Customer Reviews

I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies)

5 star:		(142)
4 star:		(118)
3 star:		(61)
2 star:		(48)
1 star:		(33)

 

 

Man, this book is seriously garnering heaps of exposure, what with its already having been optioned for a movie, this movie scheduled for a 2011 release. I AM NUMBER FOUR, which admittedly is an awesome title, is penned by someone named Pittacus Lore, who claims to be a ten thousand year old space alien seeking to warn us of hostile other aliens currently lurking in our midst. This is cute. Except that two folks named Jobie Hughes and James Frey are the actual authors.

The high stakes premise goes like this: Nine alien children have fled their annihilated homeworld of Lorien and have sought refuge on Earth. Having scattered to the winds, they are being hunted down, one by one, by a separate and malevolent extraterrestrial race from a dying planet. Thanks to a quasi-mystical protective charm placed on the Nine, they can only be killed in order (although, my bet is that Number One doesn't regard this charm as all that "protective"). As the book opens, three of the Nine have already been tracked down and murdered. So we come to Number Four.

His name used to be Daniel Jones. It used to be something else before that, and then something else before that, and so on. Ten years on Earth, ten years of hiding and staying always on the move and staying safe and alive... this is the life of Number Four and his guardian and mentor whose name is Henri (oddly, Henri's alien accent sounds very much like a French accent). Number Four has just collected a new scar circling his right ankle, this an indicator that another of the Nine has been recently slain. Three scarred rings around his ankle, and so Number Four knows he's next. And it's time to pack up the bags again, time again to get the eff out of Dodge.

Henri and Number Four - or "John Smith," his new assumed name - have always gravitated to tiny towns, conjecturing that their hunters would stick out more like sore thumbs in tiny towns. They end up in Paradise, Ohio. For John it's another try at blending in in school but without making friends, because no one can be trusted. Except that it's a little different this time. John Smith befriends a geeky kid who is a science-fiction enthusiast. He adopts a stray mutt named Bernie Kosar (and Bernie Kosar, by the way, is easily the book's breakout character). And John Smith also meets a girl. So much for staying on one's guard.

My first impression, while reading the first few pages of this book, was that this whole thing is very reminiscent of two short-lived television sci-fi shows: THE POWERS OF MATTHEW STAR from the early '80s and, more recently, ROSWELL. But then, pressing on, I guess it's inevitable that comparisons to the X-Men would surface. The Nine teens are holing up while waiting for their superhuman powers (called Legacies) to develop. These Legacies vary, and there's no guessing as to which abilities a Nine would latch up to. Number Four is at that age when his Legacies would shortly begin to crop up. And they do start cropping up, one by one, and there is a really fun factor in watching our sympathetic alien boy try to cope with each incoming talent.

Gratifyingly, the alien hunters from Mogadore aren't only downright intimidating, they seem even more powerful than the Nine and their guardians (and the guardians aren't at all equipped with superpowers). This drives up the suspense. What I AM NUMBER FOUR has going for it is its irresistible sci-fi/superhero premise and a pace that really moves. Number Four is a likable protagonist, although someone needs to explain to him the exact definition of keeping a low profile. After all, dude is supposed to be in hiding and fitting in. He really doesn't do much of either. None of the supporting cast break out of their stereotypical mold, and only the scene-stealing dog Bernie Kosar seems to be an original character. I will say that John's geeky pal Sam does come up with a touching reason for why he's such a sci-fi freak and why he wears those fugly prescription glasses. And as much as I dig Sarah, her and John Smith's teen romance feels like any other teen romance in YA lit. It comes in a nice, predictable package. Sarah is gorgeous and nice... and, well, bland. Another issue I have concerns a high school bully whose turnaround comes too abruptly. Perhaps the most intriguing element in the book concerns the mystery surrounding the very peculiar Bernie Kosar (see how I keep coming back to the dog?).

I AM NUMBER FOUR is the first book in a planned six-book series, and it reads very visual, especially in the explosive action sequences, and no wonder this is being made into a movie. Number Four performs bits of astounding derring-do throughout the book, but things get really amped up during the final 90 pages. It all culminates in one of those blistering "Release the Kraken!" Jim Butcher-type paranormal (except it's sci-fi) shoot-'em-outs. I can see why Bay and Spielberg are salivating so.

