Nine aliens and their guardians are hiding on Earth … protected by a charm that means they can only be killed in numeric order, three are already dead. John Smith is Number Four.
John has to keep moving: he’s got to outrun his past; escape his mortal enemies the Mogadorians;and blend into normal student life. But above all he must pray his newly found powers – alien legacies from home Planet Lorien – don’t give him away before he can complete his destiny, unlock his powers and protect his future.
In the beginning we were nine.
We left when we were very young, almost too young to remember. Almost. And now …
Three are gone.
We are here to keep our race alive, which was almost entirely obliterated. We’re just trying to survive.
Six are left.
But we are hunted, and the hunters won’t stop until they’ve killed us all.
They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
I am Number Four.
I know that I am next.
Was This Book Worthy My Time?
Interestingly enough, I first heard of this book on my Facebook page. I logged on the week before Mockingjay was released, and I saw an ad in the corner of my screen that read something like, "Need something to tide you over until Mockinjay comes to bookshelves? Read I Am Number Four." I immediately put my name on the waiting list at the library and waited patiently for it to come to me.
I was apprehensive about the ideas of aliens as I am not usually a science fiction lover. After beginning this book, though, I quickly realized that this book wasn't anything like the stereotypical alien story. It opened my eyes to a world I didn't think I would be interested in. I think the fast-paced storyline and the little bit of teenage drama makes for an excellent combination.
John, the protagonist, is a typical teenage except for the fact that he is really an alien. I loved that the authors didn't spend much time talking about the fact that he was an alien, but I wonder how the fans of real science fiction would feel about it.
I also loved the idea of "Pittacus Lore" being the leader of Lorien and also the author of the book. It gives the book a little mystery. All in all, this book is something fresh and new in that it doesn't have to do with vampires. I am thankful to these authors for giving the YA world another great book for boys Let's face it, there aren't many.
I think that this book will take off over the course of the next year especially with the movie due out in February.
What Bothered Me About This Book?
If the authors do intend on making this a six book series, it doesn't seem like they give enough of a back-story to give the series a takeoff that will be needed to make the series successful. I would've liked to have learned a little bit more about Lorien and John's life before earth. I do think that the idea of giving John's history through his dreams is a good one, but I think these authors will have to take it up a notch if they want the books to get the same fan-base as Harry Potter.
Sidenote: The authors James Frey and Jobie Hughes wrote this book under the collective alias "Pittacus Lore".
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