I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

I Am Number Four

Author: Pittacus Lore

Publisher: Harper Collins

4½ out of 5 stars

From Earth it would look like any other distant point of light out of millions. But if you were actually there, it would look like something you have never seen before. I am talking about the planet Lorien. Lorien is one of the eighteen life-sustaining planets, which also includes Earth. Lorien is a beautiful, far-away place that has lush jungles and rivers, and blue and green sweeping across the landscape. Lorien wasn’t always like this. They had problems like we do now, with the environment and global warming. But they solved this and cut down their usage of natural resources so they could survive. However, another one of their problems is the Mogadorians. And this one isn’t as easily solved. The Mogadorians are from the life-sustaining planet Mogadore. The Mogadorians also started to run into the same problems that Lorien had, and that Earth has now. Instead of fixing it, they decided to raid Lorien’s resources as their solution. Which is exactly why Number Four is here, on Earth, now. 

In order to strip Lorien of all of its natural resources, the Mogadorians had to conquer it first. So what they did was wage an all out war against the Loriens. The Loriens were not strong enough to overcome the brute strength of the Mogadorians, and only a few Loriens survived. It was the night of the final battle, and there was only one spaceship left. All the others had been destroyed by the enemy. But before I go on, let me explain one aspect of the Loriens.

There are two different types of Loriens. There are the Garde, and there are the Cêpan, or Keepers. The Garde develop Legacies, which are powers or abilities. These Legacies can be anything from turning invisible, to being fire-resistant. The Cêpan don’t have any Legacies, but they are the Keepers of the Garde. Each Garde gets a Keeper at a very young age, so the Keeper can teach them and help them master their powers. Number Four is a Garde.

On that fateful night, nine Garde were chosen, including Number Four, along with their Keepers, to be sent to Earth. They were to escape the invasion, and one day come back to repopulate and live on Lorien again. To protect them, a charm was placed on all of the young Loriens. They were each given a number, and could not be killed by the Mogadorians out of sequence. They would always know when they were next, as they would get a scar scorched onto their ankle. So, the nine Garde and their Keepers set off to Earth, and they have arrived.

Now they must blend in, and have been doing so for many years. They must all stay inconspicuous while their Legacies develop and grow. All of them look like us, they sound like us, and they practically are us. But slowly the nine Loriens are being killed off. One, two, and three are all dead. And Number Four… knows that he is next. Will Number Four survive before the Mogadorians find him? And where will he find the answers to all of his hazy memories? Pittacus Lore reveals all in this out of this world adventure, I Am Number Four!

This book tugged me right in with its mysterious edge and alien space life! I Am Number Four is hard to put down, as I was constantly surprised with new information about the planet Lorien, and the long-lasting battle between the Loriens and the Mogadorians. This book was something new and refreshing. The idea for the story was unlike most that I have read, and it wasn’t the usual alien, space stuff that I had expected.  This a enthralling read for both teens and adults.

One aspect that I liked was the fact that the Loriens really weren’t that different from us. Well, except that many of them have powers that we can only dream of, they seemed to be like us in many ways. They not only look like us and sound like us, but they also react like us. Basically, they have emotions and feelings just like humans do. I noticed this many times as Number Four realized that he liked where he was, and how he didn’t want to leave many of his new friends behind. The Loriens aren’t as alien as I thought they would be. However, the Mogadorians are a different matter.

Right from the start, the main thing that caught my eye was the vagueness that I got from the story. Even as I read the book jacket of I Am Number Four, I knew that I wanted to keep reading this book. By creating such a sense of mystery the author, Pittacus Lore, drew me in even further to the vast unknown. I actually liked this a lot, as it wasn’t what I was used to seeing. The basic synopsis of this book was so blunt and straightforward, that I wanted to find out what it was about.

However, the book turned out not to be everything that I had expected from first glance. This upset me a little bit, as many aspects of the book were completely different than what I had anticipated. Also, I would have liked to have known more about the planet Lorien, as it seemed very similar to Earth. Hopefully, I will find out more in the sequel, The Power of Six. Overall though, I would have liked to learn more about where Number Four came from, and about his puzzling past.

All in all, I Am Number Four is an epic account of one Lorien’s life on a planet that’s not his home. No matter how hard he wants to be a normal kid, Number Four will always be different than everyone else. Join Number Four as he struggles to develop his Legacies, and deal with the knowledge that he is next in line to be slain by the ruthless Mogadorians in, I Am Number Four!

-This is T.B. with Another Book Back on the Shelf…

Until Next Time, Keep Reading!

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