I liked this book, and will most definitely be thre when the sequels come out. But here's the thing, if you're hanging your hat on something that's on par with the likes of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games series or even Michael Grant's Gone novels, this won't suit you. I AM NUMBER FOUR isn't as immersing or resonant as those books. THE HUNGER GAMES made me well up in places. GONE reads like LORD OF THE FLIES as co-authored by Rod Serling and Stephen King. I AM NUMBER FOUR had me eating up all the "superhero without a costume" elements, and it's always nice when you can transfer yourself onto a central character who is superstrong and superfast and who won't back down from bullies. I did really like that a surprise character shows up very late in the book, and it looks like she'll be heavily featured in future installments. I'll give this one 4 stars out of 5, because I'm shallow like that and big, bold, f/x-heavy fighty fights never ever fail to transfix me. And because the dog Bernie Kosar is in it.

In the not so distant past I worked at a few book stores. A problem I ran into frequently was finding books for teen boys. The YA market is flooded with books meant solely for girls. Boys have always been a harder sell when it comes to reading and publishers haven't made it an easier job, especially when they have flooded the teen market with paranormal romance.

So recommendations for teen boys often meant I would recommend The Hunger Games. Unfortunately many guys aren't too keen on reading a book in which the main character is a girl, no matter how good the story is. So after going through the other 5 or 6 good teen guy books I could think of I would often recommend a book in the general fiction and literature section, but parents often fear that their children will encounter questionable subject matter. Which they may, but they should also remember many of the books their children read in school are found in the fiction and literature not the teen section.

I found "I am Number Four" to be a great action adventure, that followed the traditional hero archetype. The main character, number Four or John Smith, is as relatable as a alien teenager on the run can be. The surrounding cast of characters rounds out this alien boys average existence, Henri, his alien guardian/father figure, Sam, his nerdy best friend, Sarah, his crush, and Mark, a bully and Sarah's ex. The story is a super power driven action packed adventure, filled with all the tender feelings and angst that a every teenager has.

It was a quick read. I got through it in about a day and a half. I would recommend this book for anyone over the age of 13. I hope that the quick success of this book will bring about a revamp of the YA publishing field and allow for more guy teen fiction or fiction that can cross gender lines. Anyone that truly enjoyed this book should read The Hunger Games. I can't wait to see the film and read the rest of the series. Happy reading to you all.

Wow, this book has a great concept. Nine children come to earth from a war ravaged planet, the last of their people, and they are seeking to hide amongst us until they come of age so they can come into their 'legacies' and kick some bad-guy fanny. The driving essence of the plot is that the kids are being hunted one-by-one by the bad guys who can only kill them in numeric order. And our hero, John, is #4 and #3 just got snuffed.

The fact that there's already a movie shooting didn't hurt my expectations either. I was smiling cheerfully until I got four chapters into the book. Then it occurred to me that The Movie probably came first and that the book was just something thrown together by people who aren't all that familiar with how good YA (young adult) literature is these days.

Good idea or not, "I am Number Four" has flat characters and utter predictability. There's also almost no descriptive writing -- like you'd find in a movie script. Not that you need much help to envision 'Mark' the smalltown, football star/bully who is jealous that John is now dating his beautiful ex-cheerleader girlfriend. (And yes, she's very blonde, smart, and has a beautiful eyes.)

"I notice a girl taking pictures, moving easily from one group to the next. She's shockingly beautiful with straight blond hair past her shoulders, ivory skin, high cheekbones, and soft blue eyes. Everyone seems to know her and says hello to her, and no one objects to her taking their pictures.

"She sees me, smiles and waves. I wonder why and turn to see if someone is behind me....

"'Don't be shy.'
"'I'm not. Just trying to protect you lens. My face might break it."


THE SKINNY:::
I read a lot of YA, MG (Middle-grade) and kidlit, and this book doesn't compare well to "Hunger Games", Percy Jackson, or Mo Willems.

Except for the plentiful scenes with kissing and the one (two?) moments when something interesting might have happened had-they-not-been-interrupted, this book would be perfect for Older Elementary aged kids[AR 4.0] and Middle-schoolers looking for a fun read.

Personally, I think YA'ers would be better off reading "Split" or "Mockingjay" or re-reading something they loved.

Middle-graders would better be directed to Gary Paulsen, "The Red Pyramid", or "Smells Like Dog". Something with adventure or humor or both if they are looking for a lighter read.

