The 5th Wave discussion

I was actually thoroughly entertained by this book! One thing the author really got down was how to show multiple perspectives and intertwine them. It taught me how to masterfully expand the world of a larger piece through multiple characters and their chapters. Whether it was through the main character Cassie and her survival, or the flashbacks into the past that showed how she got there in Chapter 5 and on. Mysteries were unlocked through a survivor's standpoint, the "enemy" and his standpoint (who also exposed more about the disagreements among the aliens and their kind's view of the invasion), a ex-jock in death camp training, a child, and so on. Since I personally always focus on one character and their perspective, it was very intriguing to read something so different that made me realize that this was an entirely different strategy that I ought to try some time!

Something else was the importance of bringing in the past. To resuscitate something previously that either shows a shift from the beginning of their journey, or brings a lot of character efficiently. In page 439 once a lot of the conflict is over and they were victorious and worn down, Cassie calls, “'We're clear!' (...) He knocks once against the side. I don't get it at first, and then I laugh. Let's establish a code for when you want to go all creeper on me. One knock means you'd like to come in". This is a reference to a quote earlier in the book where just Cassie and Evan were conversing. Having the sudden comparison to the 1st time it was said definitely contrasted with the current situation in which it was recalled hundreds of pages later. This caused me to realize the effect of mentioning old lines and small actions/exchanges in the beginning to make the impact and change more drastic.

A 3rd great thing I learned--to follow the theme of showing contrast-- was the importance of a shift in priorities. Ben is mentioned constantly in the beginning and always occupied Cassie's childish mind, which is evident in the beginning where her thoughts are scattered, bubbly, and express how she doesn't take the situation seriously at first. Her priorities, even as the first days of the invasion began, were boys (Ben) and sex when she and her friend were chatting about it in the gym during Wave 1. But despite the buildup to deceitful importance, page 429 showed how much she's changed her priorities and goals. Their meeting is brief and almost contained to a single page, where it's not heartwarming or entirely pivotal like it was when Evan appeared and it read "He drops into the room, landing on the balls of his feet like a cat. I'm in his arms in the time it takes to say 'I love you,' which he does, stroking my hair, whispering my name and the words, 'My Mayfly'" (440). This is all right in front of Ben himself and her brother, but despite the emotional meeting of all the characters we'd been following for so long, Cassie pulls everything together and asks "Right now don't you think it would be a good idea for us to leave?" (441).

It was a great book to read that I don't usually peruse through, and I learned a lot of new techniques and how they can be cleverly used to expand the world, the characters, and the changes caused by the main story and everything else wrapped around it.