Friday 1 April 2016

Audio/Book Review of The Infinite Sea: The 5th Wave, Book 2 by Rick Yancey



Book Title: The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave Book 2)
Genre: YA Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic Adventure
Pages: 320
Audio Run Time: 8 Hrs 12 Mins
Author: Rick Yancey
Date Published: 16 September 2014 (E-Book)
2 April 2015 (Audio Book)

Synopsis:

For Cassie Sullivan and the rest of Earth's remaining human survivors, the situation was already desperate when the 5th Wave hit. It's about to get worse. No one yet knows the depths to which Earth's conquerors - the Others - will sink in order to rid the Earth of the human infestation, nor have they guessed the heights to which the human spirit can reach.

Characters introduced in book one will come to the fore - and others will face the ultimate test.

Review:


The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave, #2)The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Review 3.5 rounded up to 4*

Having previously read The 5th Wave, I was looking forward to continuing the series. I decided to download this in audiobook format, having listened to book one in this way.

This audio book is again narrated by Phoebe Strole. However, she is joined by Ben Yannette this time instead of Brandon Espinoza. They both did a wonderful job in bringing the story and the characters to life. Their voices were lovely to listen to. I would definitely consider listening to other books narrated by them.

Cassie (short for Cassiopeia) Sullivan is a wonderful character. I really liked her, she has a lot of spirit and determination. She seems to have grown up some in this book and is not as whiny or full of angst.

Ben "Zombie" Parish is another wonderful character. I really liked him from the beginning. He is quite bright and determined, not to mention charming. Still injured from Ringer's bullet, he is determined to get everyone to safety, though fighting infection.

Ringer is still an enigma to me. I can't seem to figure her out at all. Is she a friend or a foe? Her actions in a certain situation had me scratching my head.

This book has a completely different tone to the first one. Notably, it is no longer told through the eyes of only Cassie, Ben, Sammie and Evan, now Ringer has a say and I must admit that I found this a little confusing, as she seems to have become the main character in this book. Cassie and co are relegated slightly into the background for more than half the story, which I found a little disconcerting, though Evan has more page time, which I enjoyed. There is also a new character introduced, though I am not sure if she added anything to the story apart from a little backstory/history with Evan and as a threat to the group. I loved meeting Poundcake and Dumbo again, and getting to know a little more of their history, especially Poundcake. His tale is not a happy one but, I found him to be exceptionally brave; especially near the end.

For me, the story is bogged down with metaphors about the title and is lacking in the intensity/danger that made The 5th Wave so exciting. There is even less romance too, as Evan and Cassie are separate for most of the book. There are several twists that surprised me though, so it wasn't all bad. I enjoyed the story, but felt disappointed that it didn't grab me as much. Sequels are tricky. They can either exceed the original book, or disappoint a reader. I had high hopes about this book but, unfortunately, it didn't meet them. I am hoping that the third book in the series will be more cohesive and less confusing.

Rick Yancey has written an exciting, fast paced dystopian series that has kept me hooked from beginning to end. I love his fast pace writing style. However, the flow of the story was not as wonderful as the first book and seemed confusing at times. Nevertheless, I will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

I highly recommend this book if you love YA dystopian novels like Divergent and The Hunger Games, or TV series like Fallen Skies. - Lynn Worton

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About The Author:




Rick Yancey (www.rickyancey.com) is the author of the New York Times bestseller The 5th Wave, The Infinite Sea, several adult novels, and the memoir Confessions of a Tax Collector. His first young-adult novel, The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, was a finalist for the Carnegie Medal. In 2010, his novel, The Monstrumologist, received a Michael L. Printz Honor, and the sequel, The Curse of the Wendigo, was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. When he isn't writing or thinking about writing or traveling the country talking about writing, Rick is hanging out with his family.

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