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!