The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

[rachel_bruhn]

So, I was at the bookstore a couple weeks ago and got a book on a whim. I typically don't read books unless they have been recommended, so this was a first for me. The cover boasted a sticker saying that it was soon to be a "major motion picture." There wasn't much on the book that gave away details on the plot, but I figured it must be decent if they were making a movie out of it. Fast forward to this past weekend. I finally went to the movies and wouldn't you know it, but there was a preview for the film adaptation of this book: The 5th Wave. Of course this prompts me to immediately go home and want to read the book. And that's how I spent my Sunday. Based on the film preview, I had an idea of where the book was going to go, but the story went a whole different direction.

First thing I found interesting was that the story actually starts after the 4th wave. The main character, Cassie, is trying to survive on her own in a world where the population is so scarce that she truly believes she is the last person alive. The last human alive anyways. The first part of the story is told by her. As she shares about her new lifestyle, she fills you in on what happened before, about the "Arrival" and the waves; each new wave killing thousands (if not millions) more people. We learn what happened to her family and how they took her brother. At first it bothered me that there was a lot of back and forth between the past and the present, but I got used to it as I read.

After Cassie starts her journey to rescue her brother, the point of view changes. The reader gets to hear the thoughts of Evan Walker, the guy that has a crush on Cassie; Ben Parish, the guy that Cassie has a crush on; and Sammy, Cassie's brother. Each change in perspective is preceded by black title pages. It is not always clear who's perspective you are reading until you start. This plays into the plot as you learn who characters really are.

As sci-fi/post-apocalyptic books go, I would say this one is perfect. The characters are easy to connect with and are realistic. The storyline is not "out there", even though it is about an alien invasion. It takes the feel from a post-apocalyptic book and adds the twist that aliens caused the apocalypse. The story isn't about the world trying to fight the aliens, but about a sixteen-year-old girl trying to save her five-year-old brother.

I would definitely recommend this book to any sci-fi fans, post-apocalyptic fans, and anyone that just enjoys reading a good book. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't put it down! I am looking forward to seeing the movie when it comes out later this year. I know they will get it all wrong, but such is life.

[gali]

Duplicated topic

The 5th Wave