Reading level - 4th Grade

Pam T~
mom and blogger

I bought this book based on a review that said it had great character development, something missing from a lot of YA books. Nope. Now I wish I'd checked it out of the library. Or maybe just waited for the movie that's coming out in February 2011.
I agree with another reviewer that the book felt like a tie-in product for the movie, a way to make more money by selling both books and tickets. I don't get the feeling "I Am Number Four" was written because an author had a really great story he loved and wanted to tell. More likely, it was written to hype an upcoming movie.
I still don't know a whole lot about the main character, John Smith, and even less about his love interest, Sarah Hart. (Heck, I don't even know what John looks like.)
In the beginning, I was really pleased to read a first person book from a teenage guy's POV that actually sounded like a guy. But I was expecting more dramatic near misses with John and his pursuers, and there weren't many. There wasn't much tension at all, really. John's number is up, he's being stalked by otherworldly killers, and still I never felt too concerned about him. John wasn't overly worried either. He was mostly concerned about staying in Paradise, Ohio, in large part so he could be with Sarah...who we know absolutely nothing about. Sure, she's blonde, she has blue eyes, and she likes photography. And in a matter of days, John is ready to stop running from the Mogadorians who are killing off the Legacies in numerical order, put down roots to be near her and endanger his life and the life of his mentor Henri (called a Cepan). I needed more to buy into a love that strong...more interaction, more conversations, more something between John and Sarah.
There were a few scenes that served only to move the plot along and weren't really organic to the story. Example: We're told John can run faster than a car. So why did he and his best friend, Sam (who just happens to be an alien enthusiast with a missing dad he believes was abducted) drive to another town to investigate Henri's disappearance? Why would John involve Sam at all in what he thinks will be a dangerous mission? After all, John's got superhuman strength and other powers, so he doesn't need help getting Henri back. It seemed Sam went along only so he could end up in danger (naturally) and John would have to use his awesome alien strength and levitating ability to rescue him, thus revealing to his friend in a dramatic way that he is not a human.
Some of the dialogue and wording were awkward and took me out of the story. Teenagers don't say "perhaps" at the beginning of sentences, or at least the ones I know don't. What does it mean if someone looks at you "through the tops of her eyes"? And one of the authors --Pittacus Lore is a pseudonym for James Frey and Jobie Hughes-- is a big fan of the word "segue" because it showed up often enough to be noticeable. And my last word gripe: "Vertiginous" isn't a common word, and this wasn't a book with a lot of difficult vocabulary, so when this bad boy popped up during a key battle scene, I had to stop and figure out what it meant. Speaking of the big battle, it went on far too long, like a lot of action sequences in movies tend to do.
This wasn't a terrible book, just one that needed better editing and to be thought out a little more. There are some questions left open that I'd like to know the answer to...What exactly is in The Chest? What happened to Sam's dad? What became of the other Lorien ship John remembers from his flashbacks? Will we meet the remaining Legacies?(Number Six showing up was a nice little twist, and I'd like to know more about her.) What is John's greatest Legacy going to be? I'd like to know the answers, so the book did keep me interested...but I might just wait for the movies instead of reading future books.

It's rare that I review a book before finishing it, but at this rate I doubt that I ever will. As forewarning, my review is pretty harsh, but this is my honest reaction to the book.
Of all the books I've ever read, this is the worst. The writing is atrocious - the reader is consistently told who these characters are and what is happening in the most colourless language possible. Parts of the description are actually laughable.
"We go inside and she takes me on a tour. It's a great house. A classic family home with bedrooms on the second floor, an attic where one of her brothers has his room, and all of the living spaces - the living room, dining room, kitchen and family room - on the first floor." This example pretty much follows throughout the entire book - we are given bland, generic treatments of everything from setting to characters - things that tell us NOTHING about them. An actual description of the house in terms of its decor, style, what sorts of things the family keeps, might have given us an idea about Sarah's character and her family, but it seems the author goes out of their way to keep everyone, including the main character, as anonymous silhouettes with no tangible identity. It's a great house because it has bedrooms an attic and living areas? I suppose every house is pretty spiffy then.

I thought perhaps the plot would save this train wreck, but I was sorely disappointed. A premise that promised suspense, sci fi and break-neck pacing managed to peter out after a single chapter. Despite the fact John is being hunted by a savage alien race - and his death is imminent, as he's next on the chopping block, for 200 pages of exposition not a single alien has shown up, nor any significant sign of danger. Instead we're hand-fed a crudely spun romance between John and Sarah - a girl we are told is beautiful, blonde and intelligent (over and over again) but who has less personality than an elastic band. Every interaction between these two characters is less interesting than the last. They walk, they hold hands, they kiss. Rinse and repeat. Beyond her apparent good looks, we're never given an idea of what he sees in her, or her in him. Yet (much later) on page 250 after a near escape from Mogadorians (which somehow also managed to be just as boring as the happy couple's dates), we're asked to believe that John and Henri will now risk their lives and (potentially) the lives of their entire race by staying put so John can continue to kiss his girlfriend. Gag me.

