The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Pages: 457
Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: Science fiction
Notes for Parents: mild language, gun use, dead bodies, killing

The Inside Cover

After the 1^st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2^nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3^rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4^th Wave, just one rule applies: trust no one.
Now it’s the dawn of the 5^th 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 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.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first in a series.

What’s good?

Good characterization and non-stop action punctuate this story set in a world made bleak after an alien invasion. Survival is the name of the game and trust is hard to come by as Cassie searches for her missing brother and Ben unravels the invaders’ plans. A hearty band of supporting characters move the twisting plot forward as the threat of discovery, and even death, looms constantly. The story is easy to read, with a strong narrative and lots of suspense.
Best Part: The nicknames: Zombie, Nugget, Teacup, etc.

What isn’t good?

The so-called romance drove me crazy. I liked Evan until Cassie started obsessing about him and his “powerful shoulders” and round butt. We’re supposed to believe that the situation is bleak. Cassie thinks she’s the last person on earth. She nearly dies of a gunshot. Then, a cute boy enters and she goes gaga? The rest of the story is serious and mature, but this romance is cornier than Edward and Bella.
Worst part: “Coming to rest upon the Cassiopeian shore…”
 

Recommendation þþþoo

This was a tough one to review because while I enjoyed it – it’s a good story and a good start to a series – every romantic moment between Cassie and Evan made me cringe. I loved reading about Ben and his gang of misfits, and I liked following Cassie when she was on her own, but…well, you get the picture. Recommended, but with a caveat – beware the corny, lust-filled romance.

Yancey, Rick. The 5^th Wave. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2013. (Hardcover)