Review: I Am Number Four

Title: I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies #1)

Author: Pittacus Lore

Pages: 440

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: August 3rd, 2010

Rating: 4.5/5

Summary From Goodreads:

"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.

I AM NUMBER FOUR is the thrilling launch of a series about an exceptional group of teens as they struggle to outrun their past, discover their future—and live a normal life on Earth.

I AM NUMBER FOUR.

I AM NEXT."

I was really looking forward to reading I Am Number Four. I had heard many good things about this book and I knew it was being made into a movie so I figured, "Hey how bad could it be?" And, it wasn't bad at all.

There are hardly any alien books so it was cool to read something different. I really enjoyed the story line. John Smith (Number Four) and his guardian Henri, after finding out about the death of Number Three, move to a small town in Ohio called Paradise (I wonder if the author is a fan of Simone Elkeles?). Even though John knows he shouldn't he starts to make a life for himself. He makes friends, meets a girl, and just acts normal. Until his legacies (powers) start showing up. Since he is the next number the Mogadorians (bad guys) are coming to kill him and so he is thrown into the war for both his life and the life of Earth. There were many surprises along the way with his dog and some unexpected allies. Overall, it was very interesting and I'd say it wasn't the usual YA read.

The characters were pretty cool too. My favorite was probably Henri. He was such a nice guy even though his planet and his wife were killed. He always tried to protect John through everything. He devoted his life to saving John and the future of their race. The other characters were also great, they all really complemented each other but none of them stood out to me like Henri. (Except maybe his "dog" Bernie Kosar! :D )

Even though I loved the characters, the plot, and the writing style, there was still something missing. I'm not sure what, but the wow factor just wasn't there for me. It was the kind of book that even though I'm really into while I'm reading it once I put it down I could easily not pick it up for a day or two and not think twice about it.

Overall, it was a fun read that was very enjoyable but not doesn't completely consume you. I really do suggest this book though as I really liked did like it.