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Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Review: The 5th Wave (The Fifth Wave #1) by Rick Yancey

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Published: May 7, 2013
Pages: 480
Source: For Review from Penguin
Rating: 5 Stars


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.

In short: Combining an intriguing plot, intelligent prose, and vivid characters, The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey is an absolutely gripping story and one that is not to be missed.
"If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn't turn out very well for the Native Americans."
- Stephen Hawking

So begins the most gritty and realistic post-apocalyptic alien invasion story I have ever read. There have been four waves of terror and mass murder by the billions leading up to the titular event, The 5th Wave. This is not a story for the lighthearted. The 5th Wave presents a realistically bleak - and thus TERRIFYING - post-apocalyptic future ruled by aliens, paranoia, and desperation. The terror is palpable and the story is somehow all the more gripping for it.

I thought I knew exactly what to expect going into The 5th Wave; I have read my fair share of post-apocalyptic novels and I know how they always play out. Very rarely am I surprised by the direction the story goes. But as it turns out, I was completely wrong about The 5th Wave. Rick Yancey somehow manages to take an old tried and true plot and turn it into something that somehow felt more original and much more intriguing. It's no wonder to me that the movie rights for The 5th Wave have already been picked upThe 5th Wave is utterly compelling.

I was already a huge fan of Rick Yancey's writing from his historical horror series, The Monstrumologist, and that, combined with the mountain of hype surrounding this book, meant I knew I was going to be getting something special with The 5th Wave. And of course he delivered. BIG TIME. Rick Yancey is such an amazing storyteller - whether it's a heart-pounding, life-or-death action scene or an intensely poignant emotional scene, he handles it all skillfully and thoughtfully.

Told through multiple interwoven perspectives, Rick Yancey proves that not only can he create a fast-paced and compelling plot, but that he can craft vivid and intriguing characters, as well. The 5th Wave's protagonist is Cassie, who is a spitfire of determination and bleak humour with a M-16 for a best friend. I loved her entirely. Rick Yancey captured her voice perfectly in his prose, bringing to life a memorable teen survivor to rival the likes of Katniss Everdeen. The other perspectives - Zombie, the Silencer, and Nugget - all bring an interesting view of a well defined character, as well.

The 5th Wave is the best sci fi novel I've ever read and is one of the best post-apocalyptic reads I've read (alongside The Road). Combining an intriguing plot, intelligent prose, and vivid characters, The 5th Wave is an absolutely gripping story and one that is not to be missed. For folks who are wary of sci fi: this is your chance to try one that is guaranteed to enthral you and leave you wanting for more!

Other Reviews:
Alice Marvels
More Than Just Magic
The Page Turner

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35 comments :

  1. Everybody loves this book so i'll probably like it too. Good review.

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  2. Oh I didn't know this was the same author who wrote The Monstrumologist! I remember you absolutely loved that book Aylee, so I'm glad to see this book didn't disappoint! I need to go buy a copy of this immediately, every review I've read has been 4.5 or 5 stars, and I want to know what all the fuss is about! Beautiful review, I can't wait to be enthralled:)

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  3. I so want to read this! Everyone has been raving about it and I am so very intrigued. Great review, Aylee! You've certainly piqued my interest. :)

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  4. I'm actually really excited for a terrifying post-apocalyptic! When I saw this in my dashboard I had to click on the title of the 5th Wave xD I love the part in the blurb with 'only the unlucky remain'. Great review and I'm glad you liked it so much!

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  5. The different perspectives and the premise that seems well executed sounds awesome. Can't wait to read it.
    Brandi @ Blkosiner’s Book Blog

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  6. OMG Aylee, FANTASTIC review! I love the fact that it is realistic because as you stated on your review, it makes it more terrifying because it can happen, it hits home a bit more.

    Angelica @ Paperback Princess

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  7. This book sounds amazing. It comes out today and I am really DYING to read it. Great review!!
    I love your blog and I'm a new follower via Bloglovin and GFC. Please follow back!! Thanks ^^

    Sapir @ Diary of a Wimpy Teen Girl

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  8. Wish I got this book on NetGalley, looks amazing! Lovely review :D

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  9. I agree with everything you've said here! I loved this book and how realistic it all felt. I've never really thought about aliens before but after reading this book I'm pretty convinced that's how we're all going to die. ;)

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  10. Fast-paced plot with great characters? I'm pretty sure I'll love this book! The waves sound like a good concept :) Great review Aylee!

    Mel@thedailyprophecy.

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  11. You have no idea how happy I am to see that this one loved up to its expectations! I can't wait to dive into this post-apocalyptic world and read about Yancey's writing and vivid description! Of course, I want to meet Cassie and the fantastic cast of characters as well. So glad to see this one didn't disappoint one bit, brilliant review, Aylee! :)

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  12. Beautifully written review Aylee. I recieved this via Netgalley but I'm having some trouble getting it in my phone. Which is very frustrating because your review convinced me that 5th Wave is going to be awesome.

