<P> The 5th Wave is a young adult science fiction novel written by American author Rick Yancey . It was published on May 7, 2013 by G.P. Putnam's Sons . The novel is the first in The 5th Wave trilogy, followed by The Infinite Sea . The story follows 16 - year - old Cassie Sullivan as she tries to survive in a world devastated by the waves of alien invasions that have decimated the Earth's population . </P> <P> Critics have compared the book favorably to The Hunger Games and The Road, and noted that it "should do for aliens what Twilight did for vampires ." Sony Pictures released a film adaptation in January 2016 . </P> <P> Set roughly in present - day Dayton, Ohio, The 5th Wave follows 16 - year - old Cassiopeia "Cass" Sullivan as she tries to survive in a world devastated by the waves of an alien invasion that decimated the Earth's population . She is headed to a "training" facility, in the hopes of saving her five - year - old brother, Sam, who was taken there . </P> <P> Cassie comes across a gas station where she finds a wounded soldier . She kills him after mistaking the crucifix in his hand for a gun . This intensely disturbs her . While on an Ohio highway, on her way to find her brother, she comes across the recently deceased . Cassie is then suddenly shot in the leg by an unknown sniper . She takes cover under a car and has to make a difficult choice: try to flee the area and risk being shot by the sniper, or bleed to death under the car . </P>

Where does cassie live in the 5th wave