Review: The 5th Wave

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Wow.

Literally one of the better alien invasion novels I've ever been able to read. I enjoyed Rick Yancey's Alfred Kropp series quite a bit, but the size and scope of this one was putting me off for a while. Thankfully, a few people recommended it, I dove in, and quickly mowed down about 300-odd pages in the first sitting.

It's that good.

The story is pretty simple. An alien spaceship comes to earth, kills off a small number of people in an EMP in the first wave, and a larger group in the second, and so forth. We follow Cassie and her little brother as they work toward survival in this new world where the aliens are taking over.

The book is solid. It's fast-paced, plenty of action, it doesn't shy away from good sci-fi elements, and it stays well within the young adult universe while doing so. It reads like YA, which feels a little off-putting given the subject matter and some of what occurs, but it's less like a book and more like an action movie in structure. Plus, nothing seems overdone. There's a lot to keep you guessing throughout, and the setup is ripe for a sequel.

Overall, a solid A. I don't know what I would have preferred to make it even better, but at this point I'm just grasping at things. If you want a solid, quick sci-fi read for an age group sorely in need of books like it, The 5th Wave is absolutely it. Can't wait for the sequel.



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