The 5th Wave, by Rick Yancey

Cover:

Bibliographic Information:

Title: The 5^th Wave

Author: Rick Yancey

ISBN:  978-1101996515

Publisher: G. P. Putnam’s Sons

Copyright: 2013

Reader’s Annotation:

It’s the end of the world as we know it.

Plot Summary:

Cassie is trying to survive; there has been an alien invasion of Earth and she is on her own.  The 1^st wave involved the power grid failing, and all mechanical devices stopping (including transportation vehicles).  The 2^nd wave involved tidal waves wiping out wide swaths of land.  The 3^rd wave was a sickness that killed billions of people.  Now, the 4^th wave involves a militarization of the remaining population.  Ben, one of Cassie’s schoolmates, is being trained as a soldier to fight.  Cassie encounters a boy named Evan, who helps her regain her health enough to go find her brother, Sammy, who is also in the military camp with Ben.  Sammy is the only other member of Cassie’s family who has survived. Ben begins to realize that the soldiers are being deceived.  Evan accompanies Cassie as she journeys to the base to rescue Sammy.

Critical Evaluation:

The post-apocalyptic setting of the book is very well developed.  Yancey does a thorough job of setting up the alien invasion, slowly revealing the past three waves and the destruction that has resulted.  This results in a storyworld that feels frantic, desolate, and frightening.  The reader knows right away that this book will be intense and dark.

The plot of the book moves at a pace that keeps the reader engaged, without overwhelming them.  While parts of the plot may have been a tiny bit predictable, such as the relationship between Cassie and Evan, as well as Cassie’s crush, Ben being one of the few people who survives the previous 3 waves, these plot points serve to engage teen readers in a way that feels familiar.  I felt that the plot twist, revealing what the soldiers were really being trained to do, was well timed; as a reader not overly familiar with this genre, I was caught off guard by this revelation.

One of the weaker aspects of the writing involved the character development.  The only character I felt at all connected to was Cassie, which makes sense, since she is the focus of the book.  I felt that Sammy could have been better developed, as he is the force that really drives all of Cassie’s actions.  Some of the secondary characters were somewhat bland, particularly the soldiers. With their code names, I frequently got some of those characters mixed up.

All in all, this book is an action packed dystopian book.  The book is clearly plot driven, which is a strength in Yancey’s writing.  The writing places plot higher in importance than character development, which results in some characters being flat or unnecessary. While some readers may feel certain plot points are predictable, I think they serve to connect teen readers to things in their own lives.

Author Biography:

(from author’s Amazon page)

Rick Yancey (www.rickyancey.com) is the author of the New York Times bestseller The 5th Wave, The Infinite Sea, several adult novels, and the memoir Confessions of a Tax Collector. His first young-adult novel, The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, was a finalist for the Carnegie Medal. In 2010, his novel, The Monstrumologist, received a Michael L. Printz Honor, and the sequel, The Curse of the Wendigo, was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. When he isn't writing or thinking about writing or traveling the country talking about writing, Rick is hanging out with his family.

Genre(s): 
Fantasy, Dystopian, Science Fiction

Curriculum Ties:

Pennsylvania State Standard CC.1.3.9-10.K

Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.

Booktalk Ideas:

A discussion on conspiracy theories, as a construct, and what types of things may be kept secret from the public

A discussion about aliens, and what might happen should they invade Earth

          

Reading Level:

Lexile 690

Interest Age: 

14 and up

Challenge Issues: Could be challenged based on adult language, mild teen sexuality, and scenes of intense violence.

  If this book were challenged I would:

·         Listen to the concerns of the person raising the challenge

·         Consult the library’s collection development policy

·         Explain how this work meets a library need based on the collection development policy 

·         Consult YALSA’s Dealing with Challenges to Young Adult Materials

·         Consult reviews on VOYA, Amazon, Common Sense Media, and Kirkus

·         Discuss any awards or notable commendations the book received

·         Explain the library’s commitment to intellectual freedom as discussed in the ALA Library Bill of Rights

·         Give the patron the procedure for a formal challenge should they seek to pursue it

Why was this book selected:

Personally, I am not a fan of dystopia, and I am even less of a fan of alien dystopia.  However, this genre continues to be very popular with teen readers, and this series is a current favorite, so I would be remiss to not include it in my mini collection.  With a recent film tie in, I do not see the popularity of this book lagging any time soon.  It is important that we, as librarians, stretch ourselves beyond our reading comfort zone, in order to develop collections that meet the needs of our patrons.  I do not have to like every book I encounter, but I do need to understand them in order to help connect them to the right readers.