The Infinite Sea: The Second Book of the 5th Wave
In the riveting sequel to the New York Times bestselling The 5th Wave, Cassie and her crew have survived four waves of destruction aimed at eliminating humanity. With the 5th already on it way . . . will they survive once more?
“Heart-pounding pacing, lyrical prose, and mind-bending twists.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Impressively improves on the excellent beginning of the trilogy.”—USA Today
How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.
Cassie Sullivan and her companions lived through the Others’ four waves of destruction. Now, with the human race nearly exterminated and the 5th Wave rolling across the landscape, they face a choice: brace for winter and hope for Evan Walker’s return, or set out in search of other survivors before the enemy closes in. Because the next attack is more than possible—it’s inevitable.
No one can anticipate the depths to which the Others will sink, nor the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.
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Community Reviews
The first of this book was great! It became confusing at the end, when Marika went missing. I am looking forward to the third book in the series though. This book can be difficult to follow as the point of view changes and I wanted them to leave the hotel, much sooner than they did. That part of the plot began to drag somewhat. However, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to science fiction lovers!
Ah yes, The Infinite Sea, that cheerful romp through the post-apocalyptic wasteland where trust is dead, hope is on life support, and aliens are playing the world’s most violent game of hide-and-seek. If The 5th Wave left you craving more emotional trauma, questionable survival tactics, and enough teen angst to fuel a CW series, congratulations! This one’s for you.
We pick back up with Cassie Sullivan, our girl who once just wanted a normal life and now carries the emotional weight of humanity on her shoulders. Again. Because apparently “therapy” isn’t available after an alien invasion. She’s joined by fan favorites like Ben, who continues to radiate tortured-hero energy, and Ringer, who is roughly 85% sass and 15% tactical genius (and who might actually be the best part of this book, TBH).
Plot-wise, things happen. Vague things. Mysterious things. Things that make you go, “Wait, what?” followed immediately by, “Well now I have to keep reading.” There’s a lot of hiding in abandoned hotels, deep existential musings about what it means to be human, and a few unexpected character deaths thrown in just to keep you emotionally unstable.
Also: the aliens? Still jerks. But now they’ve upgraded from “creepy invaders” to full-blown psychological terrorists. Because killing you with lasers is just too pedestrian. No no—this is about erasing your soul. And you thought your last breakup was rough.
Is it a little chaotic? Sure. Do some plot threads wander into a foggy abyss never to return? Absolutely. But somehow Rick Yancey keeps it tense, dramatic, and just the right amount of unhinged. It’s like The Hunger Games had a baby with The X-Files, and that baby grew up brooding in the ruins of a shopping mall.
Now excuse me while I lie down in the rubble for a minute before I start book three.
We pick back up with Cassie Sullivan, our girl who once just wanted a normal life and now carries the emotional weight of humanity on her shoulders. Again. Because apparently “therapy” isn’t available after an alien invasion. She’s joined by fan favorites like Ben, who continues to radiate tortured-hero energy, and Ringer, who is roughly 85% sass and 15% tactical genius (and who might actually be the best part of this book, TBH).
Plot-wise, things happen. Vague things. Mysterious things. Things that make you go, “Wait, what?” followed immediately by, “Well now I have to keep reading.” There’s a lot of hiding in abandoned hotels, deep existential musings about what it means to be human, and a few unexpected character deaths thrown in just to keep you emotionally unstable.
Also: the aliens? Still jerks. But now they’ve upgraded from “creepy invaders” to full-blown psychological terrorists. Because killing you with lasers is just too pedestrian. No no—this is about erasing your soul. And you thought your last breakup was rough.
Is it a little chaotic? Sure. Do some plot threads wander into a foggy abyss never to return? Absolutely. But somehow Rick Yancey keeps it tense, dramatic, and just the right amount of unhinged. It’s like The Hunger Games had a baby with The X-Files, and that baby grew up brooding in the ruins of a shopping mall.
Now excuse me while I lie down in the rubble for a minute before I start book three.
Was it just me or did The Infinite Sea feel like a novella compared to The 5th Wave? For the most part, it still contained the same elements: action, suspense, characters that surprise. And the break-neck pace and alternating viewpoints kept me turning the pages, just like its predecessor. Leaving me wanting more is not a bad thing. It's a smart move. Well-played, Rick Yancey.
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