In Girls Wearing Black, I attempted to write a book with one foot planted in an established, easily recognizable genre, and the other meandering off wherever it needed to go. The result, a mix of teen vampire fiction and…something else, was pleasing to me, but not to all readers. If you’ve come to this web site because you enjoyed Girls Wearing Black, know that I am immensely grateful we’ve found each other. In a world where an explosion of media has made it possible for all of us to consume only those stories that appeal specifically to us, I’m thrilled to come across people who enjoy reading the kind of books I like to write.
And if you enjoy the books I like to write write, I think it’s not out of the question that you’ll enjoy the books I like to read as well. For that reason, I am recommending Rick Yancey’s 5th Wave series to you today. If you haven’t already read these books, click the link below and download the sample.
Book 1 of Rick Yancey’s series, The 5th Wave, tells the story of a few young teens who are among the last survivors on earth following an alien attack. Sounds like a story you’ve heard before, I’m sure. What makes this different is the nature of the aliens, who didn’t come down in giant Independence Day saucers intent on blowing up the White House, but instead attacked humanity in successive waves that were impossible to fight. The 1st wave was an EMP strike that took down the power grids all over the world. The 2nd wave, a tsunami that wiped out the coasts. The 3rd, a plague.
Those first three waves have already come and gone before the story of The 5th Wave begins. With much of humanity already dead, Yancey’s aliens begin their 4th wave of the attack, and things really get interesting.
The 5th Wave came out in May of last year and floored me with its suspense, its humanity, and its superb writing. I wasn’t alone. The book was a huge success and a movie version starring Chloe Grace Moretz and Liev Schreiber is already in production. Book 2 of the planned trilogy, The Infinite Sea, came out last month. I blazed through it in 2 days, furiously highlighting along the way. The writing in these books is just stellar. If you’re looking for a book where the pages turn and the fantastical happens, but also the characters are real and the language is lovely to read, you should check these out.
