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.
I have to admit, this was the first book I've read about aliens. I hadn't gone out of my way to avoid the subject, but I certainly wasn't searching for a good "alien" book. Having said that, I don't know if I will search for another one because this book set the bar! It was incredible and mind-blowingly real.
From the very beginning, The 5th Wave freaked me out (in a good way!). The details the author comes up with make the possibility of alien invasion not only seem real, but it's so creative. I've seen movies with alien invasions, but I've never thought of the tactics they use in such freaky ways. I kind of want to call everyone I know and come up with a just-in-case-of-an-alien-apocalypse plan.
You never know what's coming in The 5th Wave. Just when you are convinced to trust no one and be skeptical of everything, the book STILL manages to throw a twist or two at you; each which blew my mind.
I love getting the different points of view in this book. At first it threw me for a loop, but it is done so well that I can't picture it any other way. Yancey is a genius. His characters are also kick ass. What I love about Cassie, the main character, is that she starts out as just any shy, high school girl, but toughens up and becomes so brave. Guys and girls are equal in this book. They save each other. There are no damsels in distress left because they have been wiped out. Only the strong are left, and they are teetering on the line between crazy and courageous.
Another great part about the book is that all the characters start to really question what it is to be human. It's pretty trippy reading their thoughts. Like I've said repeatedly, it seems so real. The humanity question goes beyond a philosophical thought...they are literally unsure if they can hold on to what makes them compassionate human beings while trying to stay alive.
The last thing I'll say about The 5th Wave is that the humor and sarcasm balances out a lot of the morbid parts. It keeps you somewhat sane and grounded during your trip through a chilling world, and it's all perfectly timed. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book! Seriously though, even if you've never thought about reading a book with aliens, read this book. It will blow your mind.
