The Last Star by Rick Yancey - Anticipation and Theories

In anticipation for the third and last book of the best selling series, The 5th Wave, I've put together a few questions that I hope will be answered along with some of my personal views. I have a few goodies that I'll be putting in here as well, including an excerpt of The Last Star!

DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU, THERE ARE SPOILERS IN HERE IF YOU DIDN'T READ THE 5TH WAVE OR THE INFINITE SEA. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU BEING SPOILED, YOU ARE.

Let's start with the biggest question that I just know everyone is dying to know.

Will Cassie end up with Evan or Ben (Zombie)? 

Okay, so obviously The 5th Wave isn't all about Cassie's love life, but if you're like me, this is a must know. Now, I've been conflicted with this since the start, so I can't even imagine how Cassie must been feeling. Let's talk about Ben. Football star turned badass warrior in order to survive. He's attractive, he's mad, he's survived the disease that killed off a huge chunk of the population, and he's got the selflessness to sacrifice
himself for the greater good. How can anyone resist that? Then, there's Evan, the sexy alien (or maybe not alien?) that saved Cassie's life. He's turned against his own people to help save humanity. Two selfless boys, both saved Cassie at some time or another. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Personally, I've gone back and forth. At the beginning of The 5th Wave, before we met Evan, I was all for a Cassie and Ben (Zombie) meet up that results in an apocalypse love (I'm a sucker for hopeless love stories). But Mr. Rick Yancey in all his wisdom and power decides to throw Evan at us and completely throw me off guard. Now, I think I'm all for Team Evan, because while I love Ben, he and Cassie just clash in a way that doesn't rub the right way. However, if Evan acts toward Cassie like he did in The Infinite Sea and keeps secrets, I just don't think it would work out. I wouldn't put it past Rick Yancey to completely mix it up on us and have Cassie pick herself instead.

The symbolism of Sam.

Less of a question, but something I wanted to touch on. Sam start out as this child that can't do anything for himself and he relies on his father and Cassie to get him through everything. After going through the training and the academy, while he still relies on Ben (Zombie) a little, he shows a kind of independence that can only be brought out by the harsh reality of the apocalypse. By The Infinite Sea, Sam openly pushes away his Bear and Cassie, choosing to be more to himself. He tries to show that he can fend for himself and that he's grown up. I think that Sam is a great example of how war and hard times can turn even the most innocent of children into thick-skinned warriors, fighting for their lives just like everyone else. By thinking of or being with Bear sometimes, it shows that his inner innocence is still struggling with the hard exterior he's had to build up to survive.

Would you be "updated"?

I mean, come on, who wouldn't want to be updated? From my side of things, if you can be "updated" and turned into something other than 100% normal and human and mundane, would you not take it? That sounds like a blast! As long as it's safe and not completely horrible and painful, I think that being upgraded could be worth it! What do you think? Seriously, I want to know, put your opinion in the comments section!

Whose side is Ringer on?

It's no secret that Ringer feels an allegiance to Ringer (sometimes humanity if it suits her best) and in the past she's been pretty close with Zombie and the gang, but now that she's all upgraded and she has knowledge on all of this stuff, it makes me wonder if she's still on the same side. Maybe she can see the Other's side of things or maybe she'll lay low. Who knows?! Hopefully we will soon!

Here's a few additional questions that nag at me;
How will Ben and Ringer's relationship end up? Razor and Ringer?
Are the Others really aliens?
Do we learn more about the Mothership?
Who will live? Who will die?

So many questions and so little time, but fear not, we need not wait long, because The Last Star releases on 5/24 that is so close but so far away. I truly wish I could touch on everything, but if I really tried I would never stop writing this and then the book would already be out! What are you hoping for in The Last Star?

Don't forget to pre-order The Last Star, so that you can be one of the first people with your hands on it. Add it on Goodreads, review the first two books, spread the word, and The Last Star will be here in no time!

Pre-order ---> http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/312769/the-last-star-by-rick-yancey/

Big thanks to Penguin Teen for the following excerpt: