Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Title: The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave #1)
Author: Rick Yancey
Published: May 7th, 2013
Genre: Science Fiction
My Rating: ★★★★★


Goodreads Synopsis:

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.


My Review: 

Half way through this book, I knew I was probably going to rate it 5 stars, and I did. I really enjoyed it. I decided to pick it  up after being slumped for quite a few weeks and it definitely drew me back into reading. 

The 5th Wave is about Cassie Sullivan, a young, sarcastic teenager, who's one minute obsessing over the hottie from school and the next, just trying to survive the alien apocalypse with her family. Simple. 

The POV shift was confusing at times, since The 5th Wave is told through three different points of view. Cassie (Cassiopeia) Sullivan, her little brother Sammy (Nugget) and Ben Parrish (Zombie). I really enjoyed the main protagonist, Cassie. She's everything I need in a favorite character ..... and a best friend. She's kickass, sarcastic, and a booklover. It's quite rare that I find myself attached to a character. I loved how Mr. Yancey was able to portray her as a responsible, independent, and capable young adult (I noticed that doesn't happen all the time). Sammy is an adorable 5-year-old, who is not only intelligent, but has a sense of humor. Ben Parrish, (Cassie's life-long crush) was ok. Evan Walker, needy and creepy at times, but who eventually bonds with Cassie was alright. I wasn't really rooting for Evan or Ben, because books can be great without having to go all lovey dovey. I mean, let's get serious here, who in their right mind has time to fall in love right in the middle of a deadly alien apocalypse.

Nonetheless it was action-packed and my heart was palpitating the entire time, I was holding my breath, and checking behind me every few minutes. The suspense was so intense that I was eager to find out what happens next. It ends with a cliffhanger and now I have to wait until September 16th for the next book in the series, "The Infinite Sea", which is the second book of the trilogy. 

The plot and pacing were perfect. It wasn't boring at all, but the thing I enjoyed the most was how Rick Yancey can take a fun YA Sci-Fi novel and turn it into a very realistic one that subliminally sends an important message. He focuses on the reality of human emotions: trust, loyalty, love, betrayal, and so on. If I had to limit this book to just one theme I'd say it was Humanity. It reminded me of the tv series Revolution, though it's actually quite different. It also brought to mind the "Monsters are Due on Maple Street", (S01E22  of the old tv anthology series, "The Twilight Zone"). 

Who Do I Recommend This To: It's simple. Sci-Fi lovers, those who are looking for a book to ignite their Sci-Fi addiction and those who want a book they just can't put down until they've finished it.