The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

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.

Pitched as The Passage meets Ender's Game, The 5th Wave is already creating a lot of hype. I am not a sucker for hype, guys, especially in a genre that has, at times, been over-saturated. I didn't read much about The 5th Wave before beginning it, and I liked it that way.

The first thing that captured me about it was Cassie's authentic teen voice. Compelling, genuine and refreshing. More so  the tone and opening chapters of the book reminded me of Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden (my fave YA series of all time, MY GOSH, I love it so). By chapter four I was seriously (suddenly) excited.

I love the feeling of realising you are reading (what is bound to be) a favourite new book. The premise sucked me in, the characters were relate-able and the plot moved along so expertly: revealing new information at crucial moments, bursts of action perfectly balanced with introspection and flashbacks and just when the book felt like it couldn't get more awesome BAM along came some swoon* (nicely done).

I charged through this book. It felt fully realised and intricately plotted. There's four POVs (although two of those are just a smidgen). What I really loved about this book (and look forward to exploring as the series continues) is all the shades of grey. Who can you really trust? Even when you decide who you are going to trust, have you made the right decision? Who is the enemy? What is the future?

I loved the creativity in this fallen earth. The waves and the terror and the survival of a remnant.      

Also: the prose. I can't quote from the e-galley but I highlighted some lush and gorgeously worded lines. It helped seal the deal the for me.

Yes, I think this deserves the hype. So many people are going to love this book. I'm excited for such a high quality YA post-apocalyptic to recommend to fans of The Hunger Games and Tomorrow When the War Began. I cannot wait for my own kids to read it, my husband and my family and friends.   

*as for the swoon, MY GOSH. It's not all mushy and dramatic. It's more achey with it's quietness and the sense of whether or not they can trust one another. Still, he's a babe and the romantic tension is just fab and I can't wait for more. 

The Fifth Wave @ goodreads

Thanks to Penguin Australia and netgalley for my review copy