"We're all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh." -Doctor Who
That was one hell of a conclusion.
A FLUFF-TON OF SPOILERS.
If The Fifth Wave was a 4.50, The Infinite Sea was a 4.75, then The Last Star was a 4.45.
As usual, I'll talk about the bad, first.
1. Writing is occasionally confusing.
This is just Rick Yancey's writing style, but at times, things happen so quickly or so vaguely, the reader's like 'oh yeah, they got shot' or 'wait, what is she doing again?'. And then, they'll have to go back and reread, breaking up the flow.
This is just Rick Yancey's writing style, but at times, things happen so quickly or so vaguely, the reader's like 'oh yeah, they got shot' or 'wait, what is she doing again?'. And then, they'll have to go back and reread, breaking up the flow.
2. Ben ends up with Ringer.
Now, don't get me wrong, they aren't my NOTP, but I just wasn't a huge fan. While at times they were cute, I didn't feel that they were really together, or that they should be. I just didn't feel the sparkle. But maybe that's because I really kind of disliked Ringer in this book. One could argue that they are foil characters, like Evan and Cassie, which is an interesting concept. However, I still found Ringer to be inhuman, unrelatable, distrustful, and cruel at times.
3. More time with Cassie and Sam would have made the ending more impactful.
While we had to spend time advancing the plot with the other characters, I would have loved to see more of the interaction between Cassie and Sam. While they grew into amazing characters, there wasn't enough time to see them together, to develop their relationship even more. While I still feel like the ending hit home, I felt that it could have been so much stronger, tied in better, and more heartbreaking if we got to see Cassie and Sam interact more, etc. I just wanted to see more of them together, because this is what The Fifth Wave Series is all about.
While we had to spend time advancing the plot with the other characters, I would have loved to see more of the interaction between Cassie and Sam. While they grew into amazing characters, there wasn't enough time to see them together, to develop their relationship even more. While I still feel like the ending hit home, I felt that it could have been so much stronger, tied in better, and more heartbreaking if we got to see Cassie and Sam interact more, etc. I just wanted to see more of them together, because this is what The Fifth Wave Series is all about.
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And now, the almost insurmountable good.
1. Masterful Storytelling.
Mr. Yancey has a wonderful way of building suspense and then releasing it, like in the scene where Ben is searching for the Urbana Silencer.
Mr. Yancey has a wonderful way of building suspense and then releasing it, like in the scene where Ben is searching for the Urbana Silencer.
2. Quirky Writing.
Never have these books failed at making me laugh out loud. Cassie is just so wonderfully funny, because she makes these quirky observations that are undeniably relatable. Even with the other characters, the writing is so viscerally real with an amazingly light-hearted twist - with grim humor - that makes it easier to bear and more relatable.
Never have these books failed at making me laugh out loud. Cassie is just so wonderfully funny, because she makes these quirky observations that are undeniably relatable. Even with the other characters, the writing is so viscerally real with an amazingly light-hearted twist - with grim humor - that makes it easier to bear and more relatable.
3. FABULOUSLY REAL CHARACTERS.
I cannot say enough about this section. And this is especially concerning Cassie, Ben, and Sams, and maybe even Ringer at times. Occasionally Evan, especially with his scene with Cassie in the middle section, where I'm not entirely sure whether they had sex or not . . . More on the confusion of Yancey's writing above.
Anyway, Rick Yancey has such a beautiful ability to craft deep and real characters. Previously, Sam forgot his ABC's, and then he killed Constance, and immediately following, he remembers his ABC's as well as his mother's face. This scene was brilliantly executed, with just the right amount of horror at a six year old killing someone and just the right amount of emotional catharsis and sympathy.
Ben's reaction to Dumbo's death was heartbreakingly gold. Not only was the writing delicate yet real, the whole scene connected to the reader. You connected with Dumbo mostly because of Ben's reaction. Ben taking out the time to bury him in a sea of death was beautiful and appropriate. Yet another display of Ben's resilience and strong character.
Now, a whole section has to be devoted to Cassie's awesomeness:
I cannot say enough about this section. And this is especially concerning Cassie, Ben, and Sams, and maybe even Ringer at times. Occasionally Evan, especially with his scene with Cassie in the middle section, where I'm not entirely sure whether they had sex or not . . . More on the confusion of Yancey's writing above.
Anyway, Rick Yancey has such a beautiful ability to craft deep and real characters. Previously, Sam forgot his ABC's, and then he killed Constance, and immediately following, he remembers his ABC's as well as his mother's face. This scene was brilliantly executed, with just the right amount of horror at a six year old killing someone and just the right amount of emotional catharsis and sympathy.
Ben's reaction to Dumbo's death was heartbreakingly gold. Not only was the writing delicate yet real, the whole scene connected to the reader. You connected with Dumbo mostly because of Ben's reaction. Ben taking out the time to bury him in a sea of death was beautiful and appropriate. Yet another display of Ben's resilience and strong character.
Now, a whole section has to be devoted to Cassie's awesomeness:
4. CASSIE'S LAST ACT.
A good chunk of the last act is dedicated to Cassie saving her little sliver of the world: and becoming who she was really meant to be.
On the fourth day, she is downloaded with almost the entire consciousness of humanity via Wonderland. This portion of her narrative, she becomes a beautiful foil to Ringer, becoming everything she is not.
Cassie becomes humanity. She becomes who we are, viscerally relatable, with a heart and a soul the size of Texas. What's so great about this is that only now we see that Cassie was always humanity, that this was her purpose. And when she sees the pod, the readers know exactly what she's going to do.
And it's perfect.
Not enough words can come to mind to describe the amazingness of Cassiopeia Marie Sullivan. You'll just have to read - or, rather, experience - it for yourself.
And the conclusion works because humanity has defeated the aliens. Because it's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.
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| source: iztarshi.tumblr.com |
~
Truthfully, I'm okay that not all of the 'aliens' have been defeated. I'm okay that we don't truly know who the Others are.
But overall, The Fifth Wave Series is definitely a must-read. I love it.
~The WordShaker
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