The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

 

Published: May 7th, 2013

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Pages:  460

Copy: My own

Summary: 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.

I picked up a copy of The 5th Wave in England so that I would have a book to read on the plane during take-off and landing - you know how they make you turn off all your electronic devices, damn them.  Well, I ended up reading it for the entire Atlantic crossing and finishing it off this morning.

It was such an absorbing book.  Right from the very first page it draws you in and just doesn't let go.  It's exciting, frightening, provocative, surprising and totally mind blowing.  The characters seem to leap off the pages and just worm their way into your heart. Cassie, Ben, Evan, Ringer and Sam - all unique and well written and so easy to care for.

I found myself getting anxious while reading - I kept imagining I knew what was going to happen and then something completely unexpected would throw me for a loop.  Mr. Yancey peppers the narrative with several very large red herrings, which on reflection I should have seen through, but I never did.  This is very definitely a YA book, but one of the main characters is a 5 year old, and his part in the story I found particularly disturbing - there were some major parallels with the world we live in and it gave a lot of food for thought.

I'm actually going to recommend this one as ISU potential.  There is so much going on I feel you could write reams about it.  So if you're looking for believable characters, a riveting storyline and just fabulous writing, try out The 5th Wave.  A sure fire hit.