Imagine an alien invasion where you couldn’t tell the aliens from the humans. It’s been done, you say? Many times, you say? Yes, it has, but not in quite this way. Told from the viewpoints of the two main characters, 16-year-old Cassie and 17-year-old Zombie, The 5th Wave relates a story of how these two teens are managing to deal with the aftermath of Waves 1-4 (nicknamed “Lights Out”, “Surf’s Up”, “Pestilence”, and “Silencer” by the author).
There are only a few hundred thousand humans left on Earth when the book opens, but Yancy takes us back to the beginning of the invasion, explaining each wave and letting us know how Cassie came to be alone — just her, her brother’s teddy bear, and her M-16. Later we meet Zombie, with his own tale to tell, and Sammy, Cassie’s 5-year-old brother who she has vowed to find. Zombie finds himself in a situation where he can help save humanity. But in the alien apocalypse world of The 5th Wave, is anything as it seems?
Although the first book of a trilogy, there is a good, satisfying ending, so don’t be afraid to read it and it alone. However, there is definitely more to come if you enjoy this book as much as I did and want to continue the adventure. Rick Yancy is a good writer and makes us really like the characters. Though the fear and excitement doesn’t reach the levels found in The Hunger Games or the Divergent trilogies, there is certainly enough to entertain. In addition, The 5th Wave grabs us with the optimism of the characters and their strength in adapting to their apocalyptic world. Certainly in the same class as the other two series, it is well worth a read.