The 5th Wave

By: Rick Yancey

Narrated by: Brandon Espinoza, Phoebe Strole

Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

The Passage meets Ender's Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the first wave, only darkness remains. After the second, only the lucky escape. And after the third, only the unlucky survive. After the fourth wave, only one rule applies: Trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the fifth 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.

©2013 Rick Yancey (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Gripping!" (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

"Nothing short of amazing!" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

"Yancey's heartfelt, violent, paranoid epic, filled with big heroics and bigger surprises, is part War of the Worlds, part Starship Troopers, part Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and part The Stand ... a sure thing for reviewers and readers alike." (Booklist, starred review)

A Thrilling, Questions Everything Kind of Read

I absolutely loved this this book. The story was compelling and to me, as realistic as it could be. I feel like most alien/apocalypse novels end up always being about how to defeat the aliens. This book was about survival, trust, and family.

I loved the different story telling perspectives that fit all the pieces together, but I wish we could’ve heard more of Evan’s inner narration. I also don’t think that the brief chapters from Sammie’s perspective offer too much to the story, except to know how the bus process into the camp works, and for a little callback when Cassie gets on the bus and it’s the same guy who helped Sammie.

The voice actors did an amazing job, but the story was a little hard to follow when listening to it with all the different personalities. I think I would have liked reading it better just for this reason.

All in all, I had a really good time listening to it on a couple long car trips and would definitely recommend it if you want something to get lost in!

a heading is required

I dislike when the author goes in between multiple views without letting the reader know which character we are seeing from. It leaves a guess for a page or two, and it adds nothing to the experience. Otherwise, unnecessary romances make an otherwise solid story uncomfortable.

Good Book

Would you recommend The 5th Wave to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes

What about Brandon Espinoza and Phoebe Strole ’s performance did you like?

They had nice voices

Any additional comments?

I like this book. It was interesting and different. I don't feel completed to know what happens though. I didn't feel like I had to get the second book.

It was good.

It was pretty good. However there was something about it that made me not love it and I can't put my finger on what that is. Although it was very entertaining. Can't wait to see the movie.

Wait...WHAT!!

so I don't know that I LOOOVED this book but I did like it & I think it's going to get even better.

good book, enjoyed it.

Good story, almost never a dull moment. Wish it was longer though. It feels like there could be more meat added through each story line. Hopefully my questions will be answered in the next book.

Simply enjoyable

Interesting, scary, heartbreaking, and new found love all wrapped into one book told from a teenagers perspective

This is not my cup of tea.. Narration was great though

The narration kept me going, otherwise the book -with no fault of the writer- was bit "teenagery" for my taste... You should get it if you like such novels.. I'll save my credits for the more serious ones

Good Story, once you get past the monologue

I really enjoyed the story. However, if I hadn't seen the preview for the movie I would have turned it off in the first 30 minutes.

The book is first person, so lots of back story, jumping around. Plus, all the technical facts are skewed/not correct. I had to look past that.

That being said, halfway through picked up and I couldn't stop listening.

The readers were excellent, very enjoyable.

Intense. Fast paced.

Very intense. Love the characters. Great story. Fast paced. Depressing and sad, but expected from this type of story.