Rick Yancy’s The Fifth Wave is the first book in the Fifth Wave series.
The book takes place a few months after the arrival of aliens. Instead of being friendly, the aliens sent out multiple waves to wipe out the human population. The first wave sent out a pulse to wipe out electronics. The second wave created immense explosions and tsunamis wiping out every coastal area. The third wave sent out a plague killing the survivors in a horrid bloody mess. The fourth wave sent out Silencers, aliens hidden among humans with the sole purpose to kill humans. The book picks up before the fifth wave and is narrated by multiple characters.
This book takes place from multiple characters. Each character narrates the book in first person. Two of the narrators, Cassie and Zombie, are teenage survivors. One is a five year old boy named Sam and the last is an alien. Sam and the alien are minor characters. The purpose of their narration is to provide a better understanding of the events of the book. Out of all the characters, Cassie (for Cassiopeia) is the leading protagonist. Her single goal is to find her brother Sam, who was taken away from her. Both Cassie and Zombie develop significantly. Each one is forced to their breaking point and becomes a stronger person due to the multitude of obstacles each must face.
This book is interesting, but very confusing. The most confusing part is the way the story is told. Each character tells their story in first person. The narration switches with each new part. There is no name to inform the reader of who is about to speak and the narrator rarely ever says their name leaving the reader to try and figure out whose story is being told. To clear up the confusion, here is who narrates each part. Cassie narrates parts 1, 4, 7, 9, 11, and 13. Zombie narrates parts 2, 6, 8, 10, and 12. Sam narrates part 5 and the alien narrates part 3. All of our human characters are forced to endure psychological and physical torture in order to survive the extinction of the their race. The world building is enthralling. It sucks you into the story and it paints a horrifying image of the days after the apocalypse. Sadly, some details, both major and minor, aren’t explained well. This books seems to thrive from holding back information so a lot of the remaining questions will likely be answered in the following books. The plot keeps you interested throughout the entirety of the story and is full of action. Even when things temporarily calm down, Cassie's sarcastic nature holds your interest. For those who like romances, a couple starts to develop in this book, but it foreshadows a love triangle.
I give this 457 page book 4 stars.
The 5th Wave
Without warning, aliens appeared in the sci-fi, survival world of The 5th Wave. They were not friendly. They came desiring a new world and they don't want to share with humans. The first wave sent out an electromagnetic pulse to take out all electronics. The second wiped out coastal towns and killed billions. The third was a plague. The fourth was Silencers, aliens hidden among humans with a mission to annihilate them. Now the fifth wave is coming.