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  13. I'm glad to hear that it's a great book! I've had my eye on it for quite some time and will definitely be buying it soon. New GFC follower! :D

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  14. LOVE your review Aylee! :-) I completely agree with everything you wrote. This book just blew me away. And yay! You love the Monstrumologist too! Yancey is so talented and his prose is just gorgeous. I really loved Cassie and Zombie, and yes, Nugget, bless his heart. I can't wait to find out what happens next. Brilliant review!

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  15. Wow, wonderful review! I wouldn't have thought too much about this book based on the summary (I don't read a lot of books in the genre) but after your awesome review and others praising the book, I think I need to get my hands on this. Sounds intense, but awesome!

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  16. This sounds so much like its chock full of total awesomeness. I love your enthusiasm for this book. I'm very excited to read it. I hope I can get a copy soon! Nicely reviewed. The way you describe this writing it reminds me a bit of Lani and The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, do you agree or not?

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  17. I noticed the Monstrumologist is on sale right now. I've been thinking of buying it. I'll have to go back and look at your review.

    I don't think I'll read this. Aliens have always scared me. That Stephen Hawking quote already freaked me out. :-)

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  18. I promised myself I would get The 5th Wave if I saw another positive review on it, so after posting this, I will. I am so glad you loved this! Yeah, I would expect to know where the book would be going too, having read way too many post-apocalyptic books, so the fact that it surprised you completely had me so intrigued. And, of course, the characters. Multiple POVs tend to make the characters seem detached, so I'm happy this was not the case.

    Anywho, I need to go order my copy! Wonderful review!

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  19. This is a great review. It gives me hope that this will turn out being awesome!! I think I'm going to start this after I finish my current batch of books.

    My WoW

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  20. Simply cannot wait for this! I'm hoping it will be waiting for me when I get home from work. It sounds more and more amazing with each stunning review! I'm not usually a fan of alien books, but this is Yancey we're talking about it. :D I'm glad you loved this Aylee! Wonderful review!

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  21. Finally a book that is worthy of the hype! We've waited a long time to see something like this. Thankfully, my copy is already on its way or I'd be pulling my hair out right about now. Comparing it to The Road certainly convinced me further that I need to read it the second it gets here. I SO wish The Book Depository people would hurry up already.
    Fantastic review, Aylee!

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  22. I absolutely adored The 5th Wave too Aylee! It had a fantastic set of characters and such an action packed plot. I haven't read anything by Yancey before, but will definitely have to check out the rest of his books! Wonderful review! :)

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  23. I love your review, Aylee! I had a strong feeling you would end up liking this, given your enthusiasm for The Monstrumologist. I definitely plan to give that series a try now. Also, I only just found out about the movie right, but I'm so glad! YA books get optioned for film so often these days, but I really hope this one will happen. Lovely review! :)

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  24. Oh man you have me SO excited to read this girl! It just sounds fantastic. I cannot wait till my Library get's their copies in. I NEED TO READ THIS STAT!

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  25. Just tell me this is not a series and I'll be totally sold, I shall face my own fragile psyche and read it, because you made me want to read it and get excited about it.

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  26. I'm reading this next week! So glad you liked it! Am very excited!

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  27. 5 stars! Wow. That really means you loved this book, Aylee. I've been seeing The 5th Wave around a lot and I must admit that it sounds very interesting, although it isn't something I ussually read. I'm going to give this one a try sometime. Great review (as always)! :D

    Sarika @ The Readdicts

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  28. You know if I didn't blog, I would probably not have heard of this one nor would I care about reading it. But, every raving review for this has convinced me to add it to my TBR pile and give it a shot. I'm looking forward to reading this one, especially since I know you loved his previous novels.

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  29. I'm going to read this novel. Even though it's totally not something I would normally read. But everyone has been talking about great it is and I am going to read it. I want to know what Rick Yancey is all about.

    You (along with others) have convinced me.

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  30. Oh yeah, I am SO going to give this one a try soon! When it first came out, I thought it was a zombie book, and since I am NOT a zombie fan, I was going to pass. I am THRILLED that it isn't AND that I can read it haha! I've never read anything by Yancey but I remember your comments on his Monstumologist series and I've been very eager to read something by him since...The Fifth Wave sounds like the perfect place to start :D I love how intense & original it sounds!! Thanks for another fab review doll !

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  31. Awesome. I'm so glad to hear that someone can still do post-apocalyptic fare well. This one exploded all over the place recently and I was a little worried it was veering to over-hyped, but I trust your opinion and added it to my Goodreads. Great review, and thanks!

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  32. Ahh I need to get my waitlisted library copy right now! Every single review I read about this book convinces me more and more that I'll really enjoy it. Any book that merits such incredibly high praise from you is one that I need to read myself!

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  33. I didn't realize this one had multiple perspectives. Ah, it sounds so good! I'm on the wait list at my library, so I'm patiently waiting for my turn to read it :)

    Outstanding review, Aylee!

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  34. I've been hearing phenomenal things about this book, and while I'm not familiar with Rick Yancey's other series, I really really can't wait to read this one! I'm glad you loved this one :)

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  35. Great review! I loved the different POV's as well:)

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