I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies: The Lost Files) (Lorien Legacies, #1)

by Pittacus Lore

John Smith is not your average teenager.

He regularly moves from small town to small town. He changes his name and identity. He does not put down roots. He cannot tell anyone who or what he really is. If he stops moving those who hunt him will find and kill him.

But you can't run forever.

So when he stops in Paradise, Ohio, John decides to try and settle down. To fit in. And for the first time he makes some real friends. People he cares about - and who care about him. Never in John's short life has there been space for friendship, or even love.

But it's just a matter of time before John's secret is revealed.

He was once one of nine. Three of them have been killed.

John is Number Four. He knows that he is next . . .

Reviewed by rakesandrogues on

4 of 5 stars

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I am not a die-hard science fiction fan, but I really wanted to explore the genre. I loved the summary of this book so I was very excited to read it.

Lore's writing is fast-paced, keeping you on the edge of your seat. At first the story seems to drag a little, while John (Number Four) learned more about the history and background of his planet. In terms of the story, it seems to lag at first because of all this development, but I find that this information is crucial for the reader. Learning more about Lorien helps the reader to understand John and Henri's motives throughout the whole book. Lorien is essential to the whole plot so readers must connect with the beautiful planet that these two aliens originate.

One thing that struck me as funny while reading was during the time that John was learning about Lorien's history. He was learning about one of Lorien's Elders, Pittacus Lore, when it struck me: Hey, that's the author of this book! Since I was reading an ebook, I couldn't exactly flip to the back cover of the jacket to learn more about the author. So it wasn't only until the end when I read:

Pittacus Lore is Lorien’s ruling Elder. He has been on Earth for the last twelve years, preparing for the war that will decide Earth’s fate. His whereabouts are unknown.

Interesting.... So who is Pittacus Lore? Hmmm...

On another random note, I was searching for pictures of Alex Pettyfer, when I stumbled upon an article about an I AM NUMBER FOUR movie! I can easily see this book being turned into a movie. There's lots of action and I can see just how easily special effects can be put into play. I don't know just how much the story could be changed because of this... I usually hate when movies are drastically different from the book. However, I am willing to give this movie a chance if it does come out in 2011!

Back to the story, there is a good deal of romance in I AM NUMBER FOUR. However, I did not feel the chemistry as much as I would like. I would definitely say that this book is more science fiction than romance. Romance takes a back seat in this book. I don't know if the fact that the story is narrated from a male perspective makes me feel this way, but I can't feel the attraction as much between the two characters. Still, I have to say that John and Sarah do make a cute couple.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed reading the book. I wouldn't jump to say that it was addicting and that you have to rush out to the nearest bookstore to get your copy, but I have to admit that it was pretty good. I think this will appeal to a lot of science fiction and fantasy book lovers. I wouldn't be sure if paranormal readers would be really into this, but I would give it a shot anyway.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 29 August, 2010: Finished reading
  • 29 August, 2010: Reviewed