Bibliographic Information


Yancey, R. (2013). The 5th wave. New York, NY: Penguin Random House.

ISBN: 978-0-14-2425-83-1

 

Plot Summary

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey is about an alien invasion that comes in waves. The aliens, called “The Others” first sent an electromagnet pulse to rid the world of technology and electricity. The second wave included earthquakes and tsunamis. The third wave was a plague that destroyed most of the remaining human race. The forth wave included the physical arrival of the aliens. They call themselves “Silencers,” because they are silencing any remaining humans on earth. Silencers look like humans, which makes it impossible to know who to trust. The fifth wave is unknown, but Cassie Sullivan and Ben Parish know they need to be prepared for whatever comes next. Cassie is out in the real world trying to make it to her little brother Sammy in a government holding camp. While trying to survive, she must decide who can trust, such as the strange Evan Walker who saved her life. Ben on the other hand is trying to survive life in the government holding camp. He trains daily as him and his team prepare for the next wave on mankind.

 

Critical Evaluation


I thought the book was really good and found the characters believable. For example, Cassie when we first meet her is alone in the woods trying to make it to her brother. She doesn’t know who can she trust and is in a survival of the fittest situation.

Cassie is 16 years old and grows a lot as a character during the story. We see her go from young naïve teen to killer. She is at war and she can either fight or die. She chooses to fight and so forth begins learning how to survive. While I did enjoy the book I also felt like I was reading The Host by Stephenie Meyer. The two books share a ton of common story plots and themes. The only real differences between the two books were pretty minor. In The Host the aliens aren’t trying to kill mankind, because they need their bodies as a vestal to survive. Also the aliens in The Host have bright eyes that make them unique from other humans. Even though the books were similar I think that Yancey does a good job taking common YA themes and science fiction themes to make something that feels like a unique read.

 

Reader’s Annotation


The aliens kill more of mankind with each wave of destruction they send to earth. All Cassie wants is to survive and find her brother Sammy. All Ben wants is to lead his military team into war and win. Will they survive or will the aliens wipe out mankind? 

 

Author Information

The following information was taken from the author’s biography,

http://www.rickyancey.com/about.

 

“Rick was born in Miami, Florida on a Sunday. Three days later, his new parents drove 225 miles from their hometown of Lakeland to meet him. Their first impression must have been all right, because they decided to give him a home and raise him the best way they knew how. They named him John Richard, but nobody ever called him John except teachers on the first day of school and, later, credit card companies and banks and people from the government, like DMV clerks. They called him Rick, after the judge who arranged the adoption. Growing up, though, Rick thought his dad didn't like the name, because he rarely used it. Most of the time, he was called "little man" or "my son" or the name that drove him crazy, which was "Jay," the name of Rick's older brother. To even it out a little, Rick's dad would call Jay "Rick." Rick's dad was a lawyer and politician, and Rick often wondered why he wasn't better with names.

 

Rick grew up in a three-bedroom rancher on Staunton Avenue. In central Florida, the summers are hot and last longer than northern summers. There were a lot of kids in the neighborhood and everyone hung outside well past dark, until screen doors slammed open and a half-dozen mothers' voices called everyone inside. Rick's house was the center of activity because it had the biggest yard and there was a carport for shelter in bad weather. There were trees good for climbing and a swing-set and a large table of mysterious origins set up in the backyard with a marble top that made for an excellent stage. A stage was a very good thing to have for a kid with a hyperactive imagination.”

 

Genre

Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic

 

Curriculum Ties


N/A

 

Booktalking Ideas


• Why do you think the aliens want to kill mankind?

• Would you make the same decisions Cassie does?

• Do you think Cassie is a believable character?

• Who is your favorite character in the book? Explain?

 

Reading Level/ Interest Age


Grades 9-12

 

Challenge Issues


Violence, Death

 

Challenge Issue Resources (for usage in a challenge situation)

• Active Listening

• Explanation of why it was chosen for the collection (Rational)

• Awards

• Reader Advisory Reviews (Students, Parents, Educators)

• Positive and Negative Reviews

• National Council of Teachers “Right to Read”

• ALA Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials

• ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom

• Library Selection Policy & Library District Reconsideration Form

 

Why I choose it

I choose to read this book because it was assigned reading for INFO265. I really enjoyed the book and plan to read the next books in the series.