The Host: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion

by Mark Cotta Vaz

The #1 New York Times bestseller and international phenomenon by Stephenie Meyer is now a major motion picture!

Stephenie Meyer's The Host captured millions of readers around the world with one of the most unusual love stories ever written. Acclaimed director Andrew Niccol brings it to the silver screen with a star-studded cast, stunning visuals, and breathtaking special effects.

Now this definitive companion book takes fans behind-the-scenes with extensive full-color photographs and exclusive interviews with the cast, crew, director, and producers, including Stephenie Meyer herself. Offering an intimate look at the filmmaking process, New York Times bestselling author Mark Cotta Vaz tells the inside stories behind the exotic locations, massive sets, and gravity-defying stunts, and shows how cast and crew come together to bring Meyer's extraordinary vision to life.

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Dystopia

144 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2012

About the author

Mark Cotta Vaz is the author of over twenty-one books, including four New York Times bestsellers. His recent works include Mythic Vision: The Making of Eragon, The Spirit: The Movie Visual Companion, and the biography Living Dangerously: The Adventures of Merian C. Cooper, Creator of King Kong, which was a Los Angeles Times bestseller.

Reviews

[Gerasimos Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful companion to a movie adaptation of one of my favorites (if not my favorite) books.

I have read a lot of movie companions recently (all happen to be written by Mark Cotta Vaz) since I thouroughly enjoy them. They are full with information and details about how the book was transferred into the big screen and breathtaking photographs that you cannot find elsewhere. They are great not only for people who love the particular book or movie that the companion talks about, but also they are great for fans of the cinema industry. Being a fan of both their is no question as of why I enjoy movie companions so much.

Out of all the movie companions I've read I can say without a doubt that this was my favorite. The structure of this book is much more readable. In the other companions I've read the chapters and the structure of the details is given based on the storyline of the movie. Here the details are devided to different sections of this story (e.g. the seekers, the cave, the actors) a strategy that works much more better in my opinion. What I also really liked about this companion is that it highlights aspects of the movie that I haven't noticed. It is full with stories from the set, the actors' inner thoughts, thoughts of the director and Stephenie Meyer's and information about every single detail that really give you a spherical view of the adaptation.

If you are fan of the book and the movie definitely read this. If you are not interested in this book but you want to know more about how a book is being made into a movie or how the movie industry works this is an interesting option to consider.

As for the movie that I watched a few days ago, I loved it. It may didn't captured the emotional complexity and the innate dilemma of the book to the fullest but it gave me the same feelings. Maybe someone who hasn't read the book will not really get the whole story's grandeur. It was still, however, a great movie. A movie is never as good as the book, I was prepared for that. Especially if it happens the book to be one of your favorites. But this movie really captured a little bit of the book's perfection. The performances were amazing (Saroirse Ronan took my breath away) and the structure of the story was really good given. I would have liked a few things to be different but I really did loved it.

The Host is for sure a great story whether as book or a movie. A story that I love with all my heart and even more. The feelings that this book gives me are incredible. If you haven't experienced this story yet, you have to.

[Michelle Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I won this book through First Reads. However, that has no impact on the review.

" I thought it was interesting to have a sci-fi film where for once the aliens are not necessarily the bad guys. Yes, we're being invaded and taken over by the souls, but in a way they perfect our world, they perfect the human flaws, and yet the human mind and the human spirit is so strong that even the souls have difficulty overcoming that." - Diane Kruger

If I was excited to see The Host in theatre before, it is nothing compared to how excited I am to see it now. What I loved about The Official Illustrated Movie Companion was that it gave us a glimpse of each element of the process that went into making The Host. We got to learn about the casting decisions, the location choices, the actors' takes on their characters, the make-up, etc. The ideas behind each of these decisions really reflected what I, as a fan of the book, wanted for the movie. Niccol (who also worked on Gattaca, my favorite sci-fi movie) made some unconventional choices, like picking Abel who is normally cast as a villain and picking Ronan who didn't fit the part of Melanie physically; However, when we learn about why he made those choices, it makes so much sense. Now, I can't see anyone else in those parts.

Overall, for me, this book deserves 4 stars. It is a great, easy read and it really gives a lot of insight to the film. I'll be looking forward to seeing The Host opening night.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I ended up watching The Host halfway through reading this book. I'm such a fan of how movies are made and I love reading about all of the behind the scenes action so I just gobble these Movie Companions up. Also the pictures are nice too :)

[Andreea · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://themoonlitbookshelf.blogspot.d...

My thoughts:

Since The Host is one of my favorite books and the movie was fantastic, I really wanted to read The Host: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion in order to see behind the curtain.

Mark Cotta Vaz provides the reader with a lot of interesting insider information and one learns many fascinating things about the movie production. I didn't know how complex such an adaptation could really be. There's so much work behind it - from finding the right production team and studio to hiring the qualified actors - making a movie isn't an easy task. I really found it interesting to learn about these things.

