The Others are waging a war against the human race, and so far the humans have had a hard time fighting back. You'll notice that the struggles of characters like Cassie and Ben aren't anything so grand as saving the world; their goal is to save just one little boy.
In The 5th Wave, at least, they're playing defense, not offense.
The Others have some impressive weapons—including tsunamis and killer plagues—up their sleeves. Arguably, their most effective tactic is the way in which they keep humans guessing about what will happen next. Another is the way in which they sow doubt in people's hearts about who's actually human. (The Others look like regular people.) Finally, there's the child army they're training back at the alien military base, Camp Haven. What's up with that, anyway? Like the humans in the book, we can only speculate.
Questions About Warfare
- Why do you think the Others are training child soldiers to do their dirty work? Analyze that tactic as best you can.
- Do you think the humans will fight back in meaningful way in Books Two or Three? Why or why not?
- Evan briefly struggles with his human-alien identity at the beginning of the book. What helps him figure out who he really is?
Chew on This
Pop culture's representation of alien attacks has left Cassie and her fellow humans totally unprepared for the real deal.
Pop culture provides plenty of clues about alien tactics that Cassie and the gang have missed. Maybe they just haven't watched the right movies.