[ARC Review] The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave
5th Wave #1
Rick Yancey
May 7, 2012
Putnam Juvenile
Review from copy of an ARC

Amazon/Book Depository/B&N

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.

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Wow, I started reading The 5th Wave and I was hooked.   For me, it wasn't one of those books I couldn't put down but one I wanted to savor because I loved the world so much I didn't want it to end.
In The 5th Wave aliens have invaded earth.  They are are killing off mankind in waves.  I have always been fascinated with the idea of any kind of post apocalyptic survival story because I am curious of how people will react.  In The 5th Wave people start out about the way you would think with looting and rioting.  Then as the numbers dwindle down there survivor camps.  Then the aliens start turning humans on humans and there is no one to trust.  The 5th Wave follows the story of two survivors Cassie and Ben.

The book is told in parts and I would read a part and put down the book and think that is crazy or man did they really just do that.  Like the first part is called The Historian and gives details from Cassie's point of view from when the mother ship appeared to right after the 4th Wave.  The first part of the book in my opinion is riveting.  I love stories of survival.  I think that no matter what an alien would throw at Earth there would always be human survivors.  I think humans are like cockroaches or as Cassie, in The 5th Wave, later describes herself as a Mayfly.  Humans always find a way to stay alive and either fight or hide.  Cassie is tired of hiding by the time the first part of the book is over and she has to go find her brother.  So she sets out on a journey and gets hurt and saved by a stranger named Evan. 

I think that Cassie is a strong character.  I loved that she will fight tooth and nail to save her brother.  I liked that she was weak and flawed as well.  I can see where some have compared this book to The Hunger Games because there were parts of Cassie that reminded of Katniss.  The only thing I didn't like about the book was the romance. I felt it was a little too rushed because after the first part there is a lot going on as the book does switch point of views. Overall, I really liked The 5th Wave it had tons of action and parts were I was on the edge of seat wondering what was going to happen next.  I give this book four laser pistols and recommend it fans of aliens and post apocalyptic fiction everywhere.  Now my only problem is waiting until the next book comes out.