I also liked the exclusive stories since the reader learns how involved Stephenie Meyer was in the whole process. Moreover, the reader learns how the author actually hit on the idea for Twilight and The Host. The interviews and the photographs were also very nice and will appeal to many fans.

Before I watched The Host I was curious to see how the production team would handle the conversations between Melanie and Wanda. After all it's a challenge to portray two persons in one body, considering the fact that these conversations take place in the head. When I finally saw the movie, I was pleased with the result. And this book will tell you why - it's because of Saoirse Ronan (she plays Melanie and Wanda). She is a very talented actress who manages to embody two different persons by using a different dialect and corporeality.

Conclusion:

The Host: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion is a must for Stephenie Meyer fans because it gives readers an insightful view behind the curtain and they will learn interesting things about their favorite stars.

[Stephanie (Bookfever) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This movie companion is really interesting if you're going to see the movie in March. Now, The Host (the book) is my favorite ever and I'm pretty excited (and scared) to go see the movie. I'm terrified that they'll ruin it because I don't really like the actors for the movie (although these actors are all amazing). After reading this companion I'm even more scared but I do know the cast and crew really are invested in making this a good movie so we'll just have to see, won't we? :)

[Lynne Stringer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book long before I saw the movie and enjoyed it immensely. I loved behind the scenes looks at how they create movies, especially ones like this. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the movie so much when I saw it. I found it a disappointment. Definitely not as good as the novel, but that does not make this book any less appreciated.

[Lauri Farrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Companion has got me sooooo excited for the movie, It looks Incredible.

[Olivia Chanel's Stories in Space · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sigh I loved this. All the pictures, quotes and the way they all talked about the movie was amazing. It makes me even more excited to see the Host, LIKE NOW NOW NOW.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this companion it makes me even more excited to watch the movie! :)

[SillyBillyIllyLily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really full on. I had to get in the mindset for it and halfway through, I took a break and read something easier.
Overall, i loved it! It was moving and the ending was so sweet, with everyone getting what they wanted, even though there were many hardships along the way.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a spicy read and something to challenge them!

[Judith Guadalupe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me super encanto. Stephenie creo un mundo apocalíptico maravilloso. Las primeras hojas son un poco lentas, en donde la autora nos empieza a introducir a este mundo. Sencillamente un libro maravilloso, que todos deberían leer.

[Jasmine Walston · Rating 4 out of 5]

They definitely had more fun making this movie than I had watching it. This book was a little boring at first, but reading it was significantly more pleasant than reading The Host so there's that.

[Joey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong imagery and thought in actions. Feeling is portrayed in a complete form giving full comprehension of the complexity behind the feelings. Good plot and story.

[Romancing the Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by: Robin
Book provided by: Publisher
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

I went into reading this movie companion not really knowing what the original novel was about. But I did enjoy Stephenie Meyer’s other works, The Twilight Saga, so I decided to give this a chance. It wasn’t actually the novel just a movie guide of sorts so I figured that it would be a nice change of pace. I found out that I was surprised.

I found out that the story is somewhat loosely sci-fi-ish…if that is even a word. Well, I made it a word for this review. You see just briefly it is an unusual type of love story. Beings that inhabit humans by taking over their brains erasing from what I understand memories and replacing them with others use said humans as the ‘Host’ for their bodies. So to understand this you picture your body but your mind is that of an alien. In this story we follow Melanie Stryder and her alien named ‘Wanderer’. The twist is that Melanie is strong and doesn’t give up her memories for the Wanderer to take over. Instead the Wanderer is filled with Melanie’s memories and falls for Melanie’s boyfriend Jared.

To me this was a really informative look at the whole process of taking the novel, turning it into a script, choosing actors, locations etc. I enjoyed reading the different takes from the actors; the interviews with the directors, gophers and even Stephenie Meyer. The visual and special effects were interesting to learn about. The unusual locations that helped to bring the story off the pages to make everything more realistic, although it made have seemed desolate to some it made the story romantic. The depths we go for love. Even the bond that formed between Melanie and Wanderer was fun to explore.

Even if you don’t read the actual novel but are thinking of going to see the movie you just might want to pick up this insightful companion before you go. This type of novel usually isn’t my genre when it comes to reading but I found that I want to go buy The Host and read the whole story and not just the snippets from the companion. Who knows I just may have taken myself once again outside the box when it comes to reading. Mark Cotta Vaz has done a great job with the behind the scenes looks that takes us from novel, to movie script and onto the final movie adaptation.

[Mykell Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its a world where people can take dead humans and bring them back to life with a soul from a different planet. There is a weird thing about this girls body that they try to put a soul into. even though the body is dead and so is the preexisting human soul. The soul that has become the new host of the body can feel that the human soul is still present.

The movie is pretty good. Not as good as the book but it was still good. Like always the book had so much more detail then the movie, and they left out the dramatic star in the movie that the book had.

