The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

*Possible Spoilers*

The 5th Wave 
by Rick Yancey

Read: August 2-3, 2015
Published: May 7, 2013
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Two currently published

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. (Amazon)




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Why did you read this book?
My sister got this book almost a year ago for her birthday and it's been sitting on our shelf ever since. She wanted me to read it first, to make sure it was appropriate and all that jazz. You never know with young adult books. They can get pretty risque for a thirteen year old girl. Anyway, so I told her I would read it...and about nine months later...I did!

What didn't you like about this book?
The book switches between points of view at several places in the book and it's not always obvious whose point of view it is until the end of it (although, I think that's the point). It got kind of confusing for me. Also, be prepared for lots of inner thoughts and not much dialogue. Sometimes I'd find myself skimming through pages, waiting for something to happen. Don't get me wrong, things do happen, but I think this book is less about what is happening and more about how the characters react to what is happening (which, is actually a good thing...so I'll move on to that section now).

What did you like about this book?
Oh, there were so many things I enjoyed. Each of the characters are different and interesting in their own way, which I enjoy, of course. I especially enjoyed reading about Evan Walker. He's a bit of a conundrum in the story and that makes it interesting. The story moves along at a decent pace and Rick Yancey does an excellent job making it suspenseful. You try to predict what's going to happen, but then you're second guessing yourself and end up surprised even if you were right. I really liked the concept of this book, the whole 'aliens are taking over and there is little hope for humanity, until...' There's just something intriguing about a book where humans as a race take on overwhelming odds and (hopefully) win. Oh, and let's talk about that cover art. Isn't it great? That's half the reason I finally picked the book up...such a pretty cover!

This book reminded me of...
...The Host by Stephanie Meyer. It's the closest book to it that I've read before. They share the aliens coming to Earth and taking out humans/taking over their bodies, however The 5th Wave is much less about the romance. There's a bit there, but that's not what it is about. This one is actually about the survival of humans, and I appreciated that.

Bottom-Line:
This book gave me a lot of feelings and now I've got that empty feeling, you know, when you finish a book and you don't know what to do with your life? It was very good and I liked it enough that there's a good chance I'll buy it eventually (it all kind of depends on how the third book is...) If you enjoy science fiction and aliens, read it! If you enjoy overwhelming odds, I'd definitely recommend it. If you are one of my friends, you already know, I will recommend this book to you and be irrationally excited if you read it so we can talk about it and stuff.

Quick Note:
The second book, The Infinite Sea, was just as good as the first. I won't be doing a review on it because my likes and dislikes are still kind of the same at this point. I just need to know what happens!! The third book is coming out May 2016.



"...I thought the only way to hold on was to find something to live for. It isn't. To hold on, you have to find something you're willing to die for." -The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Day 8: Classic

Day 8: Classic

          I saw the 2011 movie before I read the book and I thought it was the most boring and pointless movie I had ever seen. It frustrated me that I didn't like and I couldn't see the point in it. But there was something about it that held my attention. I knew that because it frustrated me so much. Something about that movie was lodged in my brain and wouldn't leave. I finally decided to read the book and try to force myself to like it. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I didn't have to force myself. I understood so much more of the themes, the symbolism, and just the overall emotion of Jane's story when I read it. Now it is one of my favorite classics and I'm actually currently re-reading it right now!

"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will." -Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Thought of the Day

Maxi Skirts: The coverage of pants without the confinement.


(Sorry, I'm writing essays...I'll have more for you in a few days!)

Exit: Sligo, Enter: Galway

Day Eleven:                                                                                                            May 27, 2015

Sign in Michael Quirke's window

          We're a the Lisadell House right now. There are two long benches in front of Constance Markievicz's paintings and I thought that would be a good place to start my journal for today. We have a tour in about a half hour, so I'm just kind of biding my time. (Unfortunately, that's all I wrote for Day Eleven...but I'll add a bit more on here because I remember what we did after that). After the tour, a few of us got hot chocolate for the bus ride home (it was so cold and wet! We needed some warmth). Then, [Friend B], [Friend C], [Friend M], and I went out for lunch. We just went to one of the cafeteria style cafes, but it was very good. And the guy who got our food for us looked like Chef Gordon Ramsay, so we spent a lot of time trying to inconspicuously get a picture of him. I don't even remember if we were successful or not! After lunch, we went to a candy shop. They had chocolate frogs!! Of course I got one. I can't just pass up a chocolate frog. Finally, we got to go to Michael Quirke's wood shop. That's what I'd been looking forward to all day. He has such a wealth of information when it comes to Irish mythology. I think we were in his shop for almost three hours.
And he even took the time to carve small things for us! 

