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Saturday, October 15, 2016

The 5th Wave Trilogy by Rick Yancey (SERIES REVIEW)

The 5th Wave Trilogy

The 5th Wave | The Infinite Sea | The Last Star

by Rick Yancey

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.
Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother-or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

My experience with the 5th Wave trilogy has been a rollercoaster ride, to say the least. I went from really enjoying the first book to loathing the second book, to actually liking the third and final book, which surprised me more than anyone.

I think Rick Yancey has a great story here and I really love Cassie as a main character. I think the overarching plot is good and the side characters are strong. HOWEVER, I think this series from too many cooks in the kitchen. Meaning, there was too much going on to adequately fit in a trilogy. And while I enjoyed each different plot line running through the series, that's just it: it felt like a bunch of different plot lines running through the series. If the series had been longer, or split up into a first series and then a spin-off series, I think it would have worked better. But the constant switching of perspectives, while can be effective in some instances, worked against the series as a whole, in my opinion.

All that being said, I did enjoy how the series ended. I thought it was fitting and brave and I was glad to see Rick Yancey "go there," for lack of a better term. He didn't wrap everything up too nicely and it felt more genuine and realistic than many YA stories I have read.

However, I do have to say that The Infinite Sea (book 2) was a hot mess. I did not enjoy a single page and I'm not even sure the book had a point. If you had taken one or maybe two minor things from the second books and divvied it up between books 1 & 3, making the series a duology, I think it would have been much more effective and efficient.

So all in all, I would recommend this series. I think that if you are not into aliens or teen romance, steer clear, but otherwise, I think it's worth taking a crack at. The books are quite heavy in language, so if that bothers you, this is not the YA series for you... so you've been warned. But there is a fun cast of characters and a story running throughout that you probably haven't read before!

Overall, I am satisfied with my reading experience.

The Fifth Wave: 4 out of 5 stars
The Infinite Sea: 2 out of 5 stars
The Last Star: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday #2 - Upcoming Movie Adaptations

Top Ten Book To Movie Adaptations I'm Looking Forward To

*This list is in no particular order.

A Monster Calls

Patrick Ness. Enough said.
A Monster Calls was one of my top books of 2014. I was so moved and captivated by it and I think a movie adaptation will be SO interesting.
I'm trying to view it as a new and separate work, so I don't get my expectations too high, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't dying to see it!!

The Shack

This is a book I need to reread. I read it in college (so a long time ago) and it's a book that has always stuck with me. It's so abstract and out there, so I'm SUPER interested to see how they do it.

Me Before You

This is sort of becoming the list of books I need to read before the movies come out :)
I have Me Before You sitting on my shelf for quite awhile now, but I have been hesitant to pick it up because I was spoiled on the ending.
I still plan to read it and I know the movie adaptation has Sam Claflin (Catching Fire) and Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) starring... so despite being spoiled, I still plan to pick it up before the movie release!

The Fifth Wave

Yet another TBR book. Sort of.
I have to admit I've lost steam to pick up The Fifth Wave in the last year.
It was very hyped a couple years ago when I found BookTube and the book review world, but I feel like it has lost steam and has move mixed reviews now that the hype has died down...
But still, I would be interested to see how Chloe Grace Moretz handles this sci-fi story.

Allegiant

Oh, Allegiant. How though is detested by many.

I am not one of those people who HATES Allegiant, but I also wasn't completely blown away like I was with Divergent.

Still, I plan on seeing both films, though maybe not in theaters.

Ascendant

Allegiant Part 2 has gone rogue and renamed itself Ascendant.
I have no idea what this title change means but I think it's at least interesting.
This is the film that people have been waiting for and I think that it's going to be a hot mess.

I'm sorry... I thought Insurgent was terrible and I have little hope left for the last two films. But I will see them.

Mockingjay Part 2

This is the film we are SO CLOSE to getting and the one that is probably at the top of my anticipation list (okay, it's second)!
I have loved all 3 films we have gotten from this series and I am waiting on baited breath for the final installment in a few weeks.
My body is not ready.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Nobody shoot me, but I haven't actually read Miss Peregine's.

Waits for pitchforks...

I meant to years ago and even my sometimes reader husband has read it over a year ago.
This adaptation is coming out in 2016 and is already filmed.
It was directed by Tim Burton and will be a big success at the box office.
Now to read it.

Maze Runner: The Death Cure

I will be the first to tell you that I have no intention of reading the Maze Runner series.
I've just heard enough bad things about the books, that I've lost all motivation to press on.
However, I did LOVE the first movie, The Maze Runner. I thought it was fun and much more action-packed than I was anticipating.
I haven't yet seen The Scorch Trials, but I'm excited to get to it soon!
The Death Cure is the third book in the original trilogy and I look forward to the movie adaptation!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Have you seen the pictures?
Have you heard of JK Rowling?
Have you heard of Harry Potter?
Are you from Mars?
I cannot express how excited I am for a fresh new story set in the Harry Potter universe. I'm excited for the time period, the story, the ACTORS.

Seeing all the promo release stills of Eddie Redmayne as Newt is DOING THINGS TO ME.

The best part of being in the HP fandom right now is that JK Rowling is letting the world live on with plays, movies, and new books. She is giving us more of the world because frankly, there is an infinite quantity left to give.
This movie is going to be amazing... no if's and's or but's about it.