For a story about aliens this sure lacks anything alien. So far this is a mundane high school romance - as cliched as they come. John behaves like a regular human boy, except that he has flash light hands and telekinesis. There is so little to hint at the behaviours, customs, culture and lifestyles of the race these two main characters embody. We're supposed to be reading this through the eyes of an alien - so to him wouldn't some human customs seem strange? Guess not...

Most fanfiction authors could claim to have written a more honest, heartfelt story. At this point I'm convinced it was written solely to hype up the movie. I'm extremely put off - I was told this would be as good as The Hunger Games. That is an insulting comparison. Do yourself a favour: either get it from the library or just watch the movie, but certainly don't spend money on this book.

What a pleasant surprise, I liked this book! I didn't think I would, since I'm not fond of "end of the world" scenarios, but thought I'd give it a chance because the storyline intrigued me. Set in the present day, the book tells the tale of a small group of nine young gifted aliens and their "keepers" who were sent to Earth to escape from the evil aliens who waged war and total destruction of life on their home planet. While this may sound familiar (Superman, anyone?) the primary differences are quickly made apparent. These nine children all have different "legacies", or powers, that do not manifest until they reach a certain age, they come with guardians to help protect them, and the enemy has followed them to Earth, with plans to take over our planet, too, (another familiar theme, to Star Trek fans this sound like "The Borg") as soon as they kill the nine children. The primary story follows just "Number Four", aka Daniel Jones, aka John Smith and his guardian, Henri, with references to the others made along the way. The interaction between John and Henri as John begins to develop both his legacies and his libido are particularly good. John manifests typical teen angst and is very believable as a young man trying to find his way in life while nature is reminding him not only how very alike he is, but also how very different from his friends.

Although I'm way beyond being a teen, I do enjoy young adult stories and this is definitely of that genre. It's nice to sometimes read a book where sex is not the primary motivation for everything and present in every chapter. This book has the requisite "love" story, a pretty girl, a human bully, a human nerd, lots of action, great character development and the author does not "talk down" to the reading audience. One warning for the reader however, I was left feeling that there are going to be more of these books coming. Not necessarily a bad thing, if the author can keep it to a set number of books in the series. A trilogy, perhaps. I would not like to see this go on too long as it would become too much like "Star Trek: Voyager", a never ending quest for the unattainable. The ending was satisfactory, even given the probability of more books to come. I would definitely read the next book, should there be one.

I Am Number Four may well be a huge sensation when the Dreamworks film of this book is released in 2011 starring Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Dianna Agron. It may well make a decent teen movie. But it's not a good book. It's cliché, predictable and simplistic. Worse news still, there are apparently another five of these books planned. I won't be reading them.

The concept is very similar to the Twilight series - except here we have an alien rather than a vampire and it's written from his point of view rather than hers. There is the same stereotype mix of school kids - one outsider (alien with superpowers), one cute girl who falls in love with outsider for no apparent reason, one jock who similarly hates outsider for equally no apparent reason and a geek who likes outsider for.... well you've guessed it.

The alien, residing under the name of John Smith (no, really), is from the planet Lorien which has been invaded by the evil Mogadorians. (In one of the many cheap steals, Lorien has been sending representatives to Earth for centuries and are partly responsible for things like the pyramids) Only a handful of Loriens escaped and are now relentlessly pursued by the Mogadorians who, and this is the only clever twist presented here, have to kill the nine child escapees in order as a result of some kind of Loric charm come combination lock. Three are dead and John Smith is the fourth.

It's pretty obvious where this is all going from the first few pages and it gets there in an amiable if predictable way, before completely losing the plot in the big finale that will have most readers rolling their eyes.

Marketed as one of those books that appeal to young adults and adults alike - it may well appeal to young adults but the simplistic writing and predictability ought to put off anyone past the age of about 16. Young adults deserve better fare than this lazy, cliché-ridden book. I suspect marketing will win out over writing quality in the end though and it will probably be what everyone is reading when the film comes out. Certainly the writing is more even than in the Twilight series, but that's not saying a great deal. However, I tired of the constant repetition that is a feature of both series of books and the predictability is laughable. Smith is developing his superpowers (called legacies here) in some kind of alien puberty - he becomes fire resistant. Hmmm wonder if a house is going to catch fire. Worse, Smith cannot tell that there's something strange about his dog. How anyone can be that dumb and be the saviour of their apparently advanced race is a mystery.

