Dec 28, 2013

The 5th Wave By: Rick Yancey Review

The 5th Wave
Author: Rick Yancey
Publisher: Putman
Pages: 457
Rating: 4/5

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.

     The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey is one of those books that I've been hearing SO much about and have been frequently told I must read. I was very worried it was going to be one of those novels that just didn't live up to its hype but thank the bookworm angels because this was not the case with The 5th Wave! I get it! I get it! I finally get why everyone has been absolutely raving about this book!

     I've read a few alien books in the past but The 5th Wave is alien invasion meets apocalypse! The plot had a refreshing but intense feel to it ! You never really know what's going to happen or who you should trust. I never really got bored while reading but I will say I hit a bit of a rough patch towards the middle part of the novel-- although it caused my excitement to slow down a bit, it definitely was sparked back into full gear as I got closer to the end. Speaking of the end, oh my goodness, where is book two?! Where is it because I NEED it!
 
     One of the most enjoyable elements of this book was the various POVs we get to read through. Although the first few changes were a bit confusing, you quickly are able to transition between each character's thoughts once you have read through their POV once. The story revolves around Cassie but we get the opportunity to read from a few other essential characters involved in the grand plot that are each experiencing very different things throughout this alien invasion. It allows you to feel really connected to the story, especially at the end when all of these characters meet up and look as if they will remain together as a team in book two.

     There was a love story woven into the Fifth Wave between Cassie and Evan & the hint of the possibility of a Zombie and Ringer. I did really like the addition of this into the book because it allowed for the characters to interact in a more light way than the consistent intensity and serious conversations we get during a majority of the novel. Not to mention the fact that I am not a huge sci-fi fan, so the addition of romance in the plot (and some other elements, including humour) made me enjoy this book a lot more! 

Favourite Quotes...

“We’re here, and then we’re gone, and it’s not about the time we’re here, but what we do with the time.” 


“You can only call someone crazy if there’s someone else who’s normal. Like good and evil. If everything was good, then nothing would be good.” 


“I had it all wrong," he says. "Before I found you, I thought the only way to hold on was to find something to live for. It isn't. To hold on, you have to find something you're willing to die for.” 

Overall...
     Overall, The 5th Wave was a thrilling, intense novel that makes you question who you can trust in a world where trusting the wrong person will get you killed. I would most definitely recommend this book to bookworms everywhere. Readers who love dystopian will probably really like The 5th Wave because although it's not a dystopian novel, it does have (at least I feel) similar elements to most dystopian novels I've read. Have you read The 5th Wave? Which character's POV did you find the most interesting? Be sure to let me know in the comments below! Keep Reading!


Your Y.A. Bookworm,
Caitlin <3

The 5th Wave @ Amazon

Review Originally Posted on July 24, 2013. Re-Posted for "Penguin Delights"

10 comments:

  1. I completely agree! As much as I enjoyed The 5th Wave, I felt like some parts were difficult to read through, and I actually had to Google the different POVs because it threw me off track at first. My favorite POV was between Silencer and Zombie because after reading through Silencer's POV, I had suspicion that Evan wasn't exactly who he claimed to be, but then events between him and Cassie had me second guessing my judgment. So I was constantly at the edge of my seat, trying to decide who Evan really was. And then Zombie's was refreshing because although we knew from Cassie that Colonel Vosch was bad, in Zombie's POV, it was difficult to tell. So those two POVs made me second guess my predictions and that's what I loved about them.

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    1. Glad to hear I wasn't the only one confused by the POV changes! I agree with you about both the Silencer and Zombie's POV-- they both made it hard to figure out who was good and who was bad. I think that's what makes this book so good because it makes you second guess yourself (as opposed to just reading about the main character's confusion, we the readers experience confusion as well)! :D

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  2. I have literally been seeing raving reviews of this book everywhere! Good to know that all the hype was worth it- I'll definitely have to check this book out soon.

    Great review, Caitlin!

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    1. Thank-you Joie! Yes, definitely put this one on your TBR !! :)

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  3. Nice! This one is popping up everywhere it seems! Have read soooo many great reviews and I've already bought it. Like after the third review I think! Just haven't gotten to read it yet! Will likely do so in the coming week or two! Great review!

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    1. Thank-you Jessica! I actually had bought this book and had it sitting on my shelf pretty much since its release, but I was just to scared to read it because everyone seemed to be so in love with it. I look forward to hearing what you think about it once you review you it !!

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  4. I have that on my shelf waiting to be read but I've yet to read it due to the same reasons.That it may not live up to it's hype, but after reading several reviews including yours, I think I'm going to give a try ^^ Great review by the way :)

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    1. Thank-you! You should definitely give it a shot! :D

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