Reading order
The 5th Wave reading order
1
2
3- 3 volumes
- Volumes
- 2013–2016
- Published
- about 22 h
- Reading time
- Completed
- Status
- Romance#27
- Genre
Quick answer
Publication order
3 volumes2013–2016Completed
- Three books, one story, and the second is where most readers stall: The Infinite Sea is short, splintered between narrators and mostly a middle.
- Push through, because The Last Star answers the question the first book asks.
- Read in order — the whole series turns on what you are told and when, and a book out of turn hands you the twist.
- The 2016 film covers the first book only and stops there, which is worth knowing if you saw it and wondered where the rest went.
A plan for the whole series
3 volumes, 1,186 pages, about 22 hours. At 45 min a day that is about 4 weeks.
Share of volume 1’s readers who reach the last volume. Chance of reaching the last volume: low
- From volume 2 on, the number of ratings falls most before volume 3, “The Last Star” (by 45%). Plan your break after volume 2, before the series plans it for you.
Stages
2 stages, with 1 short book from outside the series between them. You finish around December 6, 2026, 9 days later than in one go.
- Stage 115 h20 daysby November 18, 2026
- BreakMaus · Art Spiegelman · 295 pp. · score 9.0
- Stage 26 h9 daysby December 6, 2026
- The end of the series
We count 1.1 min per page, the pace of an average novel reader. Faster? Move the slider.
Does the series hold up
Shape of the series: best at the start. Readers scored the first volumes (7.5) above the last ones (7.2).
Best volume: The 5th Wave (7.5, 560 ratings). Weakest: The Last Star (7.2). From volume 2 on, the biggest drop in the number of ratings is between volume 2 and 3: 45%. The series is complete; you can read it start to finish with no waiting. The last volume (7.2) scores close to the series average or above it.
How this plan is calculated
The plan comes from the pages and ratings of each volume: we split the series into stages of about three weeks’ reading, size each break to the stage before it, and read the chance of finishing from how many readers rate the last volume compared with the first. How we work out the plan →
Every volume in order
Order checked by hand · Order and years: Wikidata (CC0). Spotted an error? Tell us. · Data updated October 29, 2026
The 5th Wave books ranked, best to worst
- 1.The 5th WaveBook 1 · 20137.5
- 2.The Infinite SeaBook 2 · 20147.4
- 3.The Last StarBook 3 · 20167.2
Frequently asked questions
Which 5th Wave book is the best?
By reader score, The 5th Wave (7.5/10). The lowest-rated is The Last Star (7.2/10).
Which The 5th Wave book is the longest?
“The 5th Wave” is the longest at 496 pages; the shortest is “The Infinite Sea” with 336 pages.
What should I read after The 5th Wave?
Other series by Rick Yancey: Alfred Kropp series.
