How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.
Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race. Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate. Quoted from Goodreads
*********************
I hardly know what to say about this book. Did I enjoy it? Of course. But it's in a hard position. There was so much hype after the first one, that how could the second one live up to it? Personally, I think it did a pretty good job. Did I have a few issues? Sure. Does it suffer a bit from second book syndrome? Yes. But it's still a well written, adventure filled book in a devastatingly tragic world. This is a fast read. Things happen and keep happening, breaking off at the worst possible moments so you have to keep reading or skip ahead, just to know if the characters you love survive . . . because some of them don't. Just a heads up, the format in this book is a bit different. The first two thirds is a nice rotation between the main characters we got in The 5th Wave, with the addition of Ringer (which, I'll be honest, kind of bugged me a bit. It's not that I didn't like her story or find it compelling because it was. I just didn't care as much about her as I did Cassie, Ben, Sam, or Evan). Then the last third is entirely Ringer, so while I came to care about her as a character and her story was interesting, I wanted to see more of the characters I loved so well from the first book. Of course, loving characters is always a danger in this series. People die. It's sad. It's shocking. and it tears your heart out just a little. At the same time, there's just enough hope and mystery that you can't help but keep caring about the different characters in their struggle to survive. One of the things I enjoyed most was the mystery of why the aliens were destroying humanity the way they were. They talk about the dinosaurs being wiped out with one meteor, so why the different waves? It's cruel, intended to destroy what makes people human, and I found it to be an interesting question I can't wait to explore in the next book. I read several reviews before reading the book, trying to gage how much I should lower my expectations, and one thing I found completely wrong was the repeated statement that there was basically no romance in this book. There is. In fact, it's the realistic, perfect amount for the situation. Sure, there's no great declarations of love or overly-detailed make-out scenes, but that would not have fit into the world that's created or the characters. I realize this book review is rather vague. I just didn't want to give anything away and spoil the book for you. So, should you read this? Absolutely---especially if you loved the first book. It's a nail-biting, heart-pounding adventure, full of betrayal, death, compassion, consequences, and promises. I'm giving it a strong 4 stars. Now I'm forced to endure until the third book comes out, answers all the questions, and I know who survives this roller coaster.
Ariane Tucker has finally escaped GTX, the research facility that created her. While on the run, Zane Bradshaw is the only person she can trust. He knows who-and what-she is and still wants to be part of her life.
But accepting Zane's help means putting him in danger.
Dr. Jacobs, head of GTX, is not the only one hunting for Ariane. Two rival corporations have their sights set on taking down their competition. Permanently. To protect Zane and herself, Ariane needs allies. She needs the other hybrids. The hybrids who are way more alien and a lot less human. Can Ariane win them over before they turn on her? Or will she be forced to choose sides, to decide who lives and who dies? Quoted from Goodreads
********************
This was surprisingly excellent for a second book in a series. It also avoids a lot of the pitfalls and things that annoyed me in The Rules, for example all the high school drama, the mean girl, the vapid/annoying best friend, etc. So if you read the first one and are on the fence about this second one, I definitely recommend picking it up. Basically this book takes everything that was amazing/nail-biting at the end of The Rules and keeps going. Ariane is on the run with Zane, and instead of just having GTX to worry about, we now get two more evil corporations looking for her, but instead of capture, their intent is to kill, and they don't care about collateral damage. We also get, not one. Not two. But three new hybrids for Ariane to contend with, and their methods and intentions are dubious at best. Sounds fun, right? I actually really enjoyed this book, though I will admit it suffers a little bit from middle book syndrome. The entire thing is action packed, starting the second the first book left off and finishing with an absolutely delightful cliff-hanger. Seriously, it made me so excited for the next book, and I'm really curious to see how the author plays with this. Despite a pretty decent recap, you need to read the first book to really appreciate everything that's going on and the emotional burdens Ariane and Zane are carrying throughout the story. As for Ariane and Zane, I loved them. The book is told in dual POV, and while I found in the first book Zane's chapters were kind of boring in the beginning, they never suffered from that in this book. In fact, it's kind of fun to see each of their thoughts on the issues that both characters are dealing with as they grow and develop. The romance is cute, though it did get a little bit strong at times, and I wanted to shout at both of them to focus and deal with their issues later. Still, I actually thing the author did a great job of portraying how their situation would exacerbate so many issues and insecurities that they both carry. All in all, this is a great second book in a series, and while it does feel like a second book, it continues all the good things and drops a lot of the bad. It's sort of the book I think I was hoping to read in the first one, so I'm glad I kept going. I'm going to give it a solid 3.5 stars. It's fun, action packed, and has such a great ending, I'm dying for the third book to come out.
Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them. Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.
Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.
But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class. Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet. Quoted from Goodreads
********************
Isn't that just the best cover? It's cute, different, and perfectly represents the story inside. I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but I totally do, and this one said READ ME. Okay, on to the actual book. It's just plain fun. You can pretty much guess from the set up in the beginning what's going to happen (with a few fun twist and turns), and I was okay with that. After reading books like Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave (which I love, don't get me wrong), it's nice to have less violent aliens. I'm not saying they're perfect or that there isn't conflict, but this book explores more the idea of human aggression and fear of the unknown vs. tolerance and acceptance, rather than alien invasion, and I enjoyed the different angle. As for the characters, I really enjoyed Aelyx and Cara. They're different, well thought out, and realistic. The book's told from their dual POV, so you get both sides of the story. I particularly liked the L'eihr culture as it conflicted with earth's. They're colder, eat blander food, more formal, cloned, didn't grow up in a family unit, smarter, less emotional, and more genetically advanced, so you get that whole fish-out-of-water fun as worlds collide. I'll admit the physical descriptions reminded me of the main characters from Beth Revis's Across the Universe series, but I understand in both cases why they chose those particular features, so it didn't really bother me.
The romance is sweet (though I'm hoping a love triangle doesn't show up in the second book---there were hints that it could) and well developed. I loved the lack of insta-love and the way Aelyx and Cara drew closer together as the book progressed. As a heads up, this does have more of a young adult vibe than a lot of YA science fiction book's I've read lately. Mostly I blame it on the setting (almost all high school). I realize this sounds weird, since it is clearly a YA book, so what else is it supposed to feel like? Let me explain. Most YA Scifi books I've read feature teenagers set in space or on a sort of post-apocalyptic earth or further in the future---you get the idea. This one could be set two years from now, and with the exception of a few chapters, it takes place all in a little town (and again, mostly at the high school) somewhere in the US. It's all part of the author exploring the human reaction to things rather than focusing on alien aggression. What I'm especially excited for is book two. While I really enjoyed this book, I can't wait to see what happens next. I want to learn more about the L'eihrs and their planet. We got Aelyx's fish-out-of-water story this time. I can't wait for Cara's. Plus, tension are higher, and there's a lot more to loose at this point. So should you read this? Absolutely. If you're not a hard core science fiction fan, this is a great lead in. If you are, it's a fun, lighter take with some interesting world building and a great lead up to the next book. It's a solid 3.5 stars for me, rounding up to 4 on Goodreads (oh how I wish they did half stars!). If you want to know more, check out the trailer below.
It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.
Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.
Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever? Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it. Quoted from Goodreads
********************
This book is the scifi version of Titanic meets Hatchet. Seriously. The first fifth is completely Titanic, including the ridiculously rich girl trapped in her life who meets the poor boy who is dragged to parties with the rich because he's a war hero, but they know he doesn't fit in. She even has red hair. And the ship is called the Icarus! I love, love, love that the author decided to name her doomed ship this. It says so much about Lilac's father, his hubris, and the aurthors' love of foreshadowing. Once they get down on the planet, the story changes and really comes into its own. It's creepy, mysterious, and gruesomely tragic. It's not that the first part isn't good, because it is. It's just a twist on something everyone's already seen, but I really liked how the author developed and established the world before the crash. After, it's half survival story, one third mystery and a spattering of romance, which rounds everything out nicely. We get wild animals, a strange planet, and Lilac's questionable sanity. The book is told from duel POVs, and I'll be honest, I found Lilac rather annoying at first, especially contrasted with Tarver. She's so spoiled and rather cruel. It's not that the author doesn't give her justification for her actions, but I didn't enjoy her POV at first as much as Tarver's. Still, she's probably the one who develops most as the book progresses, and I ended up really enjoying her character and the person she becomes. Each chapter begins with an interview/debriefing about what happened on the planet, which I have mixed feelings about. Half of me liked it because it adds another layer of tension. You see what Tarver lies about and how what happened down there is part of a bigger picture. There are also some rather ominous questions that foreshadow larger events in the story. On the other hand, I'm not sure how well I liked knowing Tarver would get off the planet. Of course I hoped he would. Knowing how the death of a certain character in another YA series affected my affection for it, I'd be really angry if he didn't, but it did remove all doubt, so when bad things happened to him, you knew it would all work out in the end. The book isn't particularly fast paced, though it has it's mad-dash moments. It's a long survival journey though a mysterious planet full of whispers, ghosts, and visions, along with the more mundane problems like wild animals, harsh weather, crashed pieces of the Icarus, and the planet's lack of inhabitants. As far as plot goes, it's kind of crazy, full of twists and turns. Just remember this is a scifi story. It's easy to forget for a while after the crash when Tarver and Lilac are trying to survive, roughing it in the wild, but the mystery is grounded in science fiction in a rather mind-boggling sort of way. I won't say anything more because I don't want to give it away, but I did enjoy it. I'm actually quite curious where the second book is going to go because this could end right here and be a perfectly excellent stand-alone novel. All in all, I'm going to award this book a high 4 stars. It's fun, inventive, and different from a lot of YA out there. Plus, it's got a little something for everyone. Action? Check. Romance? Check. Interesting characters? Check. Mystery? Check. Survival? Check. Opulence? Check. Horror? Check. Man vs. Nature? Check. The list just keeps going.
Five simple rules. Ariane Tucker has followed them since the night she escaped from the genetics lab where she was created, the result of combining human and extraterrestrial DNA. Ariane’s survival—and that of her adoptive father—depends on her ability to blend in among the full-blooded humans in a small Wisconsin town, to hide in plain sight at her high school from those who seek to recover their lost (and expensive) “project.” But when a cruel prank at school goes awry, it puts her in the path of Zane Bradshaw, the police chief’s son and someone who sees too much. Someone who really sees her. After years of trying to be invisible, Ariane finds the attention frightening—and utterly intoxicating. Suddenly, nothing is simple anymore, especially not the rules . . . Quoted from Goodreads
********************
I enjoyed this so much more than I expected! Don't get me wrong, I liked Stacey Kade's Ghost and the Goth series. They were light, cute, and had fun characters. Still, this could have gone wrong. Some authors really only have one great series in them, and then they fizzle and die. This one absolutely lives up to it's predecessors. I read a lot of mixed reviews on this, which ended up helping a lot, so I'm going to kind of give you a heads up so you won't go into this blind. This isn't one of those on-the-run adventures that have become so popular this year. Most of this takes place in high school, which I was fine with. It's more about her hiding in plain sight, learning to standing up to the class bully, and falling in love. Besides the constant threat of being discovered, all real involvement with GHX (the company who created her) doesn't really get involved in the plot until the last quarter of the book. Now you know what to expect, this really is a fun book. I like Ariana. She's cute, albeit very into not being noticed. Plus, she's half alien. And not all the new, modern ideas we have about aliens, but the stereotypical alien (black eyes, grey skin, move things with their minds, hear our thoughts sort of thing) from the '50s, which was sort of refreshing. She gave the old stereotype just enough of a twist (human combined with alien DNA) that it didn't need to be new or groundbreaking. The book is told in alternating chapters between Ariana and Zane's POV. Zane is an interesting lead. I liked seeing Ariana from a completely human POV. You get to observe her quirks without her internal analysis as to whether what she is doning will blend into the background and come across as completely human. He also has his own issues to deal with, but on a completely human level, that adds another layer of anxiety to the story. Plus, he looks like Clark Kent---I mean, how can a girl resist? All in all, I ended up really enjoying this book, probably a 4 star masterpiece. Yes, if you're looking for one long chase, explore the Roswell conspiracy, car chases, and men in black, this is not the book for you. If you'd like a coming of age, hidden in plain sight, high school drama, this is right up your alley.
