.
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Forever Winter 