In the flashback episodes, Cassie's family suffers through the first waves of the invasion. The flashbacks begin to explain what it is she has to do in Cincinnati. Cassie's quest is complicated when she is badly injured after being shot by a 'Silencer' with a sniper rifle. The second is a story about Cassie's world after the appearance of the alien mother-ship. First is the present narrative in which Cassie begins to journey toward Cincinnati. In a split decision, she kills him, leaving her with an internal conflict: she must protect herself from the aliens, and the aliens that look like humans, so she either saved herself from being killed, or she murdered an innocent and wounded soldier.Īfter this scene, two stories are presented in the opening of the book. On one such trip, she meets a young man in soldier's attire who is badly wounded, armed, and potentially dangerous. She acquires food, water, toiletries, and other essentials by rummaging through abandoned stores, avoiding drones who will kill her if she's spotted. Cassie is shown to have fallen into a rhythm of survival, having established a sort of home base. A very thoughtful Cassie details nostalgic memories of her life before the invasion as she fights for her survival. The novel opens with an ominous, aphoristic passage about invasions, and then quickly shifts to Cassie's story.Ĭassiopeia 'Cassie' Sullivan is a survivor of an apocalyptic invasion of Earth by aliens who have transformed the world into an isolated wasteland through a series of plague-like waves. The story is offered through a few narrative lenses including brief passages by two other characters, namely Ben Parish, Cassie's pre-invasion crush, and another young man, Evan Walker, whose relationship with Cassie becomes complicated as she learns more about his true identity. This novel tells the story of an alien invasion through the eyes of a teenage girl, Cassie Sullivan, who seeks to rescue her brother, Sammy, from the enemy.

The 5th wave series