The book is ok. I would recommend this book to anyone that has seen the movie first. Its like a whole other story compared the book. Its like a sci-fi, so if you like stuff like that then I say this is the book for you. I gave this book three stares because the book didn't really catch me. when I was reading it I just felt kind of bored.

[Katza Verduzco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este libro es un señor tocho, la cosa aquí es que casi en la primera mitad del libro las cosas transcurren tan lento que llega a aburrir un poco, pasando esos pesados capítulos por fin tenemos ña historia más interesante que leí en el año sobre una inbacion alienijena donde estos seres se implantan en nuestra nuca para conectarse con el cerebro humano y poder controlar a la humanidad. El romance entre wanda e Ian y eso que comenzaron con el pie izquierdo pero después todo están bonito, tierno, me enamore del muchacho.

Eso si Melanie y Jared me caen tan mal, si entiendo por que son como son pero no los soporto. La recomiendo bastante me gusto más que crepúsculo, si advierto que los primeros capítulos son super pesados pero lo demás vale muchísimo la pena.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a goodreads first reads win. First I wanna say I love the cover of this book. The cover is a bunch of stills from the movie that have been put together to form the picture on the cover. This is sort of a hard book to review because it's behind the scenes information not a story.

The pictures are really nice and there are quite a few good quotes from The Host by Stephanie Meyer. This book would be good for people who are interested in film-making. They showed how some of the stunts were enacted. The book introduces the key characters and events that happen in the movie. Overall it was a very interesting and informative read.

[Bronwyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Host is a very romantic novel, and I just love the sci-fi that is intertwined with the romance. When I read the book, I didn't cry at the end because I didn't think it was sad enough, but when I watched the film,I DID cry at the end, so I thought that was a bit odd. But a while later, I realised that the reason I cried at the end of the film and not the book, was because the film had a different ending.
I've noticed that quite a few books have this happen to them, whether the ending or random parts of the film are changed, which really annoys me, and probably annoys most other bookworms as well.

Hope this was helpful xxx

[Carolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. And the fact that I won it in a giveaway (my first ever) made me enjoy it even more. I'm a junkie for behind-the-scenes stuff of entertainment, and this book gives excellent insight. My only small complaint was that it didn't really delve into information about each actor, at least not enough to satisfy me. But other than that, it was very enjoyable, and it made me even more excited for the movie to come out.

[Ave Binks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the behind-the-scenes information in this book, but if your just looking for pictures than I would suggest saving yourself the $10 and picking up US Weekly's Special Edition: The Host. Their selling it at your local grocery store until June and it has the same amount of pictures, some additional filming info. and more info. on the key actors, plus posters. As well as a couple pictures of Wanda in her new body which this book here leaves out.

[Holly Noelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah, not going to lie, Max Irons influenced my decision to get this. Don't get me wrong, I was excited for the movie, but Max ultimately made me swoon.

So did Jake Abel.

Okay, the movie was filled with pretty boys.

The companion does what all of these companions do - gives you pretty pictures with some cursory details about the filming. Nothing spectacular, but I'm glad I can at least see some behind the scenes filming and wonderful pictures of Max.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read for fans of behind the scenes information on movies. It was great to be able to understand why they changed certain things from the book. Movie adaptations are always a little different from the book at best, but it was nice to understand the reasons behind these changes.

I would recommend this for fans of the novel or movie.

[Amanda Gutierrez Dominguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lo tengo un poco olvidado porque lo leí hace bastante. Pero recuerdo que me encantó toda la historia, la trama, los personajes, y ese juego de personalidades de la protagonista, o mejor dicho, protagonistas.

Realmente lo recomiendo, aunque me decepcionó un poco el final, sigue siendo una magnifica historia, innovadora, nada que ver con lo común.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT! Kind of

Saoirse Ronan defenitely is the new Meryl Streep! I loved how they spotted her in Hanna, I loved that movie and it shows her skills!

Interesting to see how much scouting they do for locations and the perfect setting and photos and costumes and I'd like to walk on a filmset one day just to see all this in person.

[Cheshire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Considering that I wasn't much of a fan of the book, the movie companion oddly enough has brought to life the fact that the directors went in the completet opposite direction to casting as to what the author wanted, Saorsie Ronan, definitely a talented ctress.

[Marjo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like "behind the scenes" stuff, and I like the movie adaptation of The Host, so there was little chance that I wouldn't like this. I liked it a lot.

[Anjie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Awesome set pictures! I like the casting for Jared and Ian :]

[Lizzie Augustine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always love seeing new stuff from my favorite girl Saoirse. :)

[Ivuše BookLion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Byl docela záhul přelouskat tu angličtinu, ale co bych neudělala proto, abych se dozvěděla něco nového o Hostiteli ;) :DD

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like learning about the movie making. I think its crazy how this movie wasnt very popular. Personally, I loved it :) But I guess it didnt make as big of a bang.