I rolled my eyes so many times at this book. There are no surprises in this book. There is no descriptive language, the characters are completely shallow and unlikable. John has no personality, Sarah REALLY has no personality (besides liking photography and being pretty). Their whole relationship is ridiculous. It pretty much consists of "You look so pretty", "I missed you", "Hey beautiful", and them kissing eachother. Again, me rolling my eyes at all this. Basically there is nothing in this book that will keep your interest or make you want to read more. The only character that was semi-interesting was maybe Sam. I don't know why people like this book. Actually I'm not even sure who the target audience for this book is. The writing is so poor and unemotional that I would guess it was for elementary age children if it wasn't for the swearing that Henri does. All the fight scenes at the end were repetitive and annoying and I ended up skimming a lot of it just so I could find out what happens ultimately. Although, at that point I just wanted to be done with the book and it was holding very little of my interest anymore. The part where the dog first shows up- it was obvious something was different about the dog, but the characters never even question how he can move so fast from one place to another? How dumb is John? He knows he has aliens after him, trying to kill him and yet he doesn't even notice the things around him. He is very very hard to like as a main character. Oh, and the part with the house fire? I stopped reading at that point and seriously considered giving up on the book. It was so obvious that was going to happen. Honestly, this is one of the worst books I have ever read, and I read A LOT of books.

P.S. The whole premise of the book doesn't even make sense to me. This race is planning to repopulate their ruined planet with about 10 people? How does that work? And how are they going to turn the barren wasteland of a planet into a livable place? Just not well thought out. Please avoid this book.

3.5 Stars

With his cepan Henri, a chimera, and an envelope of disposal identities, Four has been on the run from the Mogadorians for the better part of ten years. And in that time, they have bounced from state to state hoping to stay alive.

They can't stop running, because if they do, it will spell the end of any hope there will be in defeating their enemy-an enemy that now threatens Earth. Four has to last long enough to come into his legacies, his innate Lorien powers that materialize upon adolescence.

And with those powers, he and the other Lorien survivors on Earth just might be able to fight off the one enemy that destroyed their planet, and has the next one in their sights: Earth.

But Four is tired of running. Once he and Henri hit Paradise, Ohio and things quiet down, Four thinks he might actually have a semi-normal life: high school, friends...attachments. When he starts to dig in, to have roots, he almost forgets that he has a destiny. Could it be that he and Henri have finally found a safe place? Will he be able to stay there long enough to train with his new powers? What about Sara, the girl he has fallen in love with? Can he even dare to have a normal life?

But trouble comes calling after a series of freak accidents, and those who were watching for any Four will have to defend his newfound home, his girlfriend and everything he has now come to believe in against an inescapable enemy. But he won't be alone. Another Lorien has found, him, a girl who has come partially into her legacies....Number Six...and with her help they might actually be able to turn the tide.

I Am Number Four was such a welcome YA genre change...something I have been looking forward to for a while. Being a huge sci-fi fan, I couldn't help but notice the similarities to another YA sci-fi series like Melinda Metz's Roswell High...a similar premise of teen aliens on earth developing their powers trying to stay out of the sights of alien hunters.

I Am Number Four seems a bit sparse by comparison in plot and character interaction. I was expecting more complication, a more densely developed plot than was presented. Compared to other more popular YA series, it seemed a tad tame.

Frey will need to pump the gas pedal a bit, and add some nitro for Power of Six if he doesn't want the series to fizzle. Four has some great promise and overall I enjoyed the read but expected more. Lots more. I will be sure to read The Power of Six when it hits the shelves in 2011 to see if things have improved.

A Fiendishly Bookish Review (and one grumpy cat)

I knew nothing about this book or the forthcoming movie, until I read an article on [...] that had a preview of the first couple of chapters.

I was immediately sucked in and had to get this book.

I won't go into the plot since most other reviewers have summarized it on here. I thought this book was utterly engaging. It is marketed as a YA novel, and that it is, but everyone would enjoy this novel. There is the teenage "love story" and "coming of age" that almost every YA novel contains, but others will want to stay around for the action and the Lorien/Magadorian history, powers and mythology that are in this book, and promise to be in future books in this series. And I love the premise of aliens in disguise living amongst humans.

I tore through this book, I read it in about 2 days; I would've been done with it sooner, but I was bothered with this pesky little thing called a job. lol
I was intrigued with John, Henri and The Magadorians. There were so many questions I had that were answered: Why do they want John? What are his "Legacies" and will they develop? And so many that will be answered in future installments: Where are the remaining 5? Will they find each other? Can they band together in time to save themselves and their planet?

I'm very glad that this will be part of a series as I can't wait to see what happens next!! And it promises to be a great movie as well!