Not What it Seems Like

       The title says The 5th Wave, but what is the fifth wave? What even is a wave? Waves are periods of time that are designed to rid the human race. The first wave was the death of all technology, which means not even cars or cell phones worked. The second wave was a catastrophic earthquake, which is pretty self explanatory. The third was an incurable deadly disease, which wiped out almost all of the remaining  humans left, the fourth was the aliens disguised as humans. This makes it tricky if someone wants to know if they can trust another. What is the fifth wave? In The 5th Wave and the rest of the books in the series, that is what everyone is trying to find out so they can prepare.

           The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey is a realistic and fast-paced book. Readers will want to know that Yancey does a good job describing whatever he thinks is useful to see. There were a lot of unexpected turns. It seems that after every calm chapter there is a new problem Cassie, or the other characters have to solve. Cassie, or Cassiopeia, has lived longer than most people her age and most people in general. Sammy, her brother, is the only family she has left, or so she thinks. The last time she saw him he was alive. Her goal is to make sure her brother is alive.

Yancey also uses flashbacks from before the waves started to show how normal of a family Cassie had and how normal life was before the waves. 

The book is multiperspective, which means there are multiple people that narrate the book from their point of view in first person, like people from her school and her brother. Yancey did a good job not mixing up each person's story and getting the reader in the head of the characters. 

The title says The 5th Wave, but what is the fifth wave? What even is a wave? Well in this book's case waves are periods of time that something happens to rid of the human race. The first wave was the death of all technology, which means not even cars or cell phones worked. The second wave was a catastrophic earthquake, which is pretty self explanatory. The third was an incurable deadly disease, which wiped out almost all of the humans left, and the fourth was the aliens disguised as humans, which made it tricky if you wanted to know if you could trust someone. What is the fifth wave? Well in The 5th Wave and the rest of the books in the series, that is what everyone is trying to find out so they can prepare.

During every wave Cassie realizes that life isn't about material items, but about people who she loves and are close to her. She realizes this after her friends and family are gone and she is left alone.

The 5th Wave was well-written and I rated it a ten out of ten. The novel is futuristic and war-like so some people may not like that. I would recommend this book to science fiction lovers and book lovers who love unexpected turns. I would keep an eye out for The 5th Wave so that you may like reading it as much as me.

~Bridgette Starns

The Penguin Group

© 2013 

978-0-399-16241-1