The 5th Wave

Sammy gets to know the girl sitting beside him, Megan. When he tells her that his sister and father are still alive, she becomes upset because her family is dead. The soldier, Parker, comes back and checks each child’s temperature via a silver disk—presumably a thermometer. He puts a red mark on Sammy’s hand and a green mark on Megan’s, saying she’s ill and will have to go straight to the base hospital.

The bus arrives at the Wright-Patterson Airforce base and Sammy’s color is called. He gets up to leave the bus, but Megan begins to cry and asks him to stay with her. Sammy goes anyway, unaware that Megan is following him until the bus driver drags her back onto the bus. His group is divided into smaller units and given numbers. They are taken to a hangar. When their numbers are called, the children go through a set of doors painted red. When Sammy’s number is called, he is given a bath. He is then examined by a nurse and then Dr. Pam. The doctor places an implant into the back of his neck.

Sammy is taken to another room where Dr. Pam says they are going to test his implant via the Wonderland program. He experiences a white light and memories of his past.

Sammy is upset by the Wonderland program, but Dr. Pam calms him by saying he is the future. Then, she tells him that the thermometer Palmer used was not a thermometer, but a way to identify potential Others. She offers to show him one of the Others.

Ben has chosen to fight alongside the base soldiers and is participating in a boot camp-style training program. He now goes by his nickname, Zombie. His drill instructor is a cruel man named Reznik. He taunts Zombie while he’s doing pushups, causing him to come up short by one and forcing him to start over.

The children in Zombie’s unit range in age from him, at 17, to a girl who is only 7. There is 17-year-old Flintstone, Tank, 12-year-old Dumbo, 8-year-old Poundcake, Oompa, and 7-year-old Teacup—all nicknames. No one shares their real name.

One day, a 5-year-old boy joins the squad. They call him Nugget (Sammy). When drill instructor Reznik attacks Nugget, Zombie comes to his defense, causing Reznik to turn his attention on him and call him names; but eventually, he decides to make Zombie the squad leader.

The life of the squad is heavily regimented. Nugget stays close to Zombie, and they build a trusting relationship. He tells Zombie about his sister, Cassie, and how she’s coming to get him. Zombie feels sorry for Nugget because he believes his sister is likely dead. At night, Zombie says a prayer with Nugget that his sister used to say with him.

Zombie tries to have Nugget dismissed from duties on the day the squad is to work in the processing hangar, but Reznik refuses. He keeps Nugget close, trying to make the process of stripping dead bodies of their personal possessions less traumatizing. When Nugget needs a break, Zombie takes him outside. As they sit, he finds himself growing angry that a child has to do such a horrific thing.

One night during an air raid drill, Nugget becomes hysterical, and Zombie has to lead him to the shelter—causing them to arrive later than the rest of the squad. They lose points for this in the overall competition to see which squad graduates in first place. The rest of the squad becomes angry with Zombie. When they return to the barracks, Tank has a nervous breakdown. He is sent to the psychiatric ward at the hospital.

A short time later, Zombie and squad medic Dumbo discover Tank’s dead body in the processing hangar.

Two days later, Reznik replaces Tank with a girl named Ringer. She turns out to be an excellent sharpshooter whom Zombie has seen around the base for weeks.

Ringer sets rules for the other squad members concerning her privacy. When Flintstone makes a crude joke, she slams him to the floor. Zombie gives her a light punishment to establish his dominance as squad leader.

After Ringer’s arrival, Zombie’s squad begins to rise in the rankings. Ringer offers to help Zombie improve his shooting skills.

On graduation day, the squad receives new uniforms—except for Nugget, who is required to go through basic training until he is seven. Nugget gets upset when Zombie promises he’ll be around for him (which he accentuates by giving him his sister’s necklace), as he feels no one ever keeps their promises. Reznik comes and takes Zombie to see Vosch. Vosch tells Zombie that Tank died of a drug overdose. Then, he tells Zombie that “there will be no fifth wave” (256). Zombie is promoted to sergeant.

Zombie and the rest of his squad graduate.