Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Grew up… moving from planet to planet. Wanderer is a Soul, a kind of parasite that inhabits other species’ bodies as their own. The average Soul tries out two different planets before settling, but Wanderer has tried eight so far – hence her name.
Living… on Earth, in the body of a human named Melanie. Because of Wanderer’s experience and capability, she was given a particularly difficult host, a “wild” human who tried to kill herself rather than be inhabited. Usually when a Soul is implanted, the host’s memories and personality disappear, but Wanderer's new host is proving to be very much alive and present.
Profession… none, really. Her experience and bravery in past lives has earned her respect among the Souls, and she teaches about the different species that she has encountered in her travels.
Interests… new species and personal connections. Wanderer is unusually well-traveled, mostly because of her appetite for new experiences and ways of living. She is often curious about what other people are thinking and wants to understand them fully.
Relationship Status… complicated. Her host, Melanie, was in love with a man named Jared, and those feelings are starting to leak over to Wanderer. But there’s no way that Jared will want to be with the person who took over his girlfriend’s body, and there might well be someone else more compatible with Wanderer…
Challenge… either getting rid of Melanie, or learning to live with her. At first, Wanderer just wants to “cure” herself of Melanie’s voice. But she’s starting to have sympathy for Melanie’s plight and even feel affection for the people Melanie loves. Eventually she’s going to have to choose where her loyalties lie – with her own people, or with the humans.
Personality… polite, caring, and sweet. Wanderer may be a bold traveler, but her main priority is that other people are comfortable and happy with her around. Then again, most Souls offer love and acceptance to everyone, so perhaps Wanderer’s defining characteristic is her willingness to go against the grain.
Get to Know her in...
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A parasitic alien soul is injected into the body of Melanie Stryder. Instead of carrying out her race's mission of taking over the Earth, "Wanda" (as she comes to be called) forms a bond with her host and sets out to aid other free humans.
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Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind. Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves-Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love. Featuring what may be the first love triangle involving only two bodies, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel that will bring a vast new readership to one of the most compelling writers of our time.
