I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

 

Title:  I Am Number Four

Author: Pittacus Lore

Source: Library; hardcover 440 pages

Challenges: 50 States Challenge

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Official Blurb: 

Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But 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.

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My Rating: 4.5 stars ★★★★1/2

My Thoughts:

I actually hadn't heard of this book until I saw a trailer for the movie, then Googled it to find out more info. Right off the bat, I knew I was going to love this book. The dust-jacket blurb was super intriguing and the first chapter was just insane - it drew me right in.

I loved the premise of the book, and especially enjoyed the world-building of Lorien, the Loric people, and all their charms/powers - I wish there were even more details about the secrets of Lorien (such as what was in that chest!). I also found this book somewhat scary, but in a good way! (not horror-scary, just oh-my-god-what-is-going-to-happen-next?! kind of scary) - I got so sucked into the story that I felt as if I was involved; that the bad guys were coming for me too, not just some random person I was reading about in a book.

 

The only part of the novel that I wasn't crazy about was the climax/ending (approximately the last 90 pages). I just couldn't create an image in my mind of the Mogadorians and their beasts [I wound up picturing the large "beasts" as something similar to the Bandersnatch -except black- from the newer version of Alice in Wonderland]. There was a decent amount of description, but for some reason the picture wasn't fully forming in my mind, and everything was a bit of a blur. I'm curious to see how these characters will be shown in the movie adaptation. Also, the ending was very bittersweet, so I don't know whether I feel happy or sad about it.

Overall, I liked the book a lot, and am anxious to go see the movie. I'd recommend this to readers who love YA science-fiction (it's definitely different than adult science fiction, though, so readers of adult sci-fi may not enjoy this as much.)

Next in Series: The Power of Six