Book Review: I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Publisher: Harper

Publish Date: August 3, 2010

Hardcover, 448 pages
Young Adult, Lorien Legacies #1

My Review:
Why I read this: It sounded like a fascinating premise so I signed up for the book tour.

How is the novel driven:  Plot - the characters are important, and setup of the world is needed, but the plot drives the novel.

My thoughts: Very interesting book.  I like the take on alien people coming to Earth to escape destruction on their planet and just trying to blend in here.  It's a sci-fi book but doesn't feel completely sci-fi.  It's definitely hard to put down and I found myself moving quickly through the pages to see what would happen next to John and Henri.

What I really enjoyed more than fight scenes or the alien story-line was simply the interactions between the characters, and John's high school life.  I liked seeing how he fit in and how he fell for the girl.  This is what made the story for  me.  The fight scenes are great and the suspense is wonderful, but the characters really sold me on this book.

John is just trying to fit in after moving again.  His life has been a series of moves because he cannot be found.  The three before him have been found and he is next.  When John arrives at his new school he endures the normal fitting in problems and this is what I liked.  I also liked Sara's character.  She was once at the top of the high school food chain, but a summer away made her re-evaluate herself and she grew and became a different person and the person she is in the book.  I find that fascinating.  She was an interesting charater in her own right.  Then there is Sam, he doesn't fit in and he doesn't try to, but he and John become friends and Sam really comes into his own in the book.  As I said before, the characters make this book for me.

That said, the suspense is what keeps you reading.  Will John be found?  Will he get to stay with Sara?  What is hunting him and how can he beat it?  All of this gets answered in a very action-packed way.  A great book for teen boys as well as girls.  It's nice to see a good book out there for boys.  There are so many for girls, and girls will surely enjoy this one as well, but with the action and suspense and sci-fi angle I think this will really draw boys as well as girls.

Hard to put down and great characters made this a winner for me.  I am excited for the second book in the series and look forward to hopefully seeing more of John and his gang in that one.

My Rating: 4.5/5.0

About the Book:

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.

About the Author:

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.

Website
Facebook

FTC Information: I received this book through Book It Forward Tours for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.