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Marie is currently reading

The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave, #1)

by Rick Yancey

bookshelves: 2013, may-2013, young-adult, sci-fi, dystopia, aliens, romance, favorites, female-mc, male-mc, alternating-pov, currently-reading

read in May 2013

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Marie said: " An alien invasion has inflicted prolonged damage to the people of Earth. The aliens strike in waves, four so far, and while the methods of devastation vary, the results are the same: widespread death, increasing paranoia, and hopelessness that threat An alien invasion has inflicted prolonged damage to the people of Earth. The aliens strike in waves, four so far, and while the methods of devastation vary, the results are the same: widespread death, increasing paranoia, and hopelessness that threaten to break the human spirit. Told through the eyes of two high school students, Cassie Sullivan and Ben Parish, the remains of the population wait with mixed feelings of dread, resigned futility, and angry anticipation for the inevitable 5th wave that could spell the end of humanity.

Where do I even begin? If I wanted to be brief, I would simply say that I loved it and I can't wait for the movie that this book (and series) will undoubtedly inspire. But brevity is difficult when touting something that captured my attention and imagination from the first few pages. Though I enjoyed the sci-fi aspects of this novel, what truly drew me in were the psychological factors: conflicting feelings of helplessness/anger and vengeance/acceptance; the reluctance to trust another person even as one yearns to establish a bond; and the assimilation to community and military life because it gives people a sense of orderliness through the confusion and chaos brought on by unwelcome conquering forces. Whether I am vicariously living through Cassie's or Ben's drastically different circumstances, their experiences feel alarmingly accurate and real. It was incredibly easy to identify with them.

I must add that The 5th Wave doesn't have a shortage of kickass girls. Cassie, having survived on her own for so long, is fiercely independent (due to both choice and circumstance), self-sufficient, and tough (but not so hard that she's brittle), while Ringer, a girl Ben befriends, is intimidating in her efficiency and unflappable demeanor. I look forward to more of Ringer in the next book. Ben, the formerly popular football player, ended up being my favorite character. I wish more of him had been on display, but with Cassie being the actual main protagonist, it's understandable why we are shown more of her back story. Perhaps in the second book we'll get more glimpses of Ben's past life at school and at home. Sammy unknowingly becomes a symbol of redemption and hope for Cassie (who is his older sister), Ben, and Evan, a young man haunted by memories of his past and struggling with a life-altering decision.

Though I accurately guessed what the 5th wave would be and also the true nature of one of the characters, I did not attribute this to shoddy storytelling. Give my deductive skills some credit! It felt good and rewarding to be right; knowing I was correct didn't decrease my anticipation of what's to come. The story doesn't end with a cliffhanger (thank goodness for that....not that I object to cliffhangers, but the overuse and misuse definitely lowers the very impact it is trying to achieve), but the conclusion leaves open-ended questions and possibilities to be explored in subsequent volumes.

Now, while I loved this story, it isn't without imperfections. Cassie's plotline slowed down some when she met Evan, especially when compared to what was happening with Ben. Granted, this interaction with Evan has significant implications regarding her character development, but I wasn't exactly thrilled with the outcome even though their feelings (Cassie's and Evan's) are justifiable. However, this is just a minor hiccup, one based on personal preference which obviously doesn't deter from the high praise I continue to heap on this novel.

Rick Yancey's latest offering is a promising start to a series that should satisfy readers searching for something darkly entertaining and adventurous, a science fiction novel that is still grounded in the real world. With an action-packed and engaging plot, sympathetic characters under various states of physical and emotional duress, and an outlook that is simultaneously bleak and optimistic, The 5th Wave is one of my favorite books of the year. ...more "

progress: — Feb 01, 2015 02:07PM

Feb 01, 2015 02:05PM · see review