The 5th Wave Analysis

The 5th Wave opens after aliens have invaded and attacked Earth. First, electricity was destroyed with an electromagnetic pulse; then the coasts were enveloped by rising seas; next, an Ebola-like plague wiped out much of the population; then, what were effectively alien sleeper cells were activated, and the few remaining humans can't be trust anyone.
I know what you're thinking: Another post-apocalyptic novel? The 5th Wave isn't just another post-apocalyptic novel. It's character-driven, it's complexly-plotted, and it’s frightening. While The 5th Wave is written in multiple points-of-view, 16 year old Cassie, the teen narrator of the largest portions of the novel, is the character whose voice will likely receive the most attention. She's one of the few who's managed to stay alive during the invasion, but not …show more content…
First, there's Zombie, another 16 year old teen who survived the initial invasion who's been recruited as a soldier, along with a number of other teens and even younger children. Zombie sees what's happening on the ground in a different way than Cassie, because he's with the surviving adults at Wright Patterson Air Force Base (in Dayton, Ohio). In this paranoia-filled world where no one can be trusted, so just like everyone else they have an agenda of their own. Then we have the point of view of a "Silencer," an alien consciousness in human form who spends his days picking off stray humans along an Ohio roadway. His perspective lent an even creepier feel to the story and while his point-of-view is fairly minimal, it provided context which bolstered the story for me. Then we have a few chapters from the perspective of Sammy, Cassie's lost little 6 years old brother. Sammy's observations from a youthful perspective add so much to The 5th Wave. His naivety contrasts with Cassie's already-world weary perspective and broke my heart more than