"THE 5TH WAVE," by Rick Yancey, Putnam, $18.99, 457 pages (f) (ages 14 and up)
This gripping apocalyptic tale, the first of a trilogy, begins as aliens called Others hover, then obliterate most of the Earth’s population in waves.
The first wave is an electromagnetic storm that leaves the Earth in darkness, followed next by a geological fault line releasing a tsunami destroying the world’s coastlines. The third wave, “The Red Death,” is a highly contagious avian plague. During the fourth wave, the “infected,” humans whose brains became hosts to aliens’ consciousness at birth, hunt and destroy anyone who survived the previous waves. In all, the waves “hit a 97 percent kill rate.”
Those remaining await the next wave, the fifth
But these were not sudden attacks. They were planned far in advance.
One survivor, 16-year-old Cassie Sullivan, loses her parents — her mother to the plague and father by a so-called protector — then watches her little brother, Sam, being snatched away on a yellow school bus by the Others. They promise his safety, but Cassie believes otherwise and armed with a M-16 rifle plans to rescue Sam. The mantra she carries is to trust no one since the extraterrestrials live openly in plain sight among the humans.
For a time Cassie hides alone in the woods, isolated and cognizant of her vulnerability. When she leaves the protection of the forest she is wounded, then aided by Evan Walker, a mysterious young man who lives in seclusion himself and claims to be fighting the Others. But in Cassie’s mind he is a “little too perfect” and becomes torn between suspicious and survival as they venture out to find Sam.
Unknown to Cassie, Ben Parish, a high-school crush, is leading a group of youngsters who were co-opted by the enemy. Sam happens to be the youngest and smallest of the trainees.
Cassie’s and Ben’s conflicts converge with similar missions to overthrow the galactic invaders while fearing the fifth wave.
Yancey has left many unanswered questions at the conclusion of “The 5th Wave.” Evan’s true identity is suspect as are the forces that can mitigate world peace since the Others claim Earth has been ruined and now is ready for a sophisticated re-colonization. The poignant theme “what makes us human?” will resonate with readers long after the final pages.
The strong and resourceful characters seek survival in inexplicable ways. Especially on target is Cassie whose “teen-speak” and sometimes arrogant eye-rolling-wit persists even in times of crisis. She is a girl who struggles to live when all the reasons to live are gone.
“The 5th Wave” contains occasional swearing and a few scenes with human violence.
The author is an expert at balancing tension, hope and bits of romance with unnerving bleak action that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. All of the images and descriptions, particularly of the Others’ success in winning “the weak from the strong and the weak being swept away,” are ripe for cinematic creation, which Sony Pictures will shortly launch.
Yancey is the author of 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, "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.
Email: marilousorensen@ymail.com