Book Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave
The Fifth Wave #1
Author: Rick Yancey
Reading Level: YA
Genre: Science Fiction/Post-Apocalyptic
Released: May 7th 2013
Review Source: Putnam Juvenile
Available: Amazon


Summary: (from goodreads) The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

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.


The 5th Wave surprised me even though I had heard great things about it. At first it began a bit slow for me, I even put the book down and began reading another book. Then reading the new book I began experiencing the same thing again with the slow start. So I knew it was me and not the books. So I cleared my mind of all things preoccupying it and picked up The 5th Wave again. I also decided to stay with just one book at a time. This is when the connection happened. I was instantly gripped by the story and its action driven plot. Rick Yancey didn't hesitate or pause the story. It flowed with this intensity and mystery, you are scared to know what will happen but so intrigued by what is going on that you speed up your reading. Was it the aliens, the humans or just the whole end of humanity as we know it? Ill say every single element captured me.

The 5th Wave is the telling of what state our planet would be in if we were to be invaded by beings from another planet that of course were more evolved than us. Why is that always the case? Maybe one day someone will write a book or film a movie that we are the superior race and not the aliens. Ok, back to the review. The aliens or Others are in our planet and are exterminating us by the millions. At first it was the 1st Wave when lights went out, then they come at us with the 2nd Wave that brought the surf with it, that brings us to the 3rd Wave called pestilence and the last wave they attack us with, the 4th wave which is known as silencer. The few and when I say the few, I mean less than a hundred here and there are left hiding and wondering how they have survived all those waves of attacks from The Other. Will there be a 5th Wave to finish off what is left of humanity??? They will never see this wave coming.

I have hardly read books written by male authors. Not because I choose not to, it's because the majority of books in the genre I read are written by women. So it was a pleasant and welcomed surprised to have enjoyed Rick Yancey's writing. If someone would have not told me that he wrote it, I couldn't have known the difference if written by female or male. When romance or lust was the topic on hand, it captures your heart and makes it beat a mile a minute. When action was dominating the pages, I would read and easily picture in my mind all the actions scenes happening before me. This is great writing be it man or women. The story maintain a well balanced tone throughout the whole book and you could not guess what or who until it was in your face. Nothing about The 5th Wave was predictable. If your like me and you have yet to read a novel by Rick Yancey then I strongly suggest you add The 5th Wave to your reading list. Like I mentioned before, they will not see the wave coming!!!



My mother always taught me that sharing is caring, so I will share and giveaway my ARC copy of The 5th Wave. I was lucky enough to make the signing line for Rick Yancey at BEA and was able to get a personalized copy to add to my collection of books. So all you have to do is enter below the giveaway. Good luck!

12 comments:

  1. I enjoyed it too! I was impressed how he was able to write a female heroine in a convincing way...something I see other male writers struggle with.

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  2. No, I don't think that Aliens are always the superior race. Case in point INDEPENDENCE DAY ;).

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  3. I hate this punch thing. It never works for me.

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  4. I'm not sure why they always make aliens the superior race. Probably to make it more of a thriller and more exciting is my best guess...

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  5. If the aliens are not the superior race, then they wouldn't be smart enough to come to Earth in the first place. That doesn't mean that humans cannot adapt and overtake them!

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  6. I'm not sure that I completely agree. In several books and movies the humans end up being the superior race even though initially you think it's the aliens. Maybe they're just technologically superior? :)

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  7. I think that's just everyone's perception of Aliens that if we can't find concrete proof of their existence then they must be smarter than us. My email is kellee926@hotmail.com

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  8. Aliens are supposted to be advanced and smart.

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  9. Yes, but humans always find the way to overcome them

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  10. In glad to hear you enjoyed this. I want to read it so badly and I want it to be as good as everyone says it is! I also haven't read much by male authors and when I have I usually find their female characters a little... shallow might be the right word for them. Or maybe cardboard cutout could also work. So I'm glad that Rick does a good job!

    Now to answer your question. I'm not really sure why book and movie aliens are usually the superior race. I guess because in order to get all the way here to find us they'd have to have greater knowledge than us, considering we're not at the level to go flying all around the galaxy, let alone the universe! But their have been a few times when I've seen movies go the opposite way. Avatar sort of did. Humans had the technology and wanted the aliens resources so they invaded their planet, which made them the bad guys. So that could be another reason. In order for humans to be the "good guys" the aliens have to be invading us and using superior technology to do it. Wow, now I'm thinking a little too hard about this! Anyway, thanks for the giveaway!

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  11. Maybe because they've been able to accumulate so much information on us as humans. They could have formulated a 'game plan' to overthrow us without us even knowing about it!

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  12. I'm looking forward to reading this one. I'm a little worried about the hype being too great and then I'll be disappointed but I'm going to try go in with normal level expectations.

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