haileyrafla's review against another edition
1.0
What did I just read? I hated this book lol. The characters were boring. They did literally nothing to further the story. The ending? Absolutely garbage. What a snoozefest. I almost DNF’d this book but I continued on out of pure hatred… Just to see if perhaps the ending would shock me and make it worthwhile. It wasn’t.
Do not recommend.
Do not recommend.
mojoshivers's review against another edition
3.0
"It'll be nice working with a proper villains again."
Rarely do you get to read books or watch films where the villain of the piece is megalomaniacal to the point of hatching a plan to take over the world. World domination is usually considered so farcical and hard to execute that most antagonists have smaller goals, quieter ambitions.
Not so with this book.
Despite so-so writing and wooden characters, I did enjoy the fact "The Host" turns out to be unapologetically bonkers and intelligent. It's always a pleasure to get in the mindset of dealing with a Bond-level villain when the technology present is so far advanced and encompassing. I mean--why else introduce if the plan attached isn't as far-reaching and terrifying?
All in all, I wasn't impressed with the book. It riffs on a Agatha Christie set-up but possesses none of the style. The characters barely register, I was often confusing them for each other, and, even when we do spend time with them, they elicit no sympathy. They had the feeling of being pawns for the larger story when they should have been endowed with a bit more clarity of character and bit more measure of humanity in them. As it is, I was glad when a majority of them are taken out as it was a bit like cleaning up the dregs of society. If there had been a bit more remorse or even some type of saving grace to them, the story would've worked better because their deaths would've been more impactful.
But, oh lordy, that villain is just so juicy. We need more mustache-twirling bad guys in fiction. Sometimes you just want the Devil himself to be responsible for everything without an ounce of mercy. I just wish The Host's reveal had come earlier, if only to spend another chapter or two with that bit of creative whirlwind.
Rarely do you get to read books or watch films where the villain of the piece is megalomaniacal to the point of hatching a plan to take over the world. World domination is usually considered so farcical and hard to execute that most antagonists have smaller goals, quieter ambitions.
Not so with this book.
Despite so-so writing and wooden characters, I did enjoy the fact "The Host" turns out to be unapologetically bonkers and intelligent. It's always a pleasure to get in the mindset of dealing with a Bond-level villain when the technology present is so far advanced and encompassing. I mean--why else introduce if the plan attached isn't as far-reaching and terrifying?
All in all, I wasn't impressed with the book. It riffs on a Agatha Christie set-up but possesses none of the style. The characters barely register, I was often confusing them for each other, and, even when we do spend time with them, they elicit no sympathy. They had the feeling of being pawns for the larger story when they should have been endowed with a bit more clarity of character and bit more measure of humanity in them. As it is, I was glad when a majority of them are taken out as it was a bit like cleaning up the dregs of society. If there had been a bit more remorse or even some type of saving grace to them, the story would've worked better because their deaths would've been more impactful.
But, oh lordy, that villain is just so juicy. We need more mustache-twirling bad guys in fiction. Sometimes you just want the Devil himself to be responsible for everything without an ounce of mercy. I just wish The Host's reveal had come earlier, if only to spend another chapter or two with that bit of creative whirlwind.
rachelle0217's review against another edition
2.0
Not at all what I was expecting and what was probably meant to be a big twist at the end felt lackluster to me.
ginaajackson88's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
daid64's review against another edition
2.0
This sounded great and started well. But it just got lost. Disappointing.
nursenell's review against another edition
1.0
Did not finish, it just never grabbed me, may return to it later. I had just finished The Hike, which I liked, and was expecting a story along those lines.
futurepres13's review against another edition
3.0
I very much wanted to see what happened and could not put the book down. However, I wasn’t so in to the journey, more the end. The plot was a little loose and illogical for me. It seemed like the author thought through the core storyline much better than she did the surrounding plot lines.
organchordsandlightning's review against another edition
3.0
This book had a really promising premise! Being place in the middle of a seemingly deserted island with strangely hi-tech equipment really draws the reader in, and although the characters could be kind of shallow, I was still drawn into their stories. Unfortunately, as the mystery unfolded, it really started to fall flat. Most of the last quarter of the book I was just faced with wondering why a little girl would push an old man off a cliff, or how on Earth this turned into a plot about megalomaniacal revenge.
mcbeezie's review against another edition
3.0
Twists and turns
Quite enjoyable, I love the way the story unfolds. Intriguing, keeps you reading until the very end! The technology involved was interesting.
Quite enjoyable, I love the way the story unfolds. Intriguing, keeps you reading until the very end! The technology involved was interesting.
bee87's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0