What do you think an alien attack would be like? If it is anything like in The 5th Wave, by Rick Yancey, you definitely do not want to know. Sixteen-year-old Cassie Sullivan has survived the first four waves of an alien attack: electromagnetic pulse, tsunami, disease, and silencers. Now, after both her parents have been killed, she is out on her own in the wilderness, trying to come up with a plan to find her brother and risking everything by being in the open. In this thrilling multi-perspective book, the characters are often faced with a pressing question: Who should I trust? In a world where the only thing you can see of your opponents is a giant satellite, you never know.
Throughout The 5th Wave, Rick Yancey is able to create many distinct voices of the different characters. Within each of the perspectives, however, he is able to include parallels and similar themes. A personal favorite is, “Run=die. Stay=die.” Through the challenges they face, Cassie and the other narrators are often trapped and must find a way out. The 5th Wave is also a very thought-provoking novel. The entire time, you try to imagine what an alien attack would be like. Even the characters, though anticipating a fifth wave, have no idea, further adding to the suspense. What they discover is completely different from the typical “alien attack” in any book or movie.
Overall, I would give The 5th Wave five stars. Rick Yancey’s writing style made it impossible to put down. The characters' emotions are portrayed so deeply they have your heart racing and tears streaming down your cheeks right along with the words. The 5th Wave’s poignant messages of the power of love will resound within you long after you have read the last page.
The 5th Wave
By Laila N.
85