Agreed that I'd like to see them coexist. There could be some great storylines. The Souls are so advanced in technology and medicine. Imagine a world where there was no disease and most injuries could be healed. I wonder if humans could visit the other planets? Or if other species would come to earth... I can't imagine earth ever returning to a place where just humans inhabit it.

I would like them to co-exist also. But it would take quite some time for them to do so. And I’m okay with that. It should be a process so that both species can learn from each other. And so that we can read a couple more books (hehe)!

I don't know if they will totally take back over, I agree with most of you. My thinking is that one theme that exisited in the story was understanding of each soul/person. Maybe they will learn to understand and value what is good in each existance and learn to co-exist as Wanda, Sunny and Berns have learned to do...just as we should seek to understand each other in this big world we live in. Did I read too much into that??!

The only way that co-existence could possibly work, is if a human willingly gives their body to a soul. Remember, the only way a soul can exist is in a host's body, and unless there is acceptance of this happening, I can't see the humans just turning themselves over to a soul.

I would envision peaceful coexistance, not a complete taking back though.

I like this question, it's what I was thinking the whole time I was reading - "do we take the earth back?" I don't know if co-existing would be possible. Maybe more and more souls side with the humans, the balance of souls and humans evens out, then the souls voluntarily leave? Just thinking out loud...

And I didn't know there might be sequels. Interesting.

I like the coexisting idea. I think it could be really interesting and the humans could learn so much from the souls and vice versa. The part about the alien parents and a human baby makes me think that will be the case.

Here's a question that came to me last night: The souls' lifespans are obviously longer than the humans' lifespans. If the souls and humans are coexisting, what will happen when the host bodies eventually die? Will the souls all go to different planets? Or will there be humans offering themselves as new hosts?

i see them co-existing together. as for humans passing some souls may go with them as others may chose to move on.

I like to think of them co-existing (because I hate that the humans have to live in hiding!), but I don't see that being a possiblity, because as someone else said, that means humans would have to willingly give up their bodies to souls. But I think it would be difficult for the humans to take back Earth, since there are clearly more souls in the world than humans.

However, if enough souls got to know humans the way Wanderer did, there might be a possiblity for them to understand that humans aren't just the negative characteristics they associated with them - that humans are actually compassionate, loving, caring beings. Then maybe the souls, being inherently good, would volunteer to leave the planet, much like Wanderer wanted to do, realizing that humans are capable of making the Earth a better place.

This is how I feel as well. I know that is Wanda will do, and as we have seen with some of the other host/aliens there will be others that make that choice as well.

I think that coexistence is already beginning. The family in the park illustrates this. Two souls with human bodies give birth to a human baby. They love the baby and don't want to offer it to another soul. So they raise it with the beliefs of the souls, yet it remains human. Gradually, over a long period of time, you have a number of humans who have grown-up peacefully living among the souls. If there are also other souls like Wanda who start to believe that it's wrong to take over the humans bodies, possibly they will close the planet to new souls. I don't think the planet would ever be exclusively human again, considering space travel is possible, but I see a potential for peaceful coexistence.

Yep, that is what I was trying to say...you just said it better!

but I don't get it, if souls no longer wanted to give up their human babies how could the souls remain on the planet for that long. if no one wanted to give up their baby for any or all of the reason's listed above then eventually the planet would become soul free becase of the lack of longevity of the human race. without new host bodies the existing earth souls would die at the end of their host life span and without new host bodies no new souls could come to earth

unless of course the souls coexisted with the human race inside a different species. spider, bear, bat maybe?

I vote for dolphins!