The Final Battle Against Humanity

The end is drawing closer. Many have taken their lives already. Survival is on the edge of of life and death, kill or be killed. The choice is yours. You can stand up, or fall back.  In the book The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey, the main character Cassie (for Cassiopeia) has been through a lot and tries to fight her way back to her little brother Sam (Sammy).  Their world has been invaded, and the clock on humanity is drawing closer to it’s end. 
Yancey really put himself out there when he took the alien invasion plot and twisted it into something that’s different. Instead of the cliche description of aliens, he has written them as “others”. Beings that look like people, but actually have an alien conscience that has been downloaded into human beings before their birth. These others are not real, they don’t have any forms, they just are.
One good summary about the book is something that can be found all over the internet and on the backs of this outstanding book:
“The 1st Wave: Took out half a million people
The 2nd Wave: Put that number to shame
The 3rd Wave: Lasted a little longer, 12 weeks… 4 billion dead
The 4th Wave: You can’t trust that people are still people
And The 5th Wave?: No one knows… but it’s coming”

These lines give a background about the the story without much detail.  It is just great to show to people to get them interested in the book, without them having to read a big paragraph (which is great for people who don’t like to read).
In the story, Cassie has lost everything; Her parents, Her friends, and now her little brother Sammy.  Every remaining person is trying to cling to their humanity as the world slowly starts to fall apart at the seams. Cassie has finally found the thing she is willing to die for.  She made a pact to find her brother, and she won’t let anyone get in her way.
Follow Cassiopeia on her journey through self-doubt, courageous and stupid acts to save herself, and even a bit of romance.
Yancey also wrote another book called “The Infinite Sea”.  This book is practically a continuation on the previous plot.  Only, in this book, there is a twist.  Instead of the book being in Cassies point of view, it is in the character Ringer’s. This changes the game a bit. Not only is Ringer a bit more reserved, she is an impeccable shot and cunning from her past with chess (which she describes to be the game of kings).  This book is also a must read.
If the book could be described in only a few words to really get what the whole point is, they would probably be: Hope, Family, Courage and Humanity.
The 5th Wave is separated into different sections.  In each section is a different point of view and many thought-provoking adventures.  Each character is unique in some way.  They all are fighting for their lives, and fending off the threat that lingers over all of them, but the differences are based more on their background.
Ringer is tough and doesn't laugh, but their is no doubt that she is a born leader.  Poundcake is a silent warrior.  He is a follower, and never talks, because his sad past silenced him. Then there is Zombie.  He used to be known for his looks before the others came. Of course, time has changed him for the worst, just like everything else.  He is known to keep a level head in tough situations, and always takes risks for the greater good.
An exceptionally great quote from the book is as follows: ¨ If I am the last one, then I am humanity, and if this is humanity's last war, then I am the battlefield.¨ This quote is powerful if you have read the book and know what this was from in the context. It comes from Cassie, who decided to embrace the invasion instead of trying to deny that it is really happening.
Her courage alone may just be enough to save the human race, because as long as she is alive, there will always be at least one person fighting. Her presence on earth tells the others that not all humans want to hide away and wait for death. Although, at times Cassie is scared, she always finds the courage to continue fighting.
If you like The 5th Wave, you should also check out the sequels The Infinite Sea and The Last Star which comes out in stores on May 24th 2016. Each of these books are greatly detailed. Yancey seemed careful enough to capture a movie in his words with only enough detail to describe, and keep it interesting.
Death and destruction follows Cassie, but the story isn't over yet. The war hasn't been completely fought. The battle is only done, when there is no one else fighting for what they want. These stories have definitely made their way into history. Overall, The 5th Wave is such a great book, and the story inside is sure to last for generations.