Day Twelve:                                                                                                           May 28, 2015

The view out of my apartment in Galway

          I am having a hard time keeping up with journaling. We left Sligo for Galway this morning. I was really sad to leave Sligo, but now that I'm in Galway, I'm pretty excited. Our apartment is very nice, quite homey actually. And it's right on the beach! I mean, it's too cold to really hang out there or swim or anything, but it's really nice to look out my window and see the ocean. I wish I could on the water. It's so beautiful. After we got settled in our apartments, we went grocery shopping. This time around went a lot better than when we went shopping in Dublin. Here, at least we had an idea of what kind of food we wanted to buy. We finally got [Friend H] to buy a Kinder Egg and now she's just as hooked as we are! And we found a whole gluten free aisle for [Friend B] and were able to get noodles, bread, and pizza that she could eat. We made the pizza for dinner and then went to our neighbors apartment...[Friend C] and [Friend M]! (And Other Person J). There were eight of us all packed in their tiny living room, all with our laptops out, working on assignments, drinking wine (water, in my case), and watching Britain's Got Talent. Not going to lie, Britain didn't seem all that talented. They were in their semifinals and there was only one that I remotely liked. Anyway, after we got back to our own apartment, I tried to figure out how to use our fireplace, gave up, and went to bed.

Day 7: Nostalgia

Day 7: Nostalgia

          Before I begin, I'd just like to explain that I lent out my copy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (or rather, my sister did without informing me first. Yes, I'm slightly bitter.) Anyway, onto the challenge. There is no other book that can instill the amount of nostalgia in me than the Harry Potter series. I grew up with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the gang. I remember heading out in the middle of the night to wait in long lines for the books. And then I waited rather impatiently for all of the movies to come out. Regrettably, I never saw a midnight showing. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were there during almost every stage of my life...until it ended. I remember very clearly going to see  Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides with my friends and seeing the posters for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two. I was so excited, looking at the intense faces of the characters that very much felt real to me. Then I read the posters. "It all ends here," they said. Poster after poster after poster...it all ends here. That's when it hit me that the excitement was almost over. That's also about when the nostalgia started to hit me whenever I'd see anything Harry Potter related. I've probably read each book at least twenty times, watched the movies over and over again, and listened to the soundtracks endlessly. But it won't end there, not for me. After all, "Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home."

"Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect." -Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Enter: Sligo!

Day Eight:                                                                                                                         May 24, 2015

Parke's Castle

         Today was a traveling day. We were mostly on the bus, except at the end when we got to go to Parke's Castle. It was really cool and very informative, but unfortunately I left my notebook on the bus. I did get pictures though! So at least that counts for something. I've been having a really hard time with one of the girls on the trip. She keeps pronouncing my name wrong and I know she's doing it on purpose because I've corrected her at least five times now. She also keeps making fun of me for my faith. She was downright rude when she found out I went to mass yesterday and she makes fun of me for praying before meals. It's very lonely being the only Catholic. It really makes me miss home. Anyway, the hotel room is really nice. It's just me and [Friend B] in this one. [Other Friend H] will join us again once we're in Galway. I think that's all I have for now. (I might get to climb a mountain on Wednesday!)

          I forgot something that I wanted to write about. We stopped at a gas station on our drive to Sligo. I was talking to a guy in the check out lane and it was really cool! He's from Ireland, but he's been all over the United States (more places than I've been to!) Really cool guy, but he talked so close to my face. I was leaning pretty far back just to maintain my bubble. These people don't believe in personal space! But it's okay, I like them.

Day Nine:                                                                                                                          May 25, 2015

View looking toward Isle of Inisfree

          Today was really cool. We visited multiple Yeats locations, including the Glencar Waterfall, Doonee Rock, and the Isle of Inisfree. It is absolutely beautiful here! So far, I am liking Sligo much better than Dublin. Don't get me wrong, Dublin was great. I'm just not suited to city life. At dinner, I sat by [Friend B], [Friend M], and [Friend C]. We were so hyper and we laughed so much I was almost crying. And then later we hung out in [Friend M] and [Friend C's] room. It was really nice to

bond with more people. ([Friend B] felt the same. I mean, we love each other, but we also want to expand to other people too). Soon, I get to climb the mountain to Queen Mabh's tomb! The rude girl wasn't as rude today, but she seems to be gravitating towards me. I'm trying to have patience...

