(http://www.studymode.com/5th-wave-notes/plot-summary/)

The 5th Wave takes place in an alternative present-day reality in which an alien race known only as “the Others” is systematically annihilating humanity in order to inhabit Earth themselves. The central protagonist is sixteen-year-old Cassie Sullivan, who is on a mission is to rescue her five-year-old brother, Sammy, from a military compound run by the Others. This compound, called Camp Haven, is one of many locations where the Others–who look and sound exactly like humans, rendering them impossible to identify–are putting the 5th Wave of their annihilation plan into action. At Camp Haven, young humans are brainwashed into believing that the Others are human and that their fellow humans are Others. In this way, an army of traumatized, isolated children is being trained as the instrument of humanity’s ultimate destruction.

As the novel opens, Cassie is hiding out alone in the woods outside of Cincinatti, Ohio. She has been on her own ever since her young brother was taken from Camp Ashpit, a refugee camp where a large number of plague-infected human bodies were burned. After Sammy was moved to Camp Haven, Cassie’s father was shot dead by Colonel Vosch, the alien leader who appeared to be a trustworthy member of the U.S. military. After Mr. Sullivan’s murder, Cassie witnesses Colonel Vosch placing a bomb referred to as “the Eye” in the middle of Camp Ashpit and blowing it to smithereens. Cassie has been hiding in the woods ever since, unable to figure out how to rescue her brother but determined to do so. She tells us that humanity is now in the 4th Wave of the alien destruction, which is characterized by stealthy assassins who are indistinguishable from humans. Because the Others look and sound human, Cassie tells us that the first rule of the 4th Wave is: Trust no one. The second rule is: Stay alone if you want to stay alive.

In flashbacks, Cassie describes the first three waves of the alien invasion, which come in rapid succession. First, a strange mother ship hovers visibly near Earth for ten days but makes no attempt at communication. Many people, including Cassie’s father, optimistically believe that communication with the alien race will bring positive changes for humanity. This hope dies out when the aliens initiate the 1st Wave: an electromagnetic pulse that destroys all technology on the planet, rendering electronics, automobiles, and most forms of transportation and communication worthless. The 1st Wave kills half a million people. About three billion more are killed during the 2nd Wave, in which the aliens cause massive tsunamis to rise up across the Earth, decimating coastal populations. In the 3rd Wave, a viral plague carried by birds wipes out nearly everyone else. Only about 3% of the Earth’s remaining population–those with a natural immunity to the virus–manage to survive the 3rd Wave. Cassie, her brother, and her father all have the immunity. However, Mr. Sullivan does not survive the 4th Wave, the wave that Cassie calls “Silencer.” In the 4th Wave, the Others have finally come to Earth to do their killing in person. The only problem is that the Others are indistinguishable from humans, so it is impossible to trust anyone unless you already know him or her. Alien assassins pop up out of nowhere, simply shooting people dead where they stand. Cassie thinks of these assassins as “Silencers.” She carries with her an M16 and a Luger at all times.

As Cassie makes her way back toward Camp Haven to rescue her brother, she is shot in the knee by one of these Silencers. Cassie regains consciousness inside a clean, well-supplied Ohio farmhouse, where she is being cared for by a nineteen-year-old boy named Evan Walker. Cassie is immediately attracted to the handsome, kind young man, who says he lost his entire family and is living alone in the farmhouse, but she cannot quite bring herself to trust him. Clearly, Evan is in love with Cassie and, after she has recuperated, he insists on coming with her to rescue Sammy. Eventually, Evan admits to Cassie that he is really one of the Others, that he is in fact the Silencer who shot her, but that his love for her saved him from finishing the job. He explains that the Others implanted themselves within a certain number of human beings while the infants were still in their mothers’ wombs. The human hosts were completely unaware of the alien consciousness within them until “the Awakening”–which happened with the arrival of the mothership in the Earth’s atmosphere. Thus, Evan Walker is both human and Other. For Cassie’s sake, he is trying to renounce his alien side.

Meanwhile, the two-part narration of the novel also follows the experiences of Ben Parish, a charming high school athlete on whom Cassie has had a crush since third grade. After surviving the 3rd Wave, Ben has been indoctrinated by the Others and is training to be a soldier in their army. Because Ben has been successfully brainwashed, he believes that the Others are really humans. Led by Colonel Vosch, they appear to be a stronghold of U.S. military forces training the last surviving humans to fight the aliens. Cassie’s brother Sammy is assigned to Ben’s squad for training, and Ben develops an affection for the child. When Ben’s squad is deployed to fight, he promises Sammy that he will return for him. During their first mission, Ben realizes–with the help of Ringer, a talented and intelligent young woman soldier–that they have all been deceived. Ben and Ringer discover that the tracking chips implanted in their necks are also connected to a “kill switch” and that they could be executed at any moment. After removing these chips, they devise a plan to return to Camp Haven and rescue Sammy from the Others, whom they now realize are simply training humans to kill one another.

