BY DAWN WOODS

 

Dystopian novels are still flavour of the month and this is a gritty, terrifying picture of life after a catastrophe.

With hindsight it was easy to tell which wave wiped out increasingly targeted people, but at first the characters take life at face value and accept each shocking situation.

We are fascinated by survival, wondering if we could do it if it came down to it. So this book grips from the start. Will Cassie survive the horrors she describes?

Although set in America, the dystopian world is so alien that the American environment does not jar.

Cassie's family accept that a virus has attacked the country and put great faith in the military, not realising they were the problem. Cassie's Dad takes the family to Wright-Patterson Air Force base, and there the situation slowly becomes clear to Cassie.

Separated from her brother, Cassie blames herself for letting him go and is determined to rescue him. She meets Evan, another survivor and together they race to rescue Sammy in spite of all odds. But where do they go from here? The sequel is published later this year and there will be many young people lined up waiting for it.

The 5th wave has just won its category and was overall winner of the Red House Book Award, voted for by children. It is also on the Worcestershire Teen Book Award shortlist, due to be announced on 27th March, again voted for by our young people. So much to anticipate.

 

This book was published by Penguin and is available to buy for £7.99. It can also be borrowed from The Hive as well as other Worcestershire libraries. Click here to check availability and check it out.