The 5th Wave

Yancey, Rick. The 5th Wave. 2013, 457 p. ISBN 978-0-399-16241-1. FIC YAN on the library shelves. This book has been nominated for a Flume Award for 2015.

What happens when you can trust no one? In her junior year, Cassie is focused on attracting the attentions of Ben Parish, star quarterback and athlete extraordinaire, but she’s indistinguishable from the other girls who fawn over him. But in a life changing event, an alien ship slowly drifts above the skies of Ohio. For ten days, all attempts at contact fail, and the aliens’ intentions remain unknown.

On the 10th day, the first wave hits. The alien ship fired an electromagnetic pulse, destroying all electronic devices and circuits around the globe. Cars crashed, planes fell out of the skies, computers stopped working, and half a million people worldwide died. Cassie returned home to huddle with her family, while most fled the cities.

On the 20th day, the second wave hits. The alien ship dropped a single metallic rod the size of the Empire State building from orbit. When it struck the ground, it created an earthquake of titanic proportions, and the ensuing tsunamis wiped out all cities and people within 60 miles of an ocean. Three billion people died that day. Cassie and her family huddled in their house, worried about the looters and gangs now wandering the lawless streets.

On the 30th day, the third wave hits. Birds release a deadly flu around the world. Of the four billion people left at the end of the 2nd wave, 97% of them die. Only the unlucky are left alive. With the death of her mother, Cassie, her father, and her six years old brother Sam, leave their city and head into the woods of Ohio, seeking sanctuary wherever they can find it.

On the 40th day, the fourth wave strikes. Humans are gunned down and slaughtered by the Silencers, trained killers determined to wipe out humanity. Cassie’s father becomes their victim while Sam is taken from her. Cassie is the only survivor of Camp Ash, and armed only with her M16 and Sam’s teddy bear, vows to find him again.


Now it is the dawn of the 5th wave, and Cassie is alone in the woods. Tracked relentlessly by a Silencer, can she find Sammy before it’s too late? This is a page turner and you’re never quite sure if the humans are humans or if they are the enemy. Trust no one!

If you liked The 5th Wave you might enjoy Ship Breaker! The story continues in The Infinite Sea.