Ben’s and Cassie’s storylines collide at Camp Haven, which they both infiltrate for the same purpose: to rescue Sammy. With Evan’s help, Cassie, Ben, and Sammy all manage to escape from Camp Haven before it is completely destroyed. They are picked up by Ringer and the rest of Ben’s squad–all of whom now understand the truth about their military training–and the novel closes with the protagonists safe inside a Humvee. Evan Walker is not with them, but it is unclear whether or not he survived the destruction of Camp Haven. Thus ends the first part of Yancey’s trilogy.

 

 

Hybrid Chronicles #2

summary of book 1 (http://hybridchronicles.katzhangwriter.com/Main.html)

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else–two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t… 

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet…for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

 

summary of book 2

Eva was never supposed to have survived this long. As the recessive soul, she should have faded away years ago. Instead, she lingers in the body she shares with her sister soul, Addie. When the government discovered the truth, they tried to “cure” the girls, but Eva and Addie escaped before the doctors could strip Eva’s soul away.

The former US they live in is completely cut off from the world and from its own history; the girls have no idea about cell phones, have never heard of WWI and II and don’t know man went to the moon.

Characters:  

Eva/Addie–Eva is now able to “own” their body, and in this book the girls learn how to “go under” to give each other privacy.  

Ryan/Devon:  Ryan is Eva’s boyfriend.  His “twin” is Devon, who is darker and quiet.  Ryan keeps busy by making gadgets

Sabine/Josie:  Sabine is a strong voice in the resistance, and owns the shop where they meet

Peter:  helped the hybrids escapes from hospitals/institutions

Dr Rebecca Lyanne: worked at Norand Institution.  Now works to help hybrids.  Peter’s sister

Emalia/Sophie:  Addie/Eva are staying in their apartment

Jackson/Vince:  Addie likes Jackson, but he betrays her to get her to be part of the revolution.  He is arrested at the end of the book

Jaime:  a little boy who is “cured” in book one.   reappears at the end of book 2

Hally/Lissa:  Ryan/Devon’s sisters

Kitty/Nina:  also in the apartment with Addie/Eva

Christoph/??:  suffered many years at an institution

Cordelia/Katy:  also in the revolution

Jenson:  the antigonist.  behind the plans to create a hybrid “cure”

Now fugitives, Eva and Addie find shelter with a group of hybrids who run an underground resistance. Surrounded by others like them, the girls learn how to temporarily disappear to give each soul some much-needed privacy. Eva is thrilled at the chance to be alone with Ryan, the boy she’s falling for, but troubled by the growing chasm between her and Addie. Despite clashes over their shared body, both girls are eager to join the rebellion. (from http://hybridchronicles.katzhangwriter.com/Main.html)

At the end of the book, the other hybrid teens have arranged for a bomb to go off at a new facility for separating hybrids. Eva and Addie are not supportive of this plan, and infiltrate the building to stop the bomb.  Eva injures their ankle in the blast; Cordelia, Sabine and Christoph are missing.

 

Miss Peregrine #2

(from http://thepeculiarchildren.wikia.com/wiki/Hollow_City)

The book begins with the peculiar children rowing across the ocean, away from the island that had been their home for over seventy years. The peculiars take turns rowing through the ever-thickening fog, all the while saying farewell to the island of Cairnholm . After rowing through the doldrums waters, a storm begins to blow. The wind picks up speed, dumping the contents of their boats overboard. Brownwyn and Olive’s boat is overturned, and Olive is nowhere to be seen. Luckily, Brownwyn had tied her to the anchor line, and they pull her down to safety. When the group realizes it would be no use waiting for the fog to clear, Olive bravely volunteers to float up through the fog and search for land. With her guidance, the children make landfall before night comes.

The peculiar children then see what they can salvage, the only food being what appears to be dog food. The rest of the surviving objects including Tales of the Peculiar and Miss Peregrine’s bath mat.

Enoch complains at that, slowly turning his anger onto Jacob, which causes him to walk around the beach, deep in thought. Emma follows to comfort him, but after sharing a kiss, they spot the submarine from the first book pursuing them. They run into the woods, Claire bawling, Bronwyn forced to read to her from Tales of the Peculiar.

Upon reading a chapter about Cuthbert the Giant, they stumble upon a rock jutting out of the water resembling Cuthbert’s head. Crawling inside, the peculiars find themselves in another loop, only to be chased up a mountain by a hollow, who for some reason, managed to get into the loop.

When the peculiars are taking the imprisoned Caul as a bargaining chip for their freedom, they enter a dark hallway, someone tripping and Caul seizing the opportunity to escape, taking the fallen peculiar hostage, the peculiar revealed to be Althea.

