Friday 10 May 2013

ARC Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey


The 5th Wave (The Fifth Wave, #1)The 5th Wave

Author: Rick Yancey
Series: The 5th Wave
Pages: 480
Genre: Young Adult / Sci-Fi Dystopian
Publisher/Source: Penguin Books Australia / Netgalley
Pre-order Amazon: The 5th Wave
Australian release date: 22nd May 2013

Synopsis. (Goodreads)
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.

Review: 5 out of 5 stars

I must admit I was so nervous and really quite hesitant about starting this book because the praise has been amazing therefor my expectations were really high but I’m pleased to say I absolutely loved Rick Yancey’s richly developed, frightening and highly entertaining post-apocalyptic world.

During the first wave half a million lives were lost and a horde of aliens descended on earth and sent it into darkness, the second wave put that number to shame  and those unfortunate enough to have survived the first two were faced with the third wave, pestilence. Seventeen year-old Cassie Sullivan survived the fourth wave, Silencer’s (Alien’s hiding in human bodies) and believes she very well may be the last human survivor.

Cassie was a kick-butt, strong-minded and likeable character who after losing her parents is in search of her brother who she in convinced is still alive after being taken by soldiers from camp; the journey she undertook was fraught with danger and seemed hopeless and without knowing who to trust it made her pursuit all the more difficult.

When Cassie comes across a Silencer, she is shot and saved by the mysterious Evan Walker who nursed her back to health, he was thoughtful and kind but also quite secretive; I loved his interactions with Cassie and the way he protected and cared for her but his actions had me baffled and I was able to pick up on a few clues from the very beginning about this intriguing character.

The plot is extremely complex and kept me engrossed and wanting to know more, there was so much happening but I was so captivated by the whole concept and the overall mystery and psychological aspect that I just didn’t want this story to end. It was so intense, terrifying and addictive! The discovery of the 5th Wave came as a huge shock.

With the story told from differing POV’s, it gave us an insight into each of the thought processes and reasoning behind actions and reactions – we really get a good look at some characters at their worst which made for a compelling but also heartbreaking read. I especially loved Sam (nugget), Cassie’s little brother; Ringer & Zombie were both interesting and Vosch pure evil! Each character played a pivotal part in the overall story and were wonderfully crafted.

Rick Yancey’s writing is brilliant! The 5th Wave is seriously one of the best post-apocalyptic stories I have read to date, it is imaginative and refreshingly unique amongst the many dystopian and sci-fi novels out at the moment and was a heart pumping adventure ride right from the very beginning. Yancey’s world-building and the visual details give the book a sense of realism and the imminent threats draw you into his story-telling and show the emotion beautifully.

Overall, The 5th Wave was a nerve-wracking, emotionally intense thrill ride filled with great action scenes, suspense, wonderful characterisations and a really sweet romance, with twists and turns aplenty I am definitely eager to read the next installment in this amazing series.

Thank-you kindly to Penguin Books Australia/Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review The 5th Wave.


Quotes:

These beings burned us alive, crushed us, drowned us, infected us with the plague that made us bleed to death from the inside out. (loc. 3809)

But if I'm it, the last of my kind, the last page of human history, like hell I'm going to let the story end this way. I may be the last one, but I am the one still standing. I am the one turning to face the faceless hunter in the woods on an abandoned highway. I am the one not running but facing. Because if I am the last one, then I am humanity. And if this is humanity's last war, then I am the battlefield. (loc. 1110)

rick-shadesAbout the author: Rick is the author of thirteen novels and a memoir. His books have been published in over twenty languages and have earned numerous accolades and awards from around the world. His young adult novel, The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, was named a "Best Book of the Year" by Publishers Weekly and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal. In 2010, Rick received a Michael L. Printz Honor for The Monstrumologist. The sequel, The Curse of the Wendigo, was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His latest novel, The 5th Wave, the first in an epic sci-fi trilogy, made its worldwide debut in 2013, and will soon be a major motion picture for GK Films and Sony Pictures.

 
 
 

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10 comments:

  1. Freaking awesome review!! I won this and am so excited to get to it now (ugh, despite it being 480 pages). But..but..a series? *cries* I hope it doesn't end on a cliffhanger or in a place where you're left wondering something kind of big. This sounds so good, I really haven't been this excited about a dystopian/apocalyptic in a long time.

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    1. Aww, thanks Barbara! congrats on your win, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

      No cliffhanger, I was satisfied by the ending. I have been a bit burnt out by the dystopian genre but I loved this.

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  2. I just started this book the other day and I am already loving every minute of it. Cassie is such an amazing and strong character and I love her devotion to her brother. Rick Yancey has definitely written a frighteningly real book, the fact that I can imagine these things actually happening... LOL. Great review and glad it lived up to the hype for you!

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    1. I can't wait to read your review Andrea! Cassie was awesome & it definitely lived up to the hype :)

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  3. I couldn't read your review because I am starting this next week for a review..but squee 5 stars..i am so excited!

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    1. I can't wait to see what you think Kimba! :) Enjoy.

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  4. What an awesome review. I definitely want to read this.

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    1. Thanks Ellen, I hope you get to read it and like it just as much as I did.

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  5. I don't think I've read one review that's less than 5 stars for this book, Sharon. Knowing that you loved it too makes me really happy because I'm sure I'll love it too!
    I love the sound of the characters and the world building!
    I'll definitely be getting a copy soon
    Fabulous review, Sharon! :)
    Sorry for being absent this past week but I was drowning in midterms and assignments!

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    1. Thanks Nick! I hope everything is going well for you with your midterms/assignments <3

      This book was awesome! I hope you enjoy it when you read it, I was nervous about all the 5 star reviews but they are very much deserved :)

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