The Infinite Sea

Yancey, Rick. The Infinite Sea. Book 2 of the Fifth Wave trilogy. 2014. 300p. ISBN 9780399162428. Available at FIC YAN on the library shelves.

Having survived the obliteration of Camp Haven in The 5th Wave, Cassie’s small team of survivors retrenched in a hotel and waited in hope that Evan would return from his improbable mission of sabotage and destruction. Ben, aka Zombie, is in bad shape, with several injuries. Sam, aka Nugget, still hangs on to his sergeant Zombie, even though his sister Cassie has returned to fulfill her promise of looking after him. Dumbo the medic, Poundcake the sharpshooter, Teacup the trigger happy, and Ringer complete this small party. But they’ve been here too long, in this old motel, waiting for Evan. It’s time to leave. The plan is as simple as it is dangerous. Ringer will explore an old system of caves not far from here, then will return and lead the party there.

Everything goes wrong. Teacup follows Ringer, with dire consequence. Meanwhile, at the motel, Evan does return, but drags with him Grace, a fellow silencer. The body count rises as the survivors fight off agents of the aliens. When you cannot trust anyone, who is left?

The pace is very quick, and major characters die in this book. Yancey tells the tale through different perspectives, which allow for the group to be split up, while exploring the thoughts and feelings of Ben, Ringer, Evan, and even Poundcake. As the tale weaves itself, more of the alien’s mystery is revealed, and the conclusion is shocking.

Fans of the dystopian novel will like this book, and might also enjoy the following: Arena 1, Starters, Maze Runner, Ship Breaker, Reboot, Not a Drop to Drink, and Birthmarked and Divergent.