Review for The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Publisher: Penguin
Release: 7th May 2013
Genre: Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Apocalypse, YA, Survival
Source: Received from the publishers in exchange for an honest review 



Review 
In The 5th Wave Rick Yancey creates a gripping and thought provoking future of our world shattered after an Alien apocalypse. We humans live a free and fairly safe existence being the most intelligent life form but what if there was something out there more intelligent and advanced than ourselves? What if our minds were to them what an animal’s mind is to us? Could you imagine a world where we were no longer the most powerful beings? In this clever and enthralling survival story author Ricky Yancey examines the human condition.

“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.” ― Rick Yancey, The 5th Wave

The 5th Wave is about intelligent, scheming, Aliens. When they first arrive in the Earth’s atmosphere the mothership does nothing but hover for a while leaving the world in a state of suspense to wonder who the Aliens are and what they’re here for. Little do they know that the Aliens are plotting a series of waves that will wipe out humanity yet leave Earth in one piece. The 1st wave hits at the things we’ve come to depend on the most: Electricity, power, batteries. All technology is cut off. The 2nd wave is Tsunamis large enough to wipe most countries out entirely. The 3rd wave is an airborne virus deadly to all but those who carry a natural immunity. The 4th wave is Alien assassins picking off the last few survivors. And the 5th wave is coming…

Rick Yancey’s world building is some of the best I’ve come across in a long time and I quickly became immersed in this believable future. The book is full of action and suspense and mind blowing twists that I didn’t see coming at all. As well as The 5th Wave being a gripping thriller it’s also incredibly thoughtful and beautifully written. There were so many passages of this novel that I fell in love with. Rick Yancey is a wonderfully skilful writer.

“Some things you can never leave behind. They don't belong to the past. They belong to you.” ― Rick Yancey, The 5th Wave

Where this book is strong in plot it is equally strong in its characters, there were so many who captured my heart! The book is told from several characters narrative and although at the start it is a little confusing as there isn’t any indication that the point of view has switched over you do soon get used to it when you figure out who everybody is and the figuring out only adds to the mystery of the book. Once I became used to the way this story is told I really appreciated how each character offers you a different vantage point to view the affect the Alien invasion has had on earth. At first you’re not sure how these seemingly random characters connect but all is made clear as the book goes on.

I loved all of the characters in this book but my absolute favourites were Cassie, Ben, Ringer and Sammy. Cassie and Ringer are two really strong, kick-ass, female leads. I especially loved Cassie with her black humour and snark that actually had me sniggering away despite the bleak situation. Ben’s chapters were my favourite. I loved his little crew at the camp and how protective he was of little Sammy, I also felt like he grew the most as a character. Sammy was simply adorable and I wanted to protect him from all of the horrors of his world. The things he had to go through as a five year old broke my heart!

“But if I'm it, the last of my kind, the last page of human history, like hell I'm going to let the story end this way. I may be the last one, but I am the one still standing. I am the one turning to face the faceless hunter in the woods on an abandoned highway. I am the one not running but facing. Because if I am the last one, then I am humanity. And if this is humanity's last war, then I am the battlefield.” ― Cassie, The 5th Wave, Rick Yancey.

Basically if you’re a human and you enjoy reading to some extent you should check out this book. I could gush about how good it is all day long. The hype surrounding this book is totally justified and it has become a new all-time favourite of mine. The 5th Wave is up there with the very best of the Sci-Fi and Dystopian genre and although it had a nice solid ending I am still left desperate for more to find out what happens next.