In 'The 5th Wave' by Rick Yancey, the story unfolds in the aftermath of an alien invasion that has devastated Earth through a series of waves, leaving few survivors. The protagonist, Cassie Sullivan, navigates a world where trust is scarce and danger lurks at every turn as she embarks on a perilous journey to rescue her younger brother from the clutches of the alien invaders. Through shifting perspectives and intense action sequences, the narrative explores themes of survival, betrayal, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming odds.
With a blend of dystopian elements and alien invasion tropes, 'The 5th Wave' offers a gripping and fast-paced read that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The multi-layered plot, filled with twists and suspenseful moments, unfolds through the eyes of various characters, adding depth to the story and providing a panoramic view of the global catastrophe. Yancey's writing style weaves together themes of trust, identity, and sacrifice, creating a captivating narrative that delves into the complexities of human nature in times of crisis.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include violence, death, and themes of loss, which may be intense for some readers.
Has Romance?
The romance in the story is pivotal, with tension between Cassie and Evan, as well as her confluence with Ben.
From The Publisher:
"Remarkable, not-to-be-missed-under-any-circumstances."-Entertainment Weekly (Grade A)
The Passage meets Ender's Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.
After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.
Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother-or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.
"Wildly entertaining . . . I couldn't turn the pages fast enough."-Justin Cronin, The New York Times Book Review
"A modern sci-fi masterpiece . . . should do for aliens what Twilight did for vampires."-USAToday.com
Ratings (60)
Incredible (7) | |
Loved It (16) | |
Liked It (25) | |
It Was OK (10) | |
Did Not Like (1) | |
Hated It (1) |
Reader Stats (122):
Read It (66) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (41) | |
Did Not Finish (4) | |
Not Interested (10) |
3 comment(s)
As the blurb says, this reminds me very much of
The Passage. That isn't to say it's derivative, but it has the same epic scale to it. The blurb makes it sound like the book focuses on Cassie's search for her little brother and her meeting with Evan Walker, but it covers so much more ground. Cassie is trying to survive the Fourth Wave of the alien invasion, in which the aliens look just like humans, making it impossible to trust anyone. This problem of "kill everyone or be killed by anyone" would be interesting enough, but Yancey (just like in the Monstrumologist series (please don't be over)) excels when applying this concept to relationships. Cassie and Evan, Zombie and Ringer, Vosch and everyone. Everyone and the reader! This book is kind of a mindfuck that way.
Cassie is a typical 16 year old, albeit with some karate lessons that come in handy, but she's in no way a superhero; except maybe in the way she completely kicks ass at never giving up. An echoing theme of the book is that once the aliens have destroyed nearly 7 billion people, only the strong have survived. And Cassie is definitely one of them. I love her sarcasm, her unapologetic use of an M16, her ability to do whatever it takes to complete her mission. And all this without the
Ender's Game portion of the book (I take issue with that, but whatever).
3.5. I read it in a day and it was okay but I'm not sure I want to commit to the rest of the trilogy. (I wasn't aware it was a trilogy when I started it.) I'm happy enough leaving it where it finished.
This was a surprisingly good and hard-to-figure out YA dystopian novel!
What can you read after
The 5th Wave?
About the Author:
Rick Yancey is the author of the New York Times bestseller The 5th Wave, The Infinite Sea, The Last Star, several adult novels, and the memoir Confessions of a Tax Collector. His first young-adult novel, The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, was a finalist for the Carnegie Medal. In…
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