I Am Number Four

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

(Lorien Legacies #1)

Published: August 3, 2010 by Harper

In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil

Mogadorian. Nine aliens who scattered on Earth. Nine aliens who look like ordinary teenagers living ordinary lives, but who have extraordinary, paranormal skills. Nine aliens who might be sitting next to you now.

The Nine had to separate and go into hiding. The Mogadorian caught Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. All of them were killed. John Smith, of Paradise, Ohio, is Number Four. He knows that he is next.

Read my review of the movie here.

This book is pretty entertaining, fast-paced, and reads like a movie. Of course, this could be because it is exactly like the movie, which I saw before reading the book. If you've seen the movie, the book is exactly the same, with some flashbacks and minus the eye candy. I will probably not read the sequel unless I read rave reviews of it.

(Oh hello. Anyone else here a Glee fan?)

 Reasons I love this book:

• Sarah- Sarah gets to do more in the book. I remember feeling like she was just eye candy in the movie while Six got to kick butt, but Sarah is more of an important character here. 
• the Mogadorians- they are presented as harsh enemies rather than comic relief like in the movie
• Lorien- we get to learn a lot more about John's home planet and how he came to be on Earth
• as I read the book I just kept thinking that the casting of the movie was so perfect for the characters

Huh, what?:

• Mark- I felt that John's feud with Mark was way overblown and took up so much of the book. It's important, since John might blow his cover but in the end it didn't need so many pages devoted to it
• There's a part where John writes down everything about what he saw in his visions and training. Now if you'd been on the run for 10 years, burning down houses as you go because you're in that much danger if you're found, would making a written record detailing all of your secrets and knowledge of the situation seem like a good idea?
• Sarah accepted that John was an alien way too easily, even for having seen proof 1st hand- Sam's reaction is rational and he's the one who believes in aliens
• the book itself is trying too hard- the writing on the page edges is distracting and it's not cute to have the author be an alien in a YA book
• The lack of use of contractions is awkward and distracting

Favorite quotes:

• "What is their incentive?"    "Because they're jealous."    "Jealous of us? Why, because of our rugged good looks?"  Sam laughs. "Something like that."         - pg. 107
• "Wait, your being here, us being together, that breaks the charm. All the others are fair game now," I say. "They can kill us at will." I can see by the look of horror on Henri's face that it had slipped his mind as well.        - pg. 365

4 Robots

An entertaining and fast-paced book, worth checking out

(I would suggest either the book or movie, but not both)

Acquired: Bought