Day Ten:                                                                                                                          May 26, 2015

          Today was amazing! (...but then I did things and didn't have time to write, so I'm a day behind, again).

Mary at the Tobernalt Holy Well

          We started with a walk to a gallery that had a lot of Jack Butler Yeats paintings. Then we went to a church that was even smaller than St. Michan's church, but that's where W.B. Yeats was buried, so of course we had to stop there. After that, we went to Rosse's Point, where I presented my poem, 'The Meditation of the Old Fisherman'. It was very beautiful there, even if it was a bit chilly. There were these bushes of yellow flowers everywhere. I want to take one home. 

         

Halfway up Knocknarea

Oh! I almost forgot about the Holy Well! I actually think we went there on Day Nine, but I'll write about it here anyway. There was a stream that led out of the area and an altar at the top. To the left of the altar was a crucifix and on the right was Mother Mary. It was so peaceful there, but it was kind of ruined by rude people. Anyway, back to yesterday. We ate at Drumcliffe and then we got to climb Knocknarea! It was exhausting, but also super exhilarating. It was so much fun boding with [Friend M] and [Friend C]. We want to see if we can be roommates in Galway. Anyway, on the other side of that mountain were some pretty treacherous stairs. [Friend B] and I went off the path quite a bit, mostly because it looked fun. And it was. When we got back we all went to the bar in the hotel lobby. [Friend C], [Friend B], and I split a strawberry kiwi hard cider. To be honest, it tasted like Capri Sun. I wasn't really a fan, but it was fun hanging with my friends, plus [Friend A] and [Friend N], who pretty much joined our group after that. It was a good day.




"The herring are not in the tides as they were of old;
My sorrow! for many a creak gave the creel in the cart
That carried the take to Sligo town to be sold,
When I was a boy with never a crack in my heart."
                                         -'The Meditation of the Old Fisherman' by W.B. Yeats

A Smaller Dose of Ireland

Day Six:                                                                                                                           May 22, 2015

Children of Lir

          This morning we took the train to Joyce Tower. It was in a town (Sandy Cove?) on the coast of the sea. I liked it a lot better there than in Dublin. I loved looking out at the water from the top of the tower. Right now we're at Murray's. I ordered the Tower Burger...I just needed a burger!

          Ok, now I'm at Gate Theatre, waiting for Tom Murphy's play, 'The Gigli Concert' to start, so I thought I'd write about the afternoon. After we ate, we went to the Dublin Writer's Museum. It was really hard to enjoy, because we had to do an information scavenger hunt. Some of them weren't even in the museum, so it was really frustrating. After that we got to see the Children of Lir statue (which I thought was beautiful). Other than the Joyce Tower, it was my favorite part. Then we took a Joyce walking tour. Again, by that point I was so tired that I could hardly keep my mind focused on listening to what the guide was saying. When we finally got back to the apartment, we had an hour to eat and put on nice clothes. Well, the play is starting now!

Day Seven:                                                                                                                             May 23, 2015

Me and my journal at St. Stephen's Green

          Sorry I didn't write about the play last night. I'm not sure what I thought of it. It was a modern play, so of course it had drugs, sex, and rock 'n' roll (just kidding, no rock 'n' roll....there was opera though!) It also dealt with a variety of psychological disorders, which was very interesting.

          Today was our free day. [Friend] and I did a lot of walking. We walked everywhere because we weren't really sure of the bus system. We went to the National Gallery, Dublin Castle, and through the Temple Bar area. I loved all the street performers! I could have watched them all day. Oh! I almost forgot! The first thing we did (other than getting duct tape for my suitcase) was get hot chocolate at Butler's Chocolate Cafe. It was the best hot chocolate I've ever had. Ever. And it came with a complimentary truffle! So. Good. We had lunch at Grilled Burger Kitchen. I liked how relaxed it was there. Nothing was rushed and the food was very good. After lunch, we set off in search of St. Stephen's Green. In my opinion, it's the best place in Dublin. It was so green, with a pond and ducks and pigeons and seagulls and swans. We were there for a good three hours. After that we went to 6:30 mass at St. Andrews. It was huge! The church was very empty though. It made me sad how few people were at the mass. We took the Dart back home afterwards. All in all, it was a good day.


“I wanted real adventures to happen to myself. But real adventures, I reflected, do not happen to people who remain at home: they must be sought abroad.” -Dubliners by James Joyce