The 5th Wave

Starred review from February 25, 2013
Yancey makes a dramatic 180 from the intellectual horror of his Monstrumologist books to open a gripping SF trilogy about an Earth decimated by an alien invasion. The author fully embraces the genre, while resisting its more sensational tendencies (rest assured, though, there are firefights and explosions aplenty). A rare survivor of the invasion, 16-year-old Cassie, armed with an M16 rifle and her younger brother’s teddy bear, is trying to reunite with her brother and escape the “Silencer” (assassin) trying to kill her. Meanwhile, 17-year-old “Zombie,” an unwitting military recruit, is facing a crisis of conscience. The story’s biggest twists aren’t really surprises; the hints are there for readers to see. Yancey is more interested in examining how these world-shaking revelations affect characters who barely recognize what their lives have become. As in the Monstrumologist series, the question of what it means to be human is at the forefront—in the words of cartoonist Walt Kelly, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” It’s a book that targets a broad commercial audience, and Yancey’s aim is every bit as good as Cassie’s. Ages 14–up. Agent: Brian DeFiore, DeFiore and Co.

September 30, 2013
The alien invasion did not happen the way anyone expected, and the few hundred thousand humans left standing are trying to understand how the fifth attack wave will play out. Sixteen-year-old Cassi lost her father and is trying to stay alive to eventually save her younger brother, but to do so, she’ll have to rely on others. Narrators Brandon Espinoza and Phoebe Strole are superb and keep listeners riveted throughout. Espinoza covers the various chapters told from male points of view, while Strole narrates chapters told from Cassie’s point of view, ably capturing the young girl’s range of emotions. Ages 14–up. A Putnam hardcover.