Althea fights back, freezing Caul to the table. Unfortunately, before Caul has time to freeze into an ice statue, he grabs an icicle and stabs Althea in the back, killing her, causing the ice that she had created to protect the peculiars to melt. The wights and hollows that had been waiting outside then storm the Rookery, beating up and capturing the peculiars. The wights then take the peculiars out of the loop and into the modern world but not before Jacob senses the Rogue Hollow defrosting.

In the modern world, the wights take the peculiars through to the London Underground, and begin loading them onto the train. But while they are trying to force Emma on, Emma heats up her hands, melts through her handcuffs, and burns the wight on the face, saving Jacob. Meanwhile, to Jacob’s shock, Bronwyn tears Joel-and-Peter and Peter-and-Joel away from each other, causing them to scream and shatter the train’s windows and knocking Jacob, Emma, and the wights down. Emma and the wights go unconscious immediately, while Jacob is on the brink of following suit and passing out.

Jacob starts to drag Emma away from the train, but collapses from the pain. He watches the others being loaded on the train and taken to an unknown destination.

He awakens later to find himself in a phone booth, Emma is still unconscious, with Addison licking the two in attempt to wake them up and soothe them. Jacob is about to ask Addison how he got there, but Jacob’s phone rings, and he answers, hearing his father’s worried voice. Jacob is about to tell his father to stay calm, when the Rogue Hollow appears, lifting up the phone booth and slamming it back down, shattering the glass. It grabs Jacob by the throat and lifts him up, slowly strangling him.

Jacob, on the edge of surrendering, gives in to the pain he feels whenever a hollow is near. Deep down inside, he feels a whisper, and lets it rise, speaking in the language of the hollow and telling it to “Back off”. Upon hearing this, the hollow immediately lets go of Jacob and sits back. Jacob quickly tells his Dad that he’s ok, and that he loves him and his mother. Jacob hangs up and assures Addison and Emma that the hollow won’t attack. Then, he turns back to the hollowgast. Speaking the hollow language, Jacob orders the Rogue Hollow to stand.

Clifton Chronicles #4

In the previous book, Harry and Emma (Barrington) Clifton’s son, Sebastian, was roped into a scheme to bring a statue from Argentina to England for Don Pedro Martinez, not knowing the statue is full of counterfeit money.  The scheme is discovered, and the money destroyed.  Don Pedro tries to have Sebastian killed in a car wreck, but is unaware his son Bruno is also in the car.

BEWYWF opens with us learning that Sebastian was killed. But then we quickly learn that the police misidentified the body and it was actually Bruno who was killed.  Don Pedro vows revenge on the entire Clifton/Barrington families.  He buys up shares of Barrington Shipping and puts Major Alex Fisher (Giles Barrington and Harry’s old nemesis) on the board.  At that time, Barrington Shipping decides to add a very expensive luxury liner to its flight. The current Chairman, Ross Buchanan, thinks this is a bad idea and resigns.  The board elects Emma to the position, causing Alex Fisher to lose by one vote, a vote that should have been cast by his wife, who voted for Emma.  Susan Fisher goes on to divorce Major Fisher and tries to screw him in any way possible. Don Pedro meets with people in the IRA who can make sure the ship’s construction is sabotaged at every level. 

While in the hospital recovering from the accident, Sebastic meets Cedric Hardcastle, who is the chairman of a large and successful bank.  He is impressed buy Seb and offers him a position as his personal assistant.  At the same time, he also buys up shares and joins the board at Barrington’s.

Meanwhile, Jessica Clifton (the adopted daughter who is actually the child of Emma’s philandering father) is off to art school. She doesn’t know her parentage. At school, she demonstrates amazing talent, and falls in love. While visiting her fiancee’s family, the Binghams (who own a very successful fish paste factory), Jessica overhears Lady Virginia (Gile’s vindictive ex) telling Mrs Bingham about Jessica’s parentage.  Distraught, Jessica goes home to discover that Don Pedro’s son has destroyed her paintings.  She kills herself.

At this point, Cedric Hardcastle deciders revenge is in order.  Don Pedro, meanwhile, has decided to drop his final bombshell: he will sell off all his shares, and at the same time Alex Fisher will publically resign, claiming he’s not confident in the company.  This will cause Barrington’s to fail and go bankrupt.  Hardcastle figures out the scheme and through some complicated finagling, manages to have Mr Bingham buy all the shares that Don Pedro sells. In the end, Don Pedro is bankrupt, his sons are arrested for various crimes commited during this scheming, and his right hand man Karl is deported to Israel where he will be tried for Nazi war crimes.

The new ship, the Buckingham, prepares to set out on its maiden voyage.  Harry and Emma, Giles (but not his wife Gwynneth who has just had a baby), Sebastian and his new girlfriend Sam are all on board.  Don Pedro has once again conspired with the IRA and has managed to get a bomb on board the ship.  The book ends with the bomb going off.