Overall Rating: 3.6 out of 5 stars
I Am Number Four
Pittacus Lore
Harper Collins, 2011
Fantasy
ISBN: 0061974552
416 pages
Synopsis
I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us. Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?
They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.
I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.
And I'm ready to fight.
Critique
I cannot stress enough how much I love this book and this series. I would definitely recommend it to any lover of fast-paced fantasy novels. Certainly stories about aliens, people with superpowers, or even aliens with superpowers are nothing new. However, I feel like the treatment of this is fresh, especially amidst the crowded room that is vampire super power novels. I get a little tired of John (number four) complaining so much about not being able to see his girlfriend, and I really hate love triangles, especially when they seem thrown in just to create more tension between the characters. That's why I'm glad at least half of this book is about numbers seven and ten, and six takes a more active role in the story. I'm really stoked on number nine. He seems like a crazy fool, and I can't wait to see more of him in the next book.
Over all, the narrative does a great job of drawing me into the story, the back-story and the overall fantasy. I find myself disappointed at the end when I have to wait another whole year before I can read the next book in the series.
Rating Rubric
Enjoyable Read: 5 out of 5 stars
Original Fantasy: 5 out of 5 stars
Original Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Language: 4 out of 5 stars
Asthetics: 4 out of 5 stars
Depth In Characters: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Depth In Story: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Social Commentary: 3 out of 5 stars
Layers/Complexity: 3 out of 5 stars
Classroom Text: 1 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 3.6 out of 5 stars
For the Classroom
Although a fun read, there's not much in this book that can be used as a classroom companion.
Other Books You May Like
No comments have been added yet.
