I Am Number Four

[Shawn]

"I Am Number Four" by Pittacus Lore chronicles the story of John Smith. John Smith is on the run after his home planet was destroyed 10 years earlier by the Mogadorians when he was just four years old. The Mogadorians invaded the planet of Lorien because they had destroyed their own planet, it was too cold and desolate. In order to Survive, they had to conquer other planets. When the Mogadorians arrived on Lorian, they wiped out the entire planet, all but maybe 18 people or so. The 9 children that escaped will eventually develop legacies (super powers) and the other nine, called Cepan, are there to protect them. Prior to coming to Earth an elder put a charm on these four babies so that they could only be killed in order. If a Mogadorian were to harm another one out of order, the damage would be reversed and inflicted upon them instead. This charm is only broken when two Gardes are together. When the book begins the first three had already been hunted off and killed by the Mogadorians on Earth, they are looking for Number Four who is living in Paradise, Ohio. Number Four lives a life on the run, and was afraid to settle in a place for too long. In Paradise, he meets a best friend for the first time and falls in love with a girl. This makes him blind to the dangers that lie ahead and despite his Cepan's wishes he stays in Paradise, thus making it easier for the Mogadorians to track him down.
I would rate this book an easy four out of five stars. Anyone who has any sort of interest in fantasy, alien life, or superhero stories will enjoy this book. The book was pretty fast paced most of the time, however at parts it did seem like the information was redundant. Other than redundancy, I couldn't find anything else that would make someone put the book down. The book is the first of a series that is still printed today. I would strongly encourage anyone to pick this book up and read it, I myself will likely be moving on to the second book of the series very soon.

[Kdrake1]

Thank you for your candor regarding this series. It's compelling writing style is often overlooked in comparison to its adventurous drive. I like how you took the time to allow both attributes to become one.