I Am Number Four
By Pittacus Lore
Hard Cover, 440 Pages
Published: August 3 , 2010
By HarperCollins
ISBN0061969559
Book Source: bought
5 Stars
Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. Bue we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books – but we are real.
Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. We have lived among you without you knowing.But they know.They caught Number One in Malaysia. Number Two in England. And Number Three in Kenya.They killed them all.
I am Number Four.
I am next.
Alacia’s Review: Number Four is next to be hunted by the Mogadoriens, so he and his protector, Henri leave their home and head for Paradise, Ohio under the alias of Henri and John Smith. John (Number Four) knows he must lay low at school but meets Sarah, who just happens to be the ex-girlfriend to the quarterback: Mark. Mark sees John talking to Sarah and it is apparent that John cannot lay low as Mark continues to harass him each day at school. As things continue, John begins to develop his Legacies, or powers that people from his planet have. Again remaining under the radar is hard as these Legacies include being able to emit light from his hands, super speed, and super strength. John plays these off to his peers as pranks he wanted to pull in class, but one kid named Sam knows there is something different about John and begins to interact with him. As John gets to know Sam more, he learns that he has been obsessed with aliens ever since his dad disappeared mysteriously. Throughout the school year, John continues to get to know Sam and Sarah, the first real friends he has ever had, Henri warns him not to get too attached as they may need to flee at any given second, should the Mogadoriens find their location. With the help of Henri, Sam, Sarah, and a surprise Legacy, John develops the skills he needs to defeat the Mogadoriens and the hope of rebuilding his home planet.
I loved this book! I carried it with me everywhere I went, and read any chance I could. The dynamic between John and Henri is sweet, as Henri is the only father figure John has since leaving their home planet. It is also fun to see how the relationships with Sam and Sarah develop, and I found myself wishing they were actual people so that I might be able to engage with them. The book was an easy ready, with only a few strange alien words, but nothing terribly hard to pronounce, and it flowing well from one page to the next. I am excited to continue the series and see what comes of Number Four and his friends.
Content: Relatively clean, just a few swear words and one mild kissing scene.
Alacia
Amber
I enjoyed this novel too. I had seen the movie first and loved it and was glad that the book was even better. Like you, I had a hard time putting it down.
Lexie@BookBug
I loved this book! And its sequel! And I can’t wait for The Rise of Nine.