Review Detail

I choose to read 5th Wave for New Year’s Eve because what better way to end the year, right? I was so glad I did. The book entrapped me from the first page – it was so realistic and I was immersed in the experience. The whole body-snatcher alien theory was turned around in such a way that made you question the limits of humanity. I was pin-balling between dread, anxiety and horror throughout; it was quite intense to read it.

Told from different perspectives, but majorly from the first perspectives of Cassie and Ben, the story questions your deductions at every turn. It is obvious that the boot camp is shady from the start but until halfway through the book, it is very difficult to pin down the real baddie. Cassie was such an amazing character – strong, resourceful, smart and alien-apocalypse-ready. Evan comes off a bit creepy at times, and Ben was annoying in the start with his hero-worship. The writing was brilliant and utterly 3-dimensional and the voices so distinct – Cassie being dry-sarcastic, Ben with his guilt-hero thing, Evan in conflict and Sam through his childish eyes. I wouldn’t go into the details of the alien construct, because that would be spoilery, but the whole process of their invasion – totally fabulous. One of the best alien sci-fi I have come across!