Audiobook Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Title: The 5th Wave
Author: Rick Yancey
Series: The Fifth Wave #1
Narrators: Brandon Espinoza, Phoebe Strole
Published: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Length: 12 hrs 41 mins
Source: Purchased

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.

Wow.  Okay.  I finished this book a week ago, but I just can't seem to find the words for a review.  I'm still reeling from it, if that tells you anything...

Let me start by saying I'm not a huge science fiction fan, especially when it comes to aliens.  I guess the whole concept of green aliens with antennas and one eye walking around on our planet doesn't really interest me.  But wow... this alien invasion was NOTHING like that!  Nothing.  This was totally realistic.  And I may be laughed at by saying that I don't think this whole story-line is really that far off.  Whose to say we are the only life form on this planet.  Maybe there are aliens among us.  Just makes you think a little... ;)

I'm so happy I chose the audio version of this one.  The narrators were amazing.  They portrayed the raw emotions (fear, loneliness, love and determination) rather perfectly.  The fact that it was a longer audio at almost 13 hours had me a bit concerned that I would lose interest before completing it.  I will admit I was utterly and completely wrong.  I was actually a bit saddened when it ended.  It was THAT good.

I don't say this often, but this could be the next " big thing" as far as books getting turned into movies.  Dare I say it could be the next The Hunger Games?!  *gasp*  I must admit I first read this little prediction from Wendy at The Midnight Garden... and I was like, "Yeah, totally!!!"  She called it.  Though it may be partly because I was listening to the book as opposed to reading it, the realistic and visual aspects of this story were remarkable.  I was able to picture it entirely, scene by scene.  My heart was pounding and my palms were sweating.  Literally.  It was very intense, and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this characterization.

My loss of words should not be interpreted as anything other than my fear of not doing this story justice.  I'm going to end it with this: The 5th Wave is one of my favorite reads of 2013.

aka Richard Yancey

Rick is a native Floridian and a graduate of Roosevelt University in Chicago. He earned a B.A. in English which he put to use as a field officer for the Internal Revenue Service. Inspired and encouraged by his wife, he decided his degree might also be useful in writing books and in 2004 he began writing full-time.

Since then he has launched two critically acclaimed series: The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, for young readers, and The Highly Effective Detective, for adults. Both books are set in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Rick lived for ten years before returning to Florida.

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