In a book where humans' alien attackers are actually referred to as "the Others," it seems like a safe bet that Other-ness will somehow figure into its themes. The interesting thing about the Others in The 5th Wave is that their Other-ness is a source of both comfort and intense anxiety for humans.
Part of what makes the Others so scary is that they seem unknowable; for a long time, no one even knows what the aliens look like, much less what they want. Eventually, Cassie and the others find out the Others look just like humans, which is distressing on a lot of levels. For one thing, it makes things confusing. (You never know who you're fighting…or kissing.) For another, it's hard to stomach that humans and aliens have anything in common.
Questions About The Other
- What do you think motivates the Others' actions? Explain your answer.
- Most of the book is told from the perspectives of two humans, Cassie and Zombie. How would the story have been different if it had been told from the Others' perspective?
- Apart from appearance, what traits do the Others and humans seem to share? What are their major differences?
Chew on This
The Others seem unusually cruel and spiteful towards humans. Their mission isn't just about claiming planet Earth.
The Others need Earth for the survival of their species. They don't have any sort of personal grudge against humans.