The 5th Wave
Readers rate it 3.7 (600 on Hardcover)
457 pages · Released 2013 · G.P. Putnam's Sons
Content report card
The 5th Wave parent’s guide: what’s inside
LGBTQ+ themes
Substance use
What it offers
Educational value
A note for parents
The 5th Wave is a fast-paced alien invasion survival story with significant violence, including shootings, deaths, and warfare, though not graphically detailed. The narrative explores heavy themes of paranoia, trust, and moral ambiguity in a dystopian setting. Despite the dark premise, the story emphasizes resilience, courage, and human connection as core values. This is best suited for mature teens who enjoy action-driven science fiction with psychological complexity.
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From the publisher
After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one. Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roa... After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one. Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother-or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.
Shelved under
- Fiction
- Extraterrestrial beings
- Science fiction
- Survival
- War
- War stories
- YOUNG ADULT FICTION
- Alien Contact
- Survival Stories
- Dystopian
- Youth and war
- Human-alien encounters
Books in The 5th Wave
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ISBN 9780399162411 · G.P. Putnam's Sons