Let me set the scene. Earth has been slowly and insidiously invaded by an alien species, the Parasites, that have been secretly inserting themselves into the bodies of human hosts so successfully that the invasion of Earth is almost over by the time it's discovered. Pockets of human resistence exist, but are ineffective against the scale of the parasitic invasion. Once a Parasite is inserted into its host, the host's human essense is irredeemably destroyed, allowing the Parasite to live independently in the human body, accessing the body's processes and in some ways it memories - its likes and dislikes and feelings. The Parasites have been travelling the Universe, moving from host species to host species. Despite their way of living and methods of colonisation, they claim to be a non-violent non-confrontational species, that looks down on humans for their savage way of existence.
The Host is the story of Wanderer, a centuries old Parasite that has been inserted into the host body of Melanie Stryder, a recently caught member of the human resistence. The only issue is, Melanie's consciousness still remains inside her body, co-existing and in some ways resisting Wanderer's possession of her body. Wanderer and Melanie must live together to achieve their common goal - to find Melanie's younger brother Jamie and partner Jared, who she left behind when caught by the Parasites.
The novel is science fiction, but would easily work for people who have little interest in science fiction. The focus is far more on the human elements of the story. Melanie seeks to control her own body, while Wanderer forms relationships on her own terms with the humans that she meets. She wants to support the humans she comes to love but is horrified and repelled by their capacity for violence and their desire to destroy her own kind. Wanderer is incapable of viewing her own species invasion of Earth and destruction of human in the same terms as she sees the human resistenace to this invasion. On an even more personal level, Melanie desires nothing more than than to love Jared again, while Wanderer experiences the strength of those feelings while forming her own romantic connection.
This was a re-read for me and I still enjoyed it. It isn't high literary fiction, or even particularly well written. But it is an easily accesible and interesting gateway into the world of science fiction that will work well for many people. I enjoy this book, and it will always be something for me to return to when I need something readable and enjoyable to keep me entertained.
3/5: It